NASCAR will continue testing its Next Gen car next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the sanction body confirmed on Wednesday.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kurt Busch, and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. will both participate in the test. This marks the first time that NASCAR is allowing two drivers will test the car in a official session.
In addition, this will be the first time that two Next Gen cars hit the track together at the same time.
The former champions will test the cars for two days – running the Roval configuration on November 16th, and the oval configuration on November 18th. Tuesday the 17th will be used to flip the track from road course, to oval.
In addition, members of the media will be allowed to view the Monday test only from 2-7 p.m.
Due to current COVID-19 protocols, NASCAR is not allowing access to the garage area, however media members can view the Roval test from the media center, pit road, and the pedestrian bridge above turns 3 and 4 of the road course.
The testing of the Next Gen car resumed in August in Dover after the testing schedule was shelved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole Custer last tested the car. That specific model, dubbed the “P3”, was produced in collaboration between Richard Childress Racing, and NASCAR’s Research and Development team.
The P3 featured some of the car’s final production parts that will be featured on the Next Gen car, scheduled for arrival in 2022.
This marks the first time that the Next-Gen car will test on a road course under NASCAR’s official testing procedures. ISMA’s Action Express Racing held its own session with the car back in August at the Daytona International Speedway road course.
