CUP: Earnhardt Wrecks, Drives Johnson’s Car At Test

Sprint Cup

CUP: Earnhardt Wrecks, Drives Johnson’s Car At Test

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked in Saturday afternoon's Daytona test session, then hopped in teammate Jimmie Johnson's car...

Bob Pockrass | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted January 14, 2012 Daytona Beach, FL

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Left) and teammate Jimmie Johnson (Right) confer in the garage area at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had his practice session at Daytona cut short by a wreck Saturday afternoon, but left Daytona International Speedway feeling good about what transpired over the three-day test.

Earnhardt Jr. had an eventful final hour of practice as he was involved in an accident and then got into the car of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.

Although their teams share the same shop, Johnson’s car had different features, Earnhardt Jr. said.

“They’re built differently and they wanted me to drive Jimmie’s to see what I thought about it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “They’re absolutely two different types of cars and they drive differently.

“There’s some plusses and minuses to both. But Jimmie’s car was real nice.”

Overall, Earnhardt Jr. was happy with the test. He had been a vocal critic of the two-car tandem style of racing at restrictor-plate tracks. Fans apparently agreed, and over the three days of testing, NASCAR changed the restrictor-plate package – the plate, grille opening and radiator water release valve – three different times to try and cut the gap in speed from the two-car draft to the traditional pack racing.

Drivers tested in a pack for several laps Friday afternoon and then for a short time Saturday until the accident, in which Juan Pablo Montoya slid into Earnhardt Jr., who spun and hit Jeff Burton.

Earnhardt Jr. said he did not feel the cars were unstable drafting in a pack and was comfortable at the 205 mph speed drivers posted in the pack draft Friday before a decrease in the restrictor plate Saturday.

“I was real comfortable,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When we had the accident [Saturday], they were three-wide for several rows there in that pack and I was just sitting there watching.

“You couldn’t go do anything because they were all three-wide so I was just kind of sitting there. I don’t know what happened in that deal but somebody ran over us.”

NASCAR made progress in trying to encourage pack racing, Earnhardt Jr. said.

“I don’t know if anybody can really predict what is going to happen or what we need or what package will provide what they want,” Earnhardt Jr. said following the test.

“NASCAR did a lot of changing, made a lot of effort to learn and we learned a lot. I’m sure they’ll take all that [data] back. I don’t think we’re even close to finished fooling with it. I think they’re still thinking about switching things around.”

Earnhardt Jr. said all the changes make it difficult to evaluate how well the test went for his Steve Letarte-led team.

“The hard part about it as far as us testing is we don’t really know how to test or what to test until we have a final understanding of what the package is,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “But the preparation and the extra stuff that you might bring down for Speedweeks is doubled.

“Steve was talking about we might have to bring a whole separate hauler just in case this changes or this changes and you have got everything together [to make changes].”

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DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.