NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Kahne Tops 193 In Testing
Kasey Kahne runs 193.771 during Charlotte test runs…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted December 12, 2012   Concord, NC
Kasey Kahne sits in his car during testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)
Although there was no race, racing conditions were practically perfect Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway as teams ran the new 2013 Sprint Cup car through two test sessions.

The weather was cool – temperatures hovering in the 40s – and cloudy, and there was virtually no wind – ideal conditions for generating speed.

And the 2013 cars – labeled “Gen-6” by NASCAR – proved up to the task.

In the morning session, Kasey Kahne ran 193.771 miles per hour, a click better than the CMS track record of 193.708 (Kahne’s lap won’t be the official record because those are set only in qualifying sessions).

Kahne also led the afternoon session, one shortened by rain, with a speed of 193.112.

Although Kahne and others said they expect the new car – depending on the rules package NASCAR ultimately chooses for it – to be fast enough to challenge speed records at some tracks, Wednesday’s near-perfect weather conditions certainly contributed to the outburst of speed.

“The weather was a huge factor,” said Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief. “We see that here a lot. What part of that the car is, I don’t know. The car is a lot different in the aero platform. It has reduced total weight.

“The speed doesn’t surprise me. This is a very weather-sensitive track.”

Cars had been on the track for about an hour in the afternoon when clouds that had covered the area all day finally produced showers. Officials ended the test session two hours early.

SPEEDS, 1st SESSION
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 193.771
Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 193.050
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 192.458
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet, 192.020
Regan Smith, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 191.435
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 191.293
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Penske Racing Ford, 190.968
Joey Logano, No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, 190.833
Austin Dillon, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 190.685
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 190.564
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 190.523
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota, 189.873
Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Ford, 189.869
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, 188.897
Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, 188.594

SPEEDS, 2nd SESSION
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 193.112
Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, 191.993
Regan Smith, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 191.510
Austin Dillon, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 191.442
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 190.981
Jeff Burton, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, 190.691
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Penske Racing Ford, 190.631
Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet, 190.496
Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, 190.221
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Toyota, 190.215
Joey Logano, No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, 189.789
Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Ford, 188.482
Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, 188.344
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, 187.227

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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