Fast speeds headline day two of tire test at MIS

BROOKLYN, Mich. (April 9, 2014) – Blazing fast speeds continued at Michigan International Speedway on Wednesday during the second of a two-day tire test.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer said he went 217 mph during the morning session. “That’s white-of-your-eyes-fast,” he added.

Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Earnhardt Jr. said he was hitting speeds between 212 to 215 mph in the straightaways and about 180 in the turns. And while speed was the topic of the day, the drivers were at the track to test tires for Goodyear.

“This is one of our better tracks, and our fans will probably say the same,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Having the success here over the last four or five years has given us a lot of confidence when we come here, and I think that’s why Goodyear brings us to test.

“I enjoy racing here. It’s a fun track. The asphalt is really aging well and it’s just going to keep getting better and better over the next couple of years.”

Newman and Biffle agreed, adding the winter has aged the track, making the super-smooth surface less oily, and creating additional grooves.

“I think (Michigan) will be a good race; I really do,” Biffle said.

Though speeds on a racetrack are sexy, speedway President Roger Curtis said passing and fierce competition is what makes great racing. “The drivers are posting 200 mph. That’s awesome. The fans get very, very excited about that. But at the end of the day, on Sunday when the green flag drops, the numbers ‘two zero zero’ they’re not anywhere in the fans’ minds. It’s lead changes, it’s the competition.” The track was repaved in 2012, making for blazing fast speeds. Since then, the asphalt has aged but NASCAR has made significant changes to the cars, thus keeping speeds very fast.

Michigan International Speedway