Speedy Bowyer no sucker bet for first Cup victory (cont'd)

Gil Martin believes teams are learning to be more cautious in conditions much different from the ones they encountered in January.

"Everybody knows to be a little bit careful," he said. "I think at the test, there was so much grip, you couldn't find the edge. When you found it, it was too late. Now, everybody knows there is an edge. I think that's what's got everybody a lot more patient right now. We haven't been able to run side-by-side yet, and everybody hasn't been able to run with each other yet.

"But everybody knew coming in there was going to be an edge, whereas in the test, it was just how fast did you want to go? You could go out and run any speed you were brave enough to run."

Despite the rules changes, Bowyer's team is running a setup similar to the one it used for the Las Vegas test, where the second-year Nextel Cup driver posted the second-fastest speed the first day and the seventh-fastest the next. Sunday promises warm temperatures, a slick racetrack and plenty of gambling with a smaller fuel cell. But Bowyer is comfortable with his car, and feels momentum on his side.

"We're getting better and better, you know?" he said. "I'm real excited about this season. I told the guys during the offseason that last year was a learning year, and we learned, and now it's time to get down to business and get our first win."