At roughly 9:00 a.m. on January 10th, Daytona International Speedway will come to life for the first time in 2013 and it will be the first time that all teams who intend to compete full-time in NASCAR’s top series will be able to test their new Sprint Cup cars at the World Center of Racing.
Last month at Charlotte Motor Speedway a number of teams got a chance to see what the new cars were all about and for the most part there were rave reviews. There were tests at other tracks by those who did not come to CMS, however, with most teams expected to be in Daytona it will be the first time they will get a chance to see how the new cars perform in drafting tests on the larger, 2.5 mile tri-oval.
The annual NASCAR Preseason Thunder Testing at Daytona is scheduled for the 10th through the 12th, weather permitting with an optional rain date on Sunday the 13th, and will comprise a total of 21 hours of available track time, three in the morning and four more in the afternoon spread out over the three days.
“Daytona Preseason Thunder is an exciting time for both the teams and the fans as NASCAR begins the roll out of the new 2013 car,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “NASCAR fans are looking forward to seeing the production modeled race cars on the track beginning with the sport’s most prestigious race of the year – the 55th annual Daytona 500.”
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season begins on February 16 with the Shootout before the official opener, the 55th running of the Great American Race, the Daytona 500 on the 24th.
This year Sprint Cup cars will look more like the manufacturers production models following in the path of the Nationwide Series who brought brand identity to the fore with the Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. The Chevrolet Camaro will make its debut in 2013 while Dodge will not return to either of the NASCAR’s top two series.
Race fans can rev up their new year at the Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest, companion event to the January test sessions. Along with watching Daytona Preseason Thunder on track activity from the Sprint FANZONE, fans can enjoy Fan Fest on Thursday, Jan. 10, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
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