WITH 15,000 TESTING MILES IN JULY

 The testing numbers don't lie: The Brickyard 400 is one of the most coveted victories for any NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers.

 A total of 38 drivers combined to turn 6,284 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway during six days of testing this month for the 11th annual Brickyard 400 on Aug. 8. That's 15,710 miles of testing, nearly the same distance from Indianapolis to Auckland, New Zealand - and back. In fact, each driver averaged 165 laps - five laps more than the actual race distance - during testing July 6-7, July 12-13 and July 19-20 at Indianapolis.

"This is a race where everybody brings their best stuff, puts their best effort forward," three-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon said. "If you don't, you're certainly not going to have a chance of winning, and even if you do, it doesn't secure anything."

Said 1989 NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace: "It's definitely one of the top three tracks of the year to win. It's a tough one because everybody's testing; the entire NASCAR circuit comes here. Everybody raises the bar; it's a real pressure-packed weekend."

 Experience plays a big role in success in the Brickyard 400, as inaugural race winner Jeff Gordon and last year's winner, Kevin Harvick, were the only Brickyard champions who didn't have at least four years of top-level NASCAR experience when they won.

 But that trend could be changing, if last year's race and this month's testing speed charts are any indication.

 Harvick won the 2003 Brickyard 400 in just his third NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, the least-experienced winner since Gordon won in 1994 in just his second full season.

 The top three drivers in testing this month - Jeff Green, Brian Vickers and Jason Leffler - have combined to complete just three full NASCAR NEXTEL Cup seasons. Green has raced two full seasons, Leffler one, while Vickers is a rookie after capturing the NASCAR Busch Series title in 2003.

 Green was fastest overall at 181.641 mph in the No. 43 Cheerios Dodge on July 7, while Vickers was second at 181.554 in the No. 25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet on July 13. Leffler rounded out the top three at 180.787 in the No. 60 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet on July 13. Veteran Sterling Marlin was the fastest of the final week of testing, fourth overall at 180.305 in the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge on July 20.

Fellow veteran Mark Martin recorded the fastest speed by a Ford driver, 179.690, in the No. 6 Viagra Ford on July 13. That was good for seventh overall

 Only two past winners cracked the top 10 in testing. Gordon was ninth overall at 179.456 in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet on July 13, while 2002 winner Bill Elliott was 10th at 179.085 in the No. 91 Visteon Dodge on July 20.

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP TESTING UNOFFICIAL SPEEDS (Combined)INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, July 6-7, July 12-13, July 19-20, 2004

Pos. - Car No. - Driver - Speed (mph) - Date - Session - Total Laps  1. 43A Jeff Green 181.641 Wed., 7/7/04 Afternoon 178  2. 25A Brian Vickers 181.554 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 149  3. 60X Jason Leffler 180.787 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 142  4. 40C Sterling Marlin 180.305 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 174  5. 00 Kenny Wallace 179.895 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 81  6. 0X Ward Burton 179.878 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 149  7. 6A Mark Martin 179.690 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 316  8. 38 Elliott Sadler 179.587 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 218  9. 24A Jeff Gordon 179.456 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 10310. 91 Bill Elliott 179.085 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 20511. 23 Tony Raines 179.011 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 15612. 32T Ricky Craven 178.840 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 13613. 2A Rusty Wallace 178.833 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 14314. 4A Jimmy Spencer 178.517 Mon., 7/12/04 Afternoon 14115. 19A Jeremy Mayfield 178.244 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 24316. 20 Tony Stewart 178.078 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 25717. 77A Brendan Gaughan 178.027 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 13418. 18A Bobby Labonte 177.750 Wed., 7/7/04 Morning 19719. 22 Scott Wimmer 177.528 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 20420. 30 Dave Blaney 177.478 Tues., 7/20/04 Afternoon 25621. 01B Joe Nemechek 177.362 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 26422.   5 Terry Labonte 177.098 Tues., 7/20/04 Afternoon 17623. 88 Dale Jarrett 176.945 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 34324. 42 Jamie McMurray 176.572 Tues., 7/20/04 Afternoon 22225. 9B Kasey Kahne 176.489 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 21926. 41A Casey Mears 176.378 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 16127. 34 Geoffrey Bodine 176.314 Mon., 7/19/04 Afternoon 7828. 16A Greg Biffle 176.259 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 20329. 10A Scott Riggs 176.257 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 17330. 49 Ken Schrader 175.727 Tues., 7/13/04 Afternoon 9131. 31A Robby Gordon 175.172 Tues., 7/20/04 Afternoon 9332. 21A Ricky Rudd 175.072 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 14233. 99 Jeff Burton 174.582 Mon., 7/12/04 Morning 8734. 45A Kyle Petty 174.123 Tues., 7/6/04 Morning 6235. 52 Larry Foyt 174.070 Tues., 7/20/04 Morning 117*36. 98 Todd Bodine 172.601 Mon., 7/12/04 Morning 4237. 72 Kirk Shelmerdine 161.827 Tues., 7/13/04 Morning 5012 Ryan Newman NR Tues., 7/20/04  179

Total: 6,284* -- 74 laps turned in Car No. 14 on July 12-13;

NR - Team did not authorize release of speeds