NASCAR Scores With Extra LMS Test

It's not too often that NASCAR will change the course of its previously set direction, so Tuesday should be celebrated.

The sanctioning body announced today that it will indeed take up the opportunity Lowe's Motor Speedway has granted to test at the 1.5-mile track on May 5 & 6. Originally, Concord, N.C.-based LMS wasn't on the master plan for the Cup Series to have an official test at the track.

According to the presser, many drivers and teams campaigned heavily for the track time at the venue that is a virtually a hometown to every Sprint Cup team at Phoenix over the weekend:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today the addition of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test session May 5-6 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. On May 5 practice times are set from 9 a.m. – 12 noon; 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.; and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. On May 6 practice times are set from 9 a.m. – 12 noon and 1 p.m. – 5p.m. Teams may test a maximum of four of those five practice segments. NASCAR visited with the teams this past weekend at Phoenix about the possibility of adding a test to further prepare for the remaining 17 events the series has at intermediate tracks the rest of the season, including next month's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"We received input from the teams last weekend at Phoenix and a vast majority of them were receptive to adding a test next month at Lowe's," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition"

It's a step in the right direction, if nothing else, to help get teams and drivers better acquainted with the next-generation race car, and in turn, to make the racing better.

Kudos, NASCAR.