McMurray enjoys chance to test tires at Daytona
By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor
Saturday, May 17, 2008
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CONCORD, N.C. – Usually testing tires for Goodyear is a painstaking process. At restrictor-plate tracks, it’s especially boring. But for Jamie McMurray, this week’s tire test at Daytona International Speedway was pretty fun.
McMurray was one of three drivers at the test, as his No. 26 Roush Fenway Racing Ford was joined by Mike Skinner in the No. 84 Red Bull Racing Toyota and Bobby Labonte subbing for Elliott Sadler in the No. 19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge.
What made this test fun for McMurray was Goodyear wanted to test tires at drafting speed, which is accomplished in single-car runs by increasing the size of the restrictor plate. As the plates got bigger, the speeds got higher, with lap times dropping by nearly three seconds, McMurray said.
“Actually, at times it was exciting because we had the wheel-load sensors, where it mentions how much load the tire is taking throughout the corner,” McMurray said Friday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “We did it with an aggressive setup and a non-aggressive setup. They kept putting a bigger plate on until we got up to drafting speed.”
And the car was a handful at the higher speed.
“When they get you going that fast, you almost can’t run wide open,” McMurray said. “We had sticker tires on, and I said, ‘I don’t think I can do it again.’ That was exciting to get to do that.
“Goodyear said they’d never got to do that at Daytona, so hopefully they got some good information.”
Goodyear was trying different compounds and constructions of tires in preparation for the Coke Zero 400 at the 2.5-mile track July 5.
“I made one run on the right side tire we ran in February and then a new left side, new construction, new compound,” McMurray said. “The tire felt better to me. Skinner and the other guys there testing said the same thing. We should have a better tire when we go back.”
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Jamie McMurray
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