Drivers to put COT through first road test at Infineon (cont'd)

Jimmie Johnson isn't as concerned with the COT as much as the tires they'll be racing on.

"The things that are going on with this car I think will lead to more tire give-up and more tire fall-off, which will make Infineon more challenging than it has been in the past," Johnson said.

NASCAR was hoping to level the playing field, so to speak, with the COT. With road-course testing limited to VIR, Infineon could do just that.

"It's going to be a guessing game for a lot of people," Bobby Labonte said. "I don't know if anyone has a huge head start with the new car on a road course. There are teams out there that have tested on the ovals a lot, but we haven't heard much about the road courses.

"We have seen some teams really get a handle on the new car on the ovals. We aren't that far behind. We have had good runs with the car and feel good about it. There just isn't that much information about road courses."

Early results of the COT have proven that the drivers who have ran well in the current car also have been successful in the new one. Johnson and Jeff Gordon each have four wins this season, and they have been split evenly between the COT and the current car.

Because of that, Harvick thinks the drivers who generally race well at Infineon might have the advantage.

I think you will really see the good road-course drivers shine this year at Sonoma," he said.