Lowe’s Testing: Gordon Faster than Track Record

CONCORD, N.C. (May 4, 2005) – Jeff Gordon took to Lowe's Motor Speedway's renovated racing surface like the proverbial duck takes to water Wednesday night as 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams made final preparations for the May 29 All-Star Challenge and the May 29 600-miler. The unofficial stopwatches caught Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet with a lap of 189.056 mph around the 1.5-mile speedway. The 28.563-second lap was a tick faster than the track record of 28.590 seconds, 188.877 mph, set last year by Ryan Newman. Gordon's lap came as teams concentrated on long runs, searching for the proper chassis setup to complement the harder right-side tires Goodyear has manufactured for the track's May events. "They've certainly found something that works very well with this track," Gordon said about the renovated racing surface. "The corners are just fantastic. Some of the guys have been running more in the middle to higher lines, which is a positive thing. I think it's a good sign of things to come." Testing for the May events continues Monday and Tuesday when NASCAR Busch Series teams hit the track in preparation for the inaugural nighttime running of the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, May 28. Cars will be on the track from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m (all times Eastern). Fans can attend the NASCAR Busch Series testing sessions free of charge. Lowe's Motor Speedway's frontstretch grandstand will be open and fans should enter through Gate 5A, located next to the main ticket office. Tickets for all May events at Lowe's Motor Speedway can be purchased by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.