Stremme finds value in test with new team at Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- It will seem strange to see someone other than Ryan Newman driving Penske Racing's No. 12 Dodge this season, but new driver David Stremme already feels at home.

Stremme

Stremme joined fellow Sprint Cup drivers Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Brian Vickers for a Goodyear tire test on Wednesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"I can't put a value on what we hope to accomplish here," Stremme said. "We're here testing tires for Goodyear first and foremost, but the more time I get in these cars the better. They didn't have to try very hard to get me to come and do this test. I love coming out here, and more for the track than the rest of it."

Stremme has an impressive track record at Vegas. He has the best average finish of any driver who has competed at the 1.5-mile superspeedway in the Nationwide Series. He has two third-place finishes and two fifth-place finishes. He also sat on the outside pole for the Cup Series race in 2007.

"I ran four Nationwide races with four different teams and finished in the top five in all of them," Stremme said. "And with the work we have put in with this team, I'm really excited about where this team is headed next year. It's already showing in the test."

Wednesday's session was incident free. The testing will conclude on Thursday as teams representing all four manufacturers continue to look for the best tire combination to use in the Cup race at LVMS on March 1.

The testing is closed to the public.