Toyota to miss tire test

Goodyear going back to Darlington

BRISTOL, TENN. -- Goodyear is going back to Darlington Raceway for another test on the newly paved surface, and once again a Toyota won't be involved.

Greg Biffle (Ford), Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet) and Ryan Newman (Dodge) will all return to Darlington in two weeks to help Goodyear find a suitable tire for when the series races there in May. Speeds inched toward 200 mph during the two-day test earlier this week, and Goodyear must find a tire capable of withstanding the speeds.

Toyota officials were irked they were the only manufacturer not included in the initial test, and they grew angrier when they learned of the second session.

But Goodyear officials said the participants are on a rotation, one manufacturer is always left out of the testing, and having four teams at a session is overkill for the engineers.

Toyota officials declined to comment on the exclusion.

But Robin Pemberton, vice president of NASCAR's competition, said Toyota does not have a legitimate gripe and will catch up once practice begins at Darlington.

"The next time that goes around, Dodge is going to miss a test. And the next time Ford is going to miss one," Pemberton said. "It's less important for Darlington because we're getting extra practice. That takes some of the sting out of it."

LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER: If Germain Racing can pull it off, 19-year-old Chrissy Wallace will make her NASCAR debut later this month at Martinsville Speedway -- the same place her father made his 1990 debut.

Mike Wallace plans to spot for Chrissy should she be entered in the March 29 Truck Series race. Germain Racing doesn't have the deal completed and still needs a motor for her truck.

But Chrissy Wallace tested at Martinsville earlier this week and was 11th on the speed charts.

"For Chrissy to have this opportunity while my career is still going strong, this means I may have the opportunity to race against her in NASCAR's top series, and it is really a neat thought," Wallace said. "Somewhere along the line, I'd like to race against her in the trucks or in our series, and it would probably be the first time in history that a father races against his daughter in a major NASCAR touring series."