While there is a break in the Nextel Cup Series schedule this weekend, a project that has been seven years in the making will have the opportunity for a full scale “walk-through” this week at Bristol Motor Speedway. Fifty Nextel Cup teams are scheduled to test their Car of Tomorrow models this Wednesday-Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The test session is the third of seven scheduled Nextel Cup sessions this season.

Previous tests this year have been conducted at Daytona and Las Vegas, while Richmond (April 3-4), Lowe’s (May 7-8), Dover (May 14-15), and Talladega (Sept. 10-11) will host tests later in the year.

The much anticipated Car of Tomorrow will make its race debut March 25 in the Food City 500 at the infamous .533-mile Bristol short track. That race marks the first of 16 events the Car of Tomorrow will be on track in 2007, as NASCAR’s new safety-oriented car will race at oval tracks less than 1.5 miles, along with the two road course events and the October race at 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.

“The Bristol test should be a good dress rehearsal for the race teams, drivers and NASCAR as we prepare for the first Car of Tomorrow race later next month,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition. “It should provide the teams with a good opportunity to fine tune their set ups and become more familiar with how their cars are going to handle and give NASCAR the chance to have a trial run in getting its inspection process for the new car all buttoned up.”

[NASCAR]