Team Lowe’s Racing Completes Richmond Test

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 5, 2004) – Kyle Busch and his No. 5 Team Lowe’s Racing crew just returned from a one-day test session at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, where they spent all day Tuesday preparing for the upcoming May 14 NASCAR Busch Series event at the .75-mile facility. The newly repaved surface proved to be a handful for Busch and his Hendrick Motorsports team during the cooler part of the day, but as temperatures increased, so did the driver’s confidence. “The track was really slippery in the morning,” Busch said. “I mean, it had no grip at all when we first got out there on it. As the sun warmed the track and all the cars testing there put more rubber down, it really came around. By the end of the day, the track had a lot of grip to it, and we were really able to get the Lowe’s Chevy dialed in. “When it was cooler, we kept working on getting more grip. When the track got hot, we actually got a little tight before it was over. When we go back, we’ll loosen the car up a little for practice and qualifying, but we feel really good about the information we collected.” When a track is repaved, it usually takes a while for multiple racing grooves to develop, but Busch thinks it won’t be as much of an issue with the Richmond racing surface. “With all the testing that’s going on in the next couple of days, and with the (NASCAR Craftsman) trucks racing and all the practice (NEXTEL) Cup and Busch (Series) will be doing before the Busch race, I think you’ll see at least a groove and a half, if not two,” Busch said. The May 14 NASCAR Busch Series race will air live from RIR on FX and MRN Radio beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.