CUP: Blog - Charlotte Motor Speedway Test

Sprint Cup

CUP: Blog - Charlotte Motor Speedway Test

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams are at Charlotte Motor Speedway Friday for testing of the new Generation Six car...

Mike Hembree | Posted January 18, 2013 Concord, NC

Crew members survey the No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch during testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Generation Six Sprint Cup Series car testing is on at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After a washout on Thursday, drivers and teams are back on Friday, hoping to get in a few hours of testing with the new car in preparation for the rapidly-approaching 2013 season. SPEED.com NASCAR editor Mike Hembree will be blogging live all day from CMS, so check back for frequent updates.

[Friday 8:24 pm ET]

NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series Test at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Session Results
January 18th, 2013

Pos Car# Driver Make Laps Best Time Best Speed
1. 43 Aric Almirola Frd 74 27.832 194.021
2. 99 Carl Edwards Frd 93 27.882 193.673
3. 13 Casey Mears Frd 109 27.924 193.382
4. 9 Marcos Ambrose Frd 131 27.938 193.285
5. 48 Jimmie Johnson Chv 138 28.009 192.795
6. 55 Mark Martin Tyt 97 28.032 192.637
7. 16 Greg Biffle Frd 92 28.036 192.610
8. 56 Martin Truex Jr. Tyt 94 28.063 192.424
9. 15 Clint Bowyer Tyt 109 28.070 192.376
10. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Frd 131 28.075 192.342
11. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chv 85 28.092 192.226
12. 5 Kasey Kahne Chv 101 28.095 192.205
13. 20 Matt Kenseth Tyt 92 28.104 192.143
14. 29 Kevin Harvick Chv 121 28.108 192.116
15. 22 Joey Logano Frd 139 28.123 192.014
16. 14 Tony Stewart Chv 70 28.134 191.939
17. 18 Kyle Busch Tyt 156 28.158 191.775
18. 78 Kurt Busch Chv 67 28.172 191.680
19. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chv 97 28.194 191.530
20. 39 Ryan Newman Chv 66 28.196 191.517
21. 1 Jamie McMurray Chv 79 28.214 191.394
22. 24 Jeff Gordon Chv 62 28.216 191.381
23. 31 Jeff Burton Chv 97 28.241 191.211
24. 21 Trevor Bayne Frd 122 28.278 190.961
25. 11 Michael McDowell Tyt 204 28.315 190.712
26. 30 David Stremme Tyt 80 28.332 190.597
27. 10 Danica Patrick Chv 114 28.342 190.53
28. 2 Brad Keselowski Frd 96 28.355 190.443
29. 47 Bobby Labonte Tyt 46 28.468 189.687
30. 27 Paul Menard Chv 107 28.469 189.680
31. 7 Dave Blaney Chv 64 28.645 188.515
32. 34 David Ragan Frd 96 28.752 187.813
33. 95 Scott Speed Frd 41 28.882 186.968

[Friday 5:41 pm ET]

Range of emotions – NASCAR VP Robin Pemberton on Friday's testing at CMS: “I think, like in any test, teams will leave out of here, and some will be happy, some will be in the middle of the road, and you’ll have a couple of sad ones.”

[Friday 4:51 pm ET]

With three hours left in Friday testing at CMS, Ford driver Greg Biffle leads the speed charts at 192.610 miles per hour. Also in the top 10 – Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 12th, and Danica Patrick is 28th.

[Friday 12:51 pm ET]

ENGINES FIRE: Yes, it’s finally happening. Engines have cranked and cars are on the track for Gen-Six testing at Charlotte. And the sun still shines.

[Friday 11:44 am ET]

NIGHT-TIME THE RIGHT TIME? Because of track conditions, NASCAR has extended its Friday test at Charlotte Motor Speedway to 7:30 p.m. ET. Cars have been in the garage all morning as track drying continues. Officials hope to have the track open by 12:30 p.m.

[Friday 11:40 am ET]

BURTON HOPEFUL: It’s no secret that Richard Childress Racing’s Sprint Cup program has struggled in recent years. Driver Jeff Burton sees that changing. “I can tell you that the commitment to improve is there,” he said. “It’s a different philosophy and a different way of doing business than we’ve done before. That’s why I’m optimistic. We’ll see.”

[Friday 11:15 am ET]

Track drying is currently in session at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

SECOND TIME A CHARM? Check out this photo gallery from Thursday's washout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where rain forced the cancellation of all Sprint Cup Series testing. Drivers and teams are back today in hopes of logging laps with the new Generation Six Car.

[Friday 11:03 am ET]

NO REST FOR TEAMS: Weather problems in Charlotte the past two days probably will mean more work and travel in the weeks to come for Sprint Cup teams. “If unanswered questions (about the new car) remain, we’ll be somewhere testing next week,” said Martin Truex Jr. Friday as teams waited for track-drying to be completed.

[Friday 10:32 am ET]

ONE MORE SHOT: Welcome to Day Two of scheduled Sprint Cup testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The garage area remains in sit-and-wait mode as track drying continues. Snow and ice fell in portions of the Carolinas overnight, and ice apparently formed behind some of the track’s SAFER barriers. Melting has kept the track damp in some sections. Possible on-track activity around noon.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 31 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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Mike Hembree

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