Chevrolet, Pontiac teams to test 2003s next week

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- With new Grand Prix and Monte Carlo models ready for use next NASCAR Winston Cup season, a number of Pontiac and Chevrolet teams will get started on 2003 on Monday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

	Richard Childress (left) and Kevin Harvick show off the 2003 Monte Carlo. Credit: Autostock

While most other teams will head back to their shops to begin a much-needed offseason after Sunday's season finale Ford 400, GM Racing will conduct the two-day test session on Monday and Tuesday for teams from the Winston Cup and Busch Series.

Among Chevrolet's Winston Cup teams taking part in the test are three from Hendrick Motorsports, two from Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, two cars from Richard Childress Racing, Haas CNC Racing and BACE Motorsports.

Joe Gibbs Racing, which is switching from Pontiac to Chevrolet next season, will test with drivers Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte.

MB2 and MBV Motorsports, Morgan-McClure Motorsports and PPI Motorsports will represent Pontiac. This will be especially important for Morgan-McClure and PPI because they are both switching to the Pontiac brand in 2003.

In the Busch Series, NEMCO Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Innovative Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, BACE and ST Motorsports all plan to test.

"We're going to have three cars -- two Cup and one Busch," Childress said. "Kevin Harvick is going to drive the Cup cars -- and maybe Jeff Green, depending on his schedule.

"Johnny Sauter will drive the Busch car (because Ron) Hornaday's gone on a cruise."

Former two-time Craftsman Truck Series champion Hornaday, who won Friday's Ford 200 Truck Series finale, will drive Childress' No 2 ACDelco Chevrolet next season.