Credit: Autostock

Fusion gets high marks in first on-track test

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Dale Jarrett took the 2006 Ford Fusion racecar out for a test drive for the first time Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR officials observed the test as part of the official on-track approval phase for the car that will be Ford's racing model next season.

Chevrolet's new model, the 2006 Monte Carlo SS, was also on track Tuesday, NASCAR spokesman Herb Branham said.

Jarrett got on Atlanta's 1.5-mile high-banked oval at about 1:15 p.m. ET and completed a series of runs in the car that was prepared and fielded at the test by Wood Brothers Racing -- another Ford factory-backed race team.

	Ford drivers were on hand for the unveiling of the Fusion last month. Credit: Autostock
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"I think things went really well," Jarrett said. "I was pleased with the way the new Ford Fusion was as far as the balance entering and exiting the corner.

"It has a very nice look to it and performed well. We were able to achieve the speed that we were looking for and hold on to the speed we needed in a 10-lap run. I was very comfortable in the car."

After its track test, the Fusion racecar was scheduled to go to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta, Ga., for the final stage in NASCAR's approval process.

"It was a pretty straightforward test," Branham said. "By now everyone knows the routine of these types of tests and there are no surprises. It all went according to plan and now it's on to the wind tunnel. Barring anything unforeseen, we expect the approval process to be complete by Sept. 1."

Jarrett was more impressed with the Fusion's performance than that of the Ford Taurus he drove at Atlanta in March.

Fusion unveilingDrivers on hand for the unveiling of the 2006 Ford Fusion Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

"I think the biggest thing we fight with the Taurus is if we get enough downforce in the rear to make it to where we can drive at tracks like Atlanta, getting into the corner, then usually we fight a problem of the front end not sticking as good as we need -- it wants to lift up. This car seems to have a better balance about it. That's what we were trying to achieve with the Fusion, and I think we've done that."

Wood Brothers owner Eddie Wood was satisfied with the test's outcome.

"From my standpoint, I just wanted to come down here and run what we were supposed to run without anything happening to the racecar," Wood said. "We brought an extra car (No. 21 Taurus) just in case we needed an oil line or something like that (because) there is no parts truck to go to here, and nobody else to go borrow stuff from."

Wood said Ford used a team approach to get the 2006 prototype built.

"Bernie Marcus (Ford aero expert) and Ben Leslie (Ford NASCAR field manager) did all the development work on the nose and the tail with our 40-percent scale model, and adapted it to the race car," Wood said. "Ford Racing did a really good job.

"They had a timetable to meet and we actually got the car in a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, so we are pretty happy with that.

"We did the last submission car Ford did, and with the Fusion being the new model for next year, it's pretty special."

Greg Specht, operations manager for Ford Racing Technology, was pleased at the end of the track test.

"The day couldn't have gone better, in my opinion," Specht said. "We did the minimum amount of laps that were required to demonstrate the car's capability to NASCAR and it performed flawlessly.

"Of course, we still have to get the car approved by NASCAR, so there was a little bit of concern about today going well. But now the first part of the day is behind us, the car looked good and we got very good feedback from Dale.

"As I said, this part of it couldn't have gone any better."