Kasey Kahne celebrated his first career Cup win at Richmond. Credit: Autostock

Cup drivers set for Richmond test session

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Nextel Cup drivers are taking advantage of the Easter off-weekend to test at Richmond International Raceway, home to two series races including the cutoff event that sets the field for the Chase.

The three-day session runs Tuesday through Thursday. Forty-eight drivers are scheduled to test at the the three-quarters-of-a-mile track. Teams can test on two of the three available days.

The Richmond session marks the third of six designated 2006 tests for Cup teams. This year, NASCAR has scheduled those tests as a cost-containment measure at tracks that host series events, and those dates are the only test opportunities at those tracks.

The Richmond 400 is set for May 6 and the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is scheduled for Sept. 9. With the latter being the 26th and final race that allows the top 10 drivers and any within 400 points of the leader to battle for the series title during the final 10 races, this week's test are pivotal points in the series schedule.

Kasey Kahne, the winner of last year's May event at Richmond and Sunday's race at Texas, will test Tuesday and Wednesday, as will last year's September winner, Kurt Busch.

TRACK PAGE •   Richmond Int'l Raceway

Kahne's victory at Richmond was the first of his Cup career. Kahne currently is third in the standings with two wins and four top-five finishes in seven events. Busch's victory was his first at Richmond.

Also scheduled to test Tuesday and Wednesday is defending Cup champion Tony Stewart and current points leader Jimmie Johnson. Stewart has three Richmond victories, including his first in the Cup Series in the fall of 1999.

All sessions begin at 9 a.m. ET, and end at 9 p.m. ET, weather permitting, with a lunch break from noon until 1 p.m. ET, and a dinner break from 5-6 p.m. ET.