Dale Earnhardt, Jr: 'With this car we have a chance to do something great'

DAYTONA BEACH -- With the big crash sandwiched in between on day 2, the three-day Preseason Thunder Test at Daytona International Speedway that ended this afternoon provided an exciting glimpse into what NASCAR fans can expect from the "Gen 6" race cars at Budweiser Speedweeks culminating with the Feb. 24 running of the Daytona 500: Speed, baby! Pure unadulterated speed!

Teams and drivers like Tony Stewart, Daniica Patrick and the most popular driver of them all, Dale Earnhart, Jr., have spent the past three days shaking down the "Gen 6" NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars. They've got the dents from Saturday's 20-car pile-up that prove two things: These cars are fast and unpredictable.

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR / Headline Surfer / Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet, looks on in the garage area during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Preseason Thunder testing on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.

The new "Gen 6" race car has greater brand identity for the manufacturers and will make its debut in The Sprint Unlimited, the star-studded non-points event on Saturday night, Feb. 16 that will feature the previous season's pole winners and past champions of The Sprint Unlimited.

Budweiser Speedweeks will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 24 with "The Great American Race," the Daytona 500, NASCAR's signature event.

For the majority of the three-day test, teams conducted single-car qualifying runs. On Saturday, teams participated in an afternoon drafting session where speeds topped near 200 mph.

Earnhardt, Jr., about his anticipation for the upcoming 2013 season, following Friday's testing that included a multi-vehicle wreck.

"I feel like that the sport is in a good healthy place," Earnhardt said. "We have a good opportunity to grow. With this car we have a chance to do something great and really make a big impact … I think the racing is as exciting as it has been in a long time. You look at some of these old races and look back at some of the events that we had in the ‘80s and the ‘90s … it always is changing and it always will, but I think we have improved it."

"I feel like that the sport is in a good healthy place," Earnhardt said. "We have a good opportunity to grow. With this car we have a chance to do something great and really make a big impact … I think the racing is as exciting as it has been in a long time. You look at some of these old races and look back at some of the events that we had in the ‘80s and the ‘90s … it always is changing and it always will, but I think we have improved it."

Martin Truex, Jr.,  agreed, especially with the return to drafting following the debacle of the to-car tandems.

"It was cool being able to back up off the leader and get runs and take the lead and do things like you used to do," Truex said. "It has a little bit more strategy involved than just holding it wide open and hitting the guy in front of you as hard as you could, so I thought it was cool."

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton provided the attending media an update on the three-day test during the Saturday lunch break and he expects another classic Daytona 500 finish in the prestigious season-opening event.

"When it comes down to the trophy, the check and the trophy queen, all bets are off," Pemberton said. "I expect them to run hard at the end (of the race) and make sure they are around for the end of the race and make sure they are positioned where they can get (to the checkered flag). There is no telling what you'll see."

Dale Earnhardt. Jr. speaks to the media after testing at Daytona International Speedway.

FAST FACTS: Day 3 Thunder

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR / Headline Surfer / Danica Patrick drives the No. 10 Chevrolet through the garage area during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday with the third fastest lap speed of the day. 

Fastest of the day: In the morning session on Saturday, 2012 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth topped the speed charts in the No. 20 Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing with a lap speed of 194.062 mph.

Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 champion, was second fastest in the No. 21 Ford from Wood Brothers Racing with a lap of 193.686.

Danica Patrick, who will race the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule this year with Stewart Haas Racing, was third fastest with a speed of 193.648.

In the afternoon, Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle was fastest at 194.936 mph followed by Joe Gibbs Racing's Matt Kenseth (194.717) and Kyle Busch (194.578).

On Tap

ROLEX 24

Next up at Daytona International Speedway will be the 51st anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 26-27, the kick off to Budweiser Speedweeks At Daytona. Sports car teams from around the world will battle the challenging 3.56-mile road course in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season-opening event. The Rolex 24 Weekend At Daytona will also feature the GRAND-AM 200 for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge teams on 11:45 a.m. Friday, Jan. 25 and the Ferrari Challenge North America and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. During the Rolex 24 Weekend fans and visitors can also partake in the Daytona 5K & Fun Walk the morning of Jan. 26 along with all Sprint FANZONE entertainment and the Boardwalk Experience carnival festivities.

Check out the great sales on kitchen appliances and other deals for your home by going to the website at John's Appliance & Bedding

http://www.johnsappliancecityusa.com/