Kasey Kahne tests 2013 Chevy at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Kasey Kahne joined fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors for a one-day test of the 2013 race cars on Wednesday at Talladega Superspeedway. The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet piloted the not-yet-unveiled 2013 SS performance sedan during the test at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

Chevrolet and other manufacturers have worked extensively with NASCAR in creating the2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars and hope the effort will highlight greater brand identity. On Wednesday, the teams focused on aerodynamics, cooling and drivability.

“NASCAR's working really hard to make them drive better and make the races more exciting,” said Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet. “Right there, we had five or six of us out there, and it was actually pretty dicey and pretty exciting. We're definitely going in the right direction, and that's great from a driver’s standpoint because we're going to be able to race and pass more, and it’s awesome from a fan’s standpoint because they're going to get a much better show all the time.”

NASCAR officials, who also analyzed engine restrictor plates and drafting performance, were pleased with the early results.

“With a different car, we'll look at what it's going to take for [restrictor] plate size and some other things, but the main concern is how the cars draft, how they react in the draft, and obviously to get more one-on-one racing,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “All of the input that we have from the drivers and the teams so far has been pretty good.”

The new car design will kick off the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season Feb. 24 at Daytona International Speedway with the Daytona 500, stock-car racing's premier event.