January 28^th, 29^th and 30^th was the NNC 2007 testing for drivers from all over the country. Paul Menard on the second day topped the list with a time of 28.667 and a speed of 188.370. The final day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder Las Vegas at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has concluded. Elliott Sadler posted the fastest lap of the session at 188.772 mph. During the press conference on the second day Juan Pablo Montoya who drives the # 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger; spoke to the press on his win at the Rolex 24. He said it was a tough race, because he is learning about NASCAR; which is different than Formula One. Montoya also spoke about the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, “I didn’t let off the gas hardly at all, this is a fast track”, said Montoya. The newly re-surfaced 1.5 mile track is a plus for NASCAR drivers. Although, Montoya has a successful career as a Formula One Driver and has 7 victories. He said, “Driving NASCAR is a challenge because you have to know how to draft the car”. “When you drive a Daytona prototype, everything has so much grip”. “You are pretty hooked up to the ground”. “With this car you are moving around the whole time, waiting to see when the car is going to slip out”.

Dale Jarrett
Michael Waltrip	Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch also at the press conference both like LVMS’s newly resurfaced track and its amenities. Both brothers don’t talk much about their numbers, but are very close. They both are very competitive against each other on the track and are well spoken as role models for the racing fans. “NASCAR racing has technically come a long way; at the same time, improvements have been made on safety issues. Kyle Busch also had mentioned that the Goodyear Tires are made from harder material to handle the weight load of the cars. Two other well known race car drivers Dale Jarrett and Michael Waltrip look at racing as a competition. “That’s what the fans come to see, if the cars are going to fast then its hard for them to go 3 cars deep”, Jarrett said. Jarrett also stated, “You’ve got to remember that NASCAR was started as a competitive sport, speed came later”. Waltrip who has Toyota as a sponsor, said “his team expects to be very competitive, to compete at the level of Hendrick-Roush”. The NASCAR Nextel series opens March 9^th through the 11^th. For tickets call LVMS (Las Vegas Motor Speedway)