SHOWALTER, MORGAN VERY HAPPY WITH BRISTOL TEST RESULTS

The Key Motorsports #40 Chevrolet Silverado was one of 29 race trucks that took to the new surface at the Bristol Motor Speedway for an official NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series open test on Monday, and crew chief Gary Showalter and Director of Competition Tommy Morgan both came away very happy with the team’s performance.

“Brandon (driver Miller) did a great job for us, and we were extremely pleased with the results,” Showalter said after Miller, the San Diego native and current Richard Childress Racing test driver, turned more than 240 laps over the brand new concrete surface at the fast, half-mile BMS bull ring.

“We used an old motor that was probably 30 horsepower off, and we ran with old tires the entire day, yet our lap times were extremely competitive. Not bad considering that Brandon had never run a lap at the place before,” Showalter explained.

“Most of the top times came from simulated qualifying runs that some of the teams ran, yet our best lap time with old stuff was just a tick more than three tenths of a second slower than then the fastest time,” he added. “Had we slapped on a new set of tires and had a race motor under the hood, I’m confident that Brandon could have run a lap in the teens, and that would have out us right up there.”

That fastest time that Showalter alluded to was turned in by Roush-Fenway Racing Ford driver Travis Kvapil at 16.040 seconds and 119.626 miles per hour while Miller’s best time came on his 154th lap at 16.360 seconds and 117.286 mph. That time put the #40 in the 23rd position in overall speed of the 29 trucks that participated.

“Brandon has really impressed me,” Morgan said. “This (BMS) can be an intimidating place, especially for someone who has never been here before, but Brandon never got flustered and just kept getting better and more confident. His demeanor is exceptional, and he gives us great feedback. Now I know why RCR uses him as a test driver.

“We’ll huddle with Curtis (team owner Key) tomorrow (Tuesday) and make a decision on our driver for Indy this coming weekend and possibly for the rest of the races,” Morgan ended.

The #40 Westerman Companies Chevrolet will compete at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on Friday with practice to begin at 10 a.m. The Power Stroke Diesel 200 is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.