Roush upset with NASCAR approach to COT testing (cont'd)

He also said that is about to change, although one has to wonder how much it will help him in the short term that would be the remainder of this Nextel Cup season. Through the first 11 points races, race teams from Hendrick Motorsports have reached Victory Lane eight times, teams from Richard Childress Racing have won twice -- and driver Matt Kenseth of the No. 17 Ford is the only Roush Fenway Racing team member to register a victory, having done so only once.

Roush said that he is ready now to devote more resources to playing the same testing game as the others.

"I didn't do that [earlier], but two weeks ago I hired six people and I dedicated a tractor-trailer [to the effort] and I've gone public and said, `OK, I'm going to get in the testing game, too,'" Roush said. "If you don't want us to test, then you need to have us sign something in the application that says, `We agreed that we would not test our cars with Goodyear tires or anybody else's tires, except for the race tracks that NASCAR has approved.'

"They didn't do that. They left the door open and we got behind. But we're going to catch up."

Jeff Gordon, who pilots the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, has won three races and currently sits atop the driver point standings. He said that Hendrick's organization has nothing to apologize for in regards to its aggressive -- and completely legal -- testing program that has so angered Roush.

"We're doing everything we can to be competitive and we're not doing anything wrong," Gordon said. "We're testing at tracks that aren't NASCAR-sanctioned tracks, as they clearly state. We're not using Goodyear tires. If they're not available, then we're not using those.

"We're doing things to get laps and get information -- just like having a seven-post [shaker] test and having a wind tunnel test. We're utilizing a track to just gather information and I would admit that it's definitely playing a role in helping us get to where we are. I don't know what the Gibbs teams or Childress teams are doing. But if the Roush teams aren't doing that, then that's their mistake."

Roush was right about one thing. The topic makes for a good story.