55 DRIVERS SCHEDULED FOR NASCAR PRESEASON THUNDER LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS -- NASCAR’s greatest drivers are about to get their first look at the sport’s newest race track. A record 55 drivers are scheduled to take part in NASCAR Preseason Thunder Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday. For most of those drivers, it will be their look at Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s new 20-degree banking.

Race fans will be allowed to watch the test from the grandstands free of charge each day. “It’s a totally different race track than what it was before,” said Kyle Busch, who is one of the few drivers who have tested on the new surface. “It’s fast and it’s challenging. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to race on. It will be interesting to see how the test session goes.”

Busch and Greg Biffle completed a Goodyear tire test in December and unofficially turned speeds almost 15 miles per hour faster than Kasey Kahne’s track record of 174.904 miles per hour set in 2004. Jeremy Mayfield and David Reutimann, who both competed in the September NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on the new surface, are the only other Cup drivers who have turned competitive laps since the re-banking. Kurt Busch took the first laps around the new surface last August in a Richard Petty Driving Experience car.

Teams will be testing in preparation for the March 11 UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race. NASCAR Busch Series teams are scheduled to test Monday, Feb. 5 and Tuesday, Feb. 6 in preparation for the March 10 Sam’s Town 300.

A complete list of teams who have filed testing vouchers for next week is attached.

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