The Sprint Cup Series opens up this week’s Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway with two days of testing on the 2.5-mile oval tomorrow and Friday.
Four Cup teams will not be taking part in the Thunder sessions. Most notably absent is 2013 Chase team Furniture Row Racing, which features Martin Truex Jr. as its new driver this upcoming season. Also not taking part are JTG Daugherty Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and Phil Parsons Racing.
Mark Martin will test the No. 14 Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet for Tony Stewart, who is still recovering from the broken right leg he sustained last summer. Also subbing in is Jeff Burton, who will test Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 56 Toyota in place of Brian Vickers. Vickers had his 2013 season cut short due to a blood clot in his right leg.
Here’s the full entry list for Thursday and Friday’s tests:
| NSCS DAYTONA TEST JANUARY 9-10, 2014 | ||
| Car # | Team | Driver |
| 1 | Ganassi | Jamie McMurray |
| 2 | Penske | Brad Keselowski, Rusty Wallace |
| 3 | RCR | Austin Dillon |
| 4 | SHR | Kevin Harvick |
| 5 | HMS | Kasey Kahne |
| 7 | TBR | Michael Annett |
| 9 | RPM | Marcos Ambrose |
| 10 | SHR | Danica Patrick |
| 11 | JGR | Denny Hamlin |
| 13 | Germain | Casey Mears |
| 14 | SHR | Mark Martin |
| 15 | MWR | Clint Bowyer |
| 16 | RFR | Greg Biffle |
| 17 | RFR | Ricky Stenhouse |
| 18 | JGR | Kyle Busch |
| 20 | JGR | Matt Kenseth |
| 21 | WBR | Trevor Bayne |
| 22 | Penske | Joey Logano |
| 24 | HMS | Jeff Gordon |
| 26 | Swan | Cole Whitt |
| 27 | RCR | Paul Menard |
| 30 | Swan | Parker Kligerman |
| 31 | RCR | Ryan Newman |
| 32 | FAS | Reed Sorenson |
| 33 | RCR | Brian Scott |
| 40 | Hillman | Landon Cassill |
| 41 | SHR | Kurt Busch |
| 42 | Ganassi | Kyle Larson |
| 43 | RPM | Aric Almirola |
| 48 | HMS | Jimmie Johnson |
| 51 | Phoenix | Justin Allgaier |
| 52 | Phoenix | Bobby Labonte |
| 55 | MWR | Michael Waltrip |
| 56 | MWR | Jeff Burton |
| 83 | BKR | Alex Bowman |
| 87 | Nemco | Joe Nemechek |
| 88 | HMS | Dale Earnhardt, Jr |
| 93 | BKR | Ryan Truex |
| 95 | Leavine | Michael McDowell |
| 99 | RFR | Carl Edwards |
| 152 in 2013 | B Keselowski | Brian Keselowski |
| 47 | JTG – not testing | |
| 78 | Furniture Row – not testing | |
| 34, 35, 36, 38 | Front Row – not testing | |
| 98 | Phil Parsons – not testing | |