Kentucky: A new team in racing put itself to the test.

Mid-December found the FedEx Racing team conducting its first major track test at the Kentucky Speedway. While the weather was bitter, with temperatures in the teens, spirits were up, and the new FedEx crew was meshing well with the rest of Joe Gibbs Racing.

"You never know with a new group of guys and a new driver," J.D. Gibbs says, "But one thing I was encouraged about was the feedback I got on the drivers communicating well and the crew chiefs, and all the information that was going back and forth."

The main objective in Kentucky was aerodynamics testing. "We took five cars there with different aero packages, and we honed in on one package that the three drivers seemed to like a little bit better," crew chief Dave Rogers says, "So we'll redo some aero work based on the test results."

The next test takes place Jan. 11–13 at Daytona. "Daytona and Talladega are unique racetracks," Rogers says. "Every other track, you try to go for the maximum amount of downforce you can get. At Daytona and Talladega you try to take as much drag out of the car as you can. So it's a different animal."

Back at the Joe Gibbs garage, the entire crew has been hard at work preparing. On one particularly demanding Thursday (two days before Christmas), Rogers told the crew that if they finished everything he needed, they could take Friday off. He wasn't shocked when they finished what he asked for and more — but even he was surprised when they all decided to spend that "Friday off" back at work.

The qualifying rounds in Daytona will be held Feb. 13 and 17. The Daytona 500 is currently scheduled for Feb. 20. And if plenty of heart and a ton of hard work make a racing team, then the #11 Chevy will make a great showing.