Wednesday

Eddie Sharp Racing Has Successful Test Day at Texas Motor Speedway

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The morning session was delayed due to heavy precipitation the day before. The 1.5-mile superspeedway was dry enough to start practice by 1 PM CDT, and 21 drivers took to the track in preparation for the Rattlesnake 150 on Friday, April 16, 2010.

Brandon McReynolds tested the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota, running second fastest overall at 185.752 mph. McReynolds, son of former crew chief and current FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds, was also fast when he tested at Daytona in an ESR Toyota. He hopes to return to TMS for his first career ARCA Racing Series start if sponsorship is found.

McReynolds found his experience being around the track with his dad, who served as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt and Davey Allison, to be beneficial in establishing his comfort level at the track during the test. “It definitely helped being around the race tracks,” said McReynolds. “I’m comfortable at TMS because I’ve been here before, and I’ve seen the facility. Obviously, with Dad over here, it is amazing the things he can tell you even though he didn’t drive the race car; he really knows what he’s doing.”

Craig Goess, driver of the No. 81 Toyota, also had a successful test, finishing fourth fastest with a speed of 184.074 mph.

“We made good, steady progress all day,” Goess said. “We tried a bunch of stuff; some worked and some didn’t, but we learned a lot. We should be very competitive when we come back.”

Goess took advantage of the test day not only as a time to hone his skills during the 6-week break between races, but also to get acquainted with a track he has never raced on.

“It was my first time driving at Texas,” said Goess. “It’s fast. You find yourself holding your breath for the first few runs. It takes a while to figure out just how much corner speed you can carry here. The winner of this race is going to have to be on his toes.”

After recent news that he will be running three ARCA Racing Series races with ESR, Piquet tested the No. 6 ESR Toyota and finished the test in the 16th position with a speed of 180.186 mph. The test provided another opportunity for the Formula One driver to get more comfortable during his first year in stock cars.

“Every day I’ve been learning a lot, hearing stories,” said Piquet. “The driving part is taking time because I’m not in a car every day. For me, it’s tougher to run these kinds of cars than a normal road course. Hopefully, I’ll eventually get more and more used to it. Today is a big day for me.”

Piquet made his debut in both the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in February at Daytona.

Eddie Sharp, owner of ESR, was pleased with the progress all teams made at the TMS Test. “The test went very well. I think we made progress on all fronts,” said Sharp. “I was really pleased with Brandon’s quickness and Craig’s car. It was the first true test for Craig and the communication was exceptional. I think this test really proved to us that the changes we made over the winter worked. I’m excited for Craig going forward.”

“The test was an eye-opener for Nelson,” Sharp stated. “The only thing he had to relate to was Daytona, so Nelson got another chance to see what he still needs to learn. Seat time and running more ARCA races are really going to help him. I think if he went back and tested tomorrow, he would have done even better. Nelson really has a lot of talent.”

The next race for ESR is the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 presented by ApplianceZone.com on April 11, 2010 at Salem Speedway. ESR will return to TMS on April 16 for the Rattlesnake 150.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing. Located in Denver, North Carolina just north of Charlotte, Eddie Sharp Racing occupies a top-notch facility that closely resembles a five-star NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, both inside and out. The two ESR buildings each contain two teams where on any given day, championship contending cars are assembled, engines tuned and teams strategize to score the next race day victory.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release