WHAT OFF SEASON?? Team
26 Testing at Talladega
One of the most popular questions being asked
by race fans right now is “What do you do during the off season?” The answer
according to car owner, Travis Carter is “What off season?”
As far as Carter is concerned, the 2003 NASCAR
Winston Cup season is already underway. Currently the team is putting the finishing
touches on its superspeedway Taurus and by the same time tomorrow, it will be turning laps
at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. The test is being conducted by the Dodge and
Ford manufactured teams to evaluate the NASCAR 2003 rule mandate  that
features a common body mounting point for all four manufacturers. Wednesday and Thursday
(December 11 & 12) will be used to acquire as much data as possible for the No. 26
crew. (Photo to the right is of Derrick & JC)
“Any time you can test a new car with
rule changes, you’ve got to take advantage of it,” said Travis Carter.
“Todd Bodine remains our driver but since he is still recuperating from back surgery,
his brother Geoffrey has agreed to test drive for us. Todd has been to the race shop to
visit and has given us his input. It’s great to see him feeling well and getting back
to 100-percent. The whole team is anxious for him to climb back into our driver’s
seat.“
Carter went on to add with a smile,
“Geoffrey’s job at Talladega is not to lift.” Speed is always of interest
to teams since the test will analyze the car in qualifying trim. The main area of interest
for Carter and the crew will be corner speeds. The team’s chief engineer, Derrick
Finley already has the two-day session organized. His goal is to run two to three segments
per hour. Each segment will consist of four laps. “We’ll be looking closely at
aero and mechanic drag issues. We are not necessarily concerned about what speed we can
generate on the straightaways. It’s corner speeds we want to make gains in by the
time we reach Daytona Speedweeks.”
Carter says the team is forging ahead for 2003
pending sponsorship and is hoping to formalize his plans in the next several weeks.
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