Backstretch Motorsports

Move Will Provide Significant Cost Savings For Teams

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 14, 2008) – In an effort to help teams manage costs, NASCAR is suspending testing for its three national and two regional racing series for the 2009 season.

Testing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well as the NASCAR Camping World East and West Regional Touring Series at tracks hosting any of those events are included in the 2009 policy.

NASCAR reached this decision following several months of discussion with the teams regarding testing, coupled with the current economic conditions. The suspension of testing should save the industry millions of dollars.

“This is a significant move during an unusual time for all of us,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton in making the announcement. “NASCAR has routinely adjusted its test policy over the years to reflect current conditions. This is another example of that.”

ROBBY GORDON, No. 7 JIM BEAM DODGE CHARGER:

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NASCAR TESTING POLICY? “It’s the great equalizer for us. The new testing rule is the greatest equalizer that NASCAR has ever done. The COT was maybe halfway there, but eliminating the testing allows a single-car team like ours to use all our notes and data we’ve accrued and closes the gap with the multi-car teams.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., No. 88 NATIONAL GUARD/AMP ENERGY IMPALA SS:

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT NASCAR’S NEW TESTING POLICY? “I am happy about that. I am really looking forward to that happening. I think it is a great choice. It is going to save each individual team, like the No. 5 car, the No. 24 car about a million and half dollars a year so it is a great move.

“January is awesome now. We obviously will go to Nashville and sign autographs and we will go to Daytona probably and still have the FanFest type of deal down there. Now maybe without the testing going on, we can make those events more exciting for the fans and more exciting for the drivers and everybody involved. I think that would be a good to look at that opportunity to really turn that event in to something special like it used to be back when it was in Winston-Salem. I think drivers would appreciate being a part of it.

Now, the actual month of January is just going to be so much easier. I am tremendously excited about it. We had back-to-back tests at Las Vegas and California and then you had three days at Daytona and two days in the Nationwide car at Daytona and possibly Kentucky and a whatever there.”

GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M FORD FUSION:

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO NO TESTING AT NASCAR TRACKS IN 2009? “I think it’s a really good thing for our sport right now. Certainly, that’s a quick reaction on NASCAR’s part that we are going to be facing some serious economic times. There’s no doubt that that’s what we’re facing. The auto industry is on big trouble, the financial industry meltdown – just all kinds of things all across the board. It’s unfortunate for all of the teams and organizations that were not going to be able to go test. As far as the drivers and the crew guys are considered, that obviously it’s going to save a tremendous amount of money, it’s going to save a lot of money. Unfortunately, with saving money or cutting back, comes jobs. That’s the downside to some of this. If you’re not going to be testing and you’re not going to be doing as much testing, then sometimes you don’t need as many items to do that with. But, I think that’s going to be great for our sport. I think it’s good that NASCAR’s reacting to these economic times, the economy, and it’s going to be able to save the teams a tremendous amount of money because the budgets are going to be tightening up, and I think it’s totally the right thing to do, 100 percent.”

BOBBY LABONTE , No. 42 PETTY ENTERPRISES DODGE CHARGER:

“This is an unprecedented time in NASCAR. It makes sense that NASCAR had to do something different to try and help the teams. They (NASCAR) can’t control the cost of the teams and what they spend, but I hope NASCAR can help control a major chunk until the storm is over- hopefully this rule will accomplish that.

“The effectiveness will be different for every team. If a team said ‘Let’s cut out testing and not spend that money on anything else,’ the policy might work. Some teams are going to say ‘We don’t have any more money to spend in any area anyway.’ It’s the teams that have a surplus from not testing that will find other areas to invest that money. So everyone is going to benefit differently from it.”