Daytona Winter Testing

by Skip Hohensee

It was a cloudy in Daytona for the GM test session. I got to the track around 11am and cars were already testing. The Oldfield section outside turn 4 was open for the fans.

Earnhardt was the fastest in the morning session. I waited about 30 minutes and finally the gray primed #30a car came out for testing. Derrike ran 2 laps and headed for the pits as he posted the 7th fastest lap. Derrike came out 2 more times and ran 2 laps each time. When the morning session was over Derrike was 8th fastest.

I decided to take a tour of the Daytona Speedway and they take you down by turns 3 & 4. With my luck, the teams broke for lunch so I didn't get any pictures. I was surpised that the tour went by the garage area. Teams were kicking back and taking it easy for lunch. I saw Bobby Hamilton, Ricky Craven, but no Derrike. I did get to see the Gumout transporter. If you get a chance, take the tour as it is pretty neat to see the 31 degree banking.

One o'clock rolled around for the afternoon session. Derrike came out in the #30 car and ran 2 laps. 15 minutes later Derrike was behind the wheel of the #30a car. Derrike had the 8th fastest lap in the afternoon session. The only incident in the session was when Hut Stricklin blew an engine coming out of turn 4 and put oil on the track. Derrike was behind Hut when his engine went and Derrike had to jump on the brake.

It was getting cooler and it was still cloudy. Speeds were getting faster, Sterling Marlin broke the 189 mark, and Derrike was 9th fastest at the time. Before 4pm, Jeff Gordon ran the fastest lap knocking off Sterling. This bumped Derrike to 10th. Watching Derrike come off of turn 4, the car looked stable and smooth, hugging the bottom line. The whole day the Gumout team tweaked the #30 car for qualifying next month. Things look good for the Gumout team in '98.

In Daytona testing on Jan. 12, Derrike was the 5th fastest GM car of 26 drivers with a time of 47.892 and speed of 187.923. On Jan. 13th, Derrike was 3rd fastest with a time of 47.867 and speed of 188.022. On the last day of testing on Jan. 14th, Derrike posted the 6th fastest time of 47.679 and speed of 188.762. The effort left the Gumout Grand Prix as the 7th fastest team of the winter in Daytona testing.

When all teams had finished Daytona testing, Derrike and the Gumout Pontiac had produced the 13th fastest time overall and were the 2nd fastest Pontiac.