Lowe's test session begins with contenders in tow

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The second open week of the Nationwide Series season actually starts with on-track activity as the majority of teams trek to their "home" track -- Lowe's Motor Speedway -- for the fourth scheduled test of the year.

More than 40 drivers representing more than 20 teams are expected to participate and gather notes for the six remaining intermediate tracks on the schedule. Seven races are left at those tracks, including the next event after the open week -- the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at LMS on May 24. The track also hosts the Dollar General 300 in October.

"The teams are basically testing at home," Nationwide Series director Joe Balash said. "It will be good for the teams to get back to a 1.5-mile track to not only gather valuable data, but for the most part, sleep in their own beds.

"Lowes Motor Speedway is very challenging. This test is important for the upcoming event and it gives the teams track time to work on set-ups that translate to other tracks later in the year."

Standings leader Clint Bowyer has started three spring races at LMS and had his best finish -- third -- in this event last year after posting an average finish of 34.0 in his first two tries there.

He's registered two other third-place finishes and a 19th at intermediate tracks this year, so this test is a valuable one for his run at the championship.

Kasey Kahne is the defending champion of the spring race at LMS and will be at the test along with Jeff Burton, Greg Biffle and white-hot Kyle Busch, all who have multiple series wins at the track.

Another former winner is Mike Bliss, who is the highest-ranking series-only regular in the top 10 in the standings (fifth). His win in October 2004 is his only victory in the Nationwide Series.

In one of the most exciting races that season, Bliss split Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth on the frontstretch late in the race and went on to claim the victory.