TALLADEGA AL (1-6-06) - Lebanon, Pennsylvania veteran Bobby Gerhart is aiming for a record 4th Daytona victory this year when the 43rd annual Daytona ARCA 200 rolls off on February 11. And while Gerhart may not share all his secrets to his restrictor plate savvy, a portion of his Daytona/Talladega success can be attributed to an intense focus on the plate tracks. To be more specific, no ARCA RE/MAX Series driver tests more for Daytona and/or Talladega than Gerhart. Not only did he lead the way on the speed charts at the recent 3-day December test session at Daytona, Gerhart spent two full days at Talladega this week testing a brand new car. And guess what; he'll more than likely be going back to Talladega to test one more time before the ARCA RE/MAX Series season opener at Daytona.

Rookies GR Smith and Burney Lamar Join Gerhart for Testing at Talladega

Two days of testing this week at Talladega Superspeedway kicks off an exciting year of track activity at NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track and serves as a sure sign that ARCA RE/MAX Series teams are in the thick of preparation for the season opener next month at Daytona.

The test will not only aid the teams in getting their season off to the right start, but also lay groundwork for much later in the year when the ARCA RE/MAX Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, Oct. 6, when the teams will compete in conjunction with the track’s inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Saturday, Oct. 7 and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series UAW-Ford 500 on Sunday, Oct. 8 – race four in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Three-time Daytona champ and 2001 Talladega Superspeedway winner Bobby Gerhart brought two of his machines for testing today, along with 24-year-old up-and-coming driver GR Smith, who will likely be behind the wheel of a second Gerhart entry at Daytona on Feb. 11.

In recent years Gerhart is almost always found at the top of the time charts at superspeedways, having taken the last three pole awards at Daytona in addition to two pole awards here (2001, 2002). After topping the pole speed of last year’s ARCA RE/MAX Series race midway through today’s test, his hopes were high that he’ll continue that tradition when the series heads to Florida in a few weeks.

“We were trying to produce last year’s pole speed, which I didn’t get, and was second. We’ve gone through a little bit of a rule change with springs, so the cars will be a little bit slower,” Gerhart explained. “But that lap was a little bit faster than last year’s pole. So I am pretty happy with that and hope that we can find some things to even pick it up a little bit more.”

Pittsburgh, Penn. resident Smith said he is excited about the opportunity with Bobby Gerhart Racing, and wants to capitalize upon the organization’s superspeedway strength to give him an edge when he makes his second career Daytona start.

“We’re really happy with the test today. This car is right where it was last year; it qualified second. We’re just trying to find a good balance. This is my first time here and we’re already right up to speed with where the pole was last year,” Smith said. “We’re going to be pretty stout. I hope we go down there and win 1-2, and qualify 1-2 and run 1-2 all day long. With sponsorship permitting, we’re going to try to make a run for it and run up front. I feel blessed with the team that I have and the quality of equipment I have. I think we could have a pretty good showing and challenge for the win down at Daytona.”

Also testing today was another new personality to watch, 25-year-old Burney Lamar, a Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI) development driver. Lamar plans to be here today and tomorrow gaining seat time and superspeedway experience while testing a Richard Childress Racing (RCR) car. A West Sacramento, Calif. native, Lamar’s plans for 2006 include driving an entry fielded by KHI in the ARCA RE/MAX Series season opener as well as contending for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Busch Series. Lamar has two starts each in the NASCAR Busch and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and made his first ARCA RE/MAX Series start in the 2005 event here at Talladega Superspeedway. In that race, he qualified 10th, however started at the rear of the 41-car field after making an alternator change. Despite that setback, Lamar finished sixth.

“That was my first ARCA start ever, and it was awesome, just going to a place like Talladega with a lot of history. I like plate racing. I think it is exciting, and to have the opportunity to be able to do it was a blast,” Lamar said. “It’s looking pretty good, but we’ve still got a lot of things to try. But so far, so good. We’re looking to learn a lot and I am having fun working with all these guys.”

Lamar said his team’s plans do not currently have him slated to compete here in the ARCA RE/MAX Series event in the fall, however he will return to Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Busch Series race slated for April 29.

Make plans now to attend the 2006 Aaron’s Dream Weekend set for April 28-30. Featuring a new 3-day race weekend format, the Aaron’s Dream Weekend will feature two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practices and The Birmingham News Qualifying for the NASCAR Busch Series on Friday, April 28, The Birmingham News Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, April 29 and the Aarons’ 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Sunday, April 30.To order tickets, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA (1-877-462-3342). For our hearing impaired guests, please call TDD 1-866-ISC-TRAK (1-866-472-8725). You may also order tickets online at www.racetickets.com, or in person by visiting the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. CDT, Monday - Friday. Kids age 11 and younger are admitted free of charge on Friday and Saturday of race weekends. For news and other information on Talladega Superspeedway, check out the track’s web site at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.