Regional tracks welcome relaxed testing policy (cont'd)

With so few sanctioned test sites available for next year, everyone is hoping to lure the big boys. But next year's revised policy also will open the excepted tracks to Camping World East and West and the Modified tours, something that excites South Boston general manager Cathy Rice.

"I'm excited about it, because it did put a damper on us, the short tracks, last year when they put that ban in place. Now, I'm not saying it wasn't a good thing for NASCAR to do for the larger tracks and all, because I know the expenses have really gotten out of hand for the teams as they go and test. It's an expensive thing," she said.

"We look to get some help by using the track as a test track, and being able to have your Cup and Nationwide and Trucks come in to test, as well as your Camping World and Modified [tours]. It means a lot to us, and it's something we really need to help with expenses, because we're open 12 months a year. If the weather is OK, we can test cars the whole 12 months we're here."

The revised policy won't stop national series teams from venturing to places like New Smyrna Speedway and South Georgia Motorsports Park, non-NASCAR facilities that some organizations tested on while the total ban was in place. But for places like South Boston, which saw only occasional national-level testing before the ban -- most notably a Dale Earnhardt Jr. test in the new Sprint Cup car before a Martinsville race -- being one of only 14 sanctioned venues brings hope for more business.

"Now that they've lifted the test ban, I'm hoping to get what we weren't able to get last year when they put that test policy in effect," Rice said. "That's what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping we're going to get those national teams now more so than we have in the past."

At Thompson, a five-eighths mile oval, Dowd feels the same way. "That would be very nice," he said of the prospect of national-series testing. "That would mean additional income for us. Hopefully the teams would feel this is another option for them."

At some tracks, there are hopes that being excepted from the testing ban will help make up for shortfalls in their regular weekly circuits. That's the case at Tri-County, where because of economic conditions Martin has seen fewer and fewer of her Friday night drivers willing to pay for practice time.

"I don't have half the practice I did when the economy was good," she said. "A lot of our regular guys can't afford to come and race and practice, so this gives us the opportunity to lure in some of the big guys who have bigger sponsors, that can afford to do stuff like this and give us little tracks the opportunity to make money."