School was in session Friday during NASCAR’s preseason test session at Daytona International Speedway. Teams trying out the new redesigned Generation 6 cars finally began to run in packs as the afternoon session got underway. It didn’t take long however for the drivers to learn just what the new car will and will not do.
As the pack roared down the backstretch, the Ford driven by Marcos Ambrose was tapped by the Chevy of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ambrose was sent careening into the outside wall and back down into traffic. The resulting melee involved 12 cars.
“Marcos was sort of backing up to me a little bit, which is what we do in the draft,” Earnhardt said. “We just had a hard time getting our bumpers lined up. There is a roll bar on the front of my car. It was the first time I had pushed a Ford, and his car sat up on top of that roll bar. And then I was kind of wheel-barrowing him around a little bit and ended up getting him turned I guess. I don’t know. I was hoping I didn’t start it, but I don’t know if I did. It tore up a lot of cars. There are a lot of guys down here trying to work, so it’s unfortunate. I pushed a Toyota pretty good. We lined up with a Chevy. But for whatever reason our two cars (9 and 88) didn’t work together very well. Hopefully everybody is all right.” MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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