The ARCA RE/MAX Series ML Motorsports No. 67 and No. 30 teams with drivers Chad Blount and Terry Jones respectively, Cunningham Motorsports No. 4 team with drivers Mike Guerity and Chris Serio, 3D Motorsports No. 78 team with driver Doug Reid III, HS Motorsports team with driver Tim Steele, Kentucky Motorsports No. 07 team with driver Jeff Spraker were also on hand to work primarily on picking up extra speed at Talladega Superspeedway prior to making finishing touches in handling adjustments for the 2005 racing season's opening events at Daytona next month.

Prior to hitting the track today, drivers Ruttman, Sauter, Segars and McClure weighed in on what they had accomplished the day prior and shared their thoughts on the legendary 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway:

Joe Ruttman, Phoenix Racing Test Driver for the No. 09 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team and the No. 1 NASCAR Busch Series team:
"I kind of fill in and help Johnny and have helped Phoenix over the years. We are just working on more aerodynamic stuff here, and then when they go to Daytona it's more about handling. It's a good opportunity to come down and work on your speed part of it. Then you go to Daytona and work on the driveability. Over the years I've just become the designated 'test dummy' for them (laughs).  There's some continuity to the program because I have been doing it for so long and so it is easy for them to relate to me."

"I've always loved Talladega. Fortunately every time I've been here, I've had a fast vehicle which makes you like it a lot more. I've never had an opportunity for the finish I have thought I was capable of, but I think that's what keeps bringing you back. It's the carrot you keep chasing, thinking 'geez, this time we really had a fast one.'"

"You come here and your odds are high to win, because unlike any other track it gives the opportunity, just from a performance standpoint. They key to it is either the car or a unique understanding of how to play the game. I can think back a little farther than the average guy can, and Buddy Baker to me is the king. He didn't win the most races here, but out of all the guys he seemed to be able to get the most out of the least out of anyone I've ever seen. I've seen Buddy get into teams where you'd think, 'this guy's never had a good car' and Buddy could somehow manage it to be a competitive car.
Out of all the guys that I've ever raced here, he probably taught me more than anybody else, just by watching and racing with him. It was a good education."

Johnny Sauter, Driver for the No. 1 Phoenix Racing NASCAR Busch Series team and the No. 09 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team:
"The first time I ever came here I sat on the pole for the Busch race, so that was cool. It's a cool racetrack. I like superspeedway racing, actually I like it a lot. I have had some good cars here. I finished 14th here in the Cup race last year. It's different than a lot of the tracks that we go to so I enjoy it."

"We've just been working on the new '05 Dodge with the new nose and tail package that they've got. We've got a new Busch car here that we're testing out and getting ready for Daytona, obviously since we go there next week."

"We're running about 20 Cup races and the whole Busch schedule. It's kind of a new group here at Phoenix racing with new crew chief Tony Liberati and it is good for everybody to get to work together a little bit before we get underway. This is the first test that we've done. This off season is pretty much gone. We're here, then we go to Daytona, then we go to Las Vegas and we go right back to Daytona for racing. The off season seems to be getting shorter and shorter every year. Daytona is a big deal; everybody wants to be prepared and go down there and start off the year the right way.

"It's the shortest off season I have ever had. But I am more excited this year about the opportunity that I have with James Finch and the whole organization because they are my kind of racers. They are all about the racing and that's a big deal to me. Some of the guys are obviously still here from last year, so there's some continuity there from when I ran a couple of Cup races for them at the end of the year. So far, so good. I am pretty happy so far."

Keith Segars, Test Driver for the No. 4 Morgan McClure NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Team:
"We had a good run with the 4 car yesterday. We really made some strong gains, just playing with body stuff and finetuning before we go down to Daytona next week and test. We are pretty pleased with the 4 car and made some great strides. Some things went backward and some things went forward but overall we are pretty happy. If we can pick up a couple more tenths today, we'll be extremely happy with this car."

"The first race I ever ran in a stock car was here, back years ago (1986) and then came back here and got my first win two years ago with the 04 team in the ARCA race. So, this place holds a lot of special memories for me. It will always be special to me. To be the first track I ever ran and then come back and get my first win."

Eric McClure, Driver for the No. 73 Morgan McClure NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Team:
"We've just worked on a few things here and there just to get a feel for the car. We've made some gains and we look to make some more today."

"I ran the NEXTEL Cup race here in April, the first Cup race I've ever been in. It was definitely an experience, the most fun I've ever had. It was exciting. Anytime you get in a car it is a lot of fun. Even when you are testing here , even though everybody says it's easy, you're always focusing on what you are doing. I love this place. Whether I am by myself of in a pack of cars, it's a blast."

"It is probably the most intense place you could make your Cup debut. It was just another race, but at the same time when you are on the starting grid or you are racing with other cars and you look over and Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon are beside or in front of you, it is pretty exciting. Once you get over that, it's another race. But it was definitely a lot of fun and an amazing place to make your first start."