Talladega tire test

NASCAR and Goodyear made a conscious decision to exclude the Cup drivers in the Chase from testing the new surface at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Tuesday and Wednesday. Six drivers were able to test their tires at Talladega. They were David Gilliland, Brian Vickers, Martin Truex Jr., David Stremme, Ryan Newman and Travis Kvapil.
The sentiment among the drivers who did test was that the Chase drivers don't have much to gain from being included.
“You’d have to let them all come test, or not," said Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Ford for Robert Yates Racing. "I feel like they made the right decision. None of us are in the Chase, and you can’t let one or two of them and not the rest. So I think they did is what is most fair."
Vickers agreed.
"I don’t think Chase guys should be testing during the Chase," said Vickers, driver of the No. 25 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "I think it is an unfair advantage unless you take all 10 of them, so I think it worked out great.�
Truex said the drivers in the Chase are there for a reason and it wouldn't matter if they were allowed to test at Talladega.
"The guys that are in the Chase are there because they run good every week," said Truex, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. "They are going to bring cars here that are proven from past races with them. So if a few of them came, I don’t think it would change anything. They are all going to come here and run well like they do every time.�
Vickers has three teammates in the Chase: Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Truex has one teammate in the Chase: Dale Earnhardt Jr.