CUP: Kahne Tops 193 In Testing
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If the new Sprint Cup model is nothing else, it’s fast.
In Wednesday morning’s test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne ran 193.771 miles per hour, a click better than the track record of 193.708.
The comparison is not exact, however, because Wednesday’s testing was done under ideal conditions – cool temperatures (in the 40s) and virtually no wind.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“The weather was a huge factor,” said Steve Letarte, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief. “We see that here a lot. What part of that the car is, I don’t know. The car is a lot different in the aero platform. It has reduced total weight.
“The speed doesn’t surprise me. This is a very weather-sensitive track.”
Kahne’s lap won’t be the new track record. Records change only in official qualifying.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.