Leffler and FedEx Team Wrap Up West Coast Testing

Jason Leffler and the #11 FedEx Team recently made visits to both California Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jan. 31–Feb. 3, in preparation for an upcoming West Coast swing the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series will make following the Daytona 500. Many of the Nextel Cup teams were present for these tests to gather data on not only the new rules changes that include a smaller spoiler, but also the new tire compound that Goodyear has introduced for the 2005 season. No official timing was in place for the test, but overall Leffler and his newly formed team felt they stacked up pretty well against the competition.

"I felt like both tests went really well for us," said Leffler. "This was our first opportunity to see how we measure up against some of the other teams on a non–restrictor plate track and I feel like we're right there. I really liked how the cars handled and I couldn't tell that the shorter spoiler will have that much of an effect. I'm sure it will be a little different around a whole pack of cars, but all–in–all I felt really comfortable."

The FedEx team tested two new cars out West, chassis numbers JGR 092 and JGR 098. After running laps with each car at both tracks, the decision was made to use JGR 098 as the primary for the California event and JGR 092 for the Vegas race.

"We feel pretty good about how everything went for us at California and Las Vegas," said crew chief Dave Rogers. "It's a little different for us because we're a new team and basically starting from scratch. The new changes affect the other teams more than us and it sort of levels the playing field a little. All three of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars were competitive and I think once we get back and download everything we'll have a lot to work with when we come back in a few weeks. It certainly helps having two championship winning teams in your corner to lean on for advice."

Leffler has five starts at California Speedway in the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series or Craftsman Truck Series. He has one pole (Busch '04), one top–five finish (Truck '02) and two top–10 finishes (Truck '02, Busch '04). His best finishes in Nextel Cup competition is an 18th–place effort in 2001. He has four starts a Las Vegas, recording a runner–up finish in the 2002 Craftsman Truck Series event at the track. He has a 28th–place finish in his only Cup start.

The Nextel Cup Series teams will head to California Speedway for the Auto Club 500 on Feb. 27, with the green flag set to drop at noon PT. After a needed weekend off to regroup, they will go back to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the UAW–GM DaimlerChrysler 400 on Mar. 13.