Mon Jan 7 12:14:24 2008

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Vacation time over, Sprint Cup testing at Daytona begins Monday

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Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - The Christmas gifts have long since been broken or put away, New Year's day is a memory and the Bowl games are over, now its time for the Sprint Cup drivers to get back to work.

Beginning on Monday, the first of two three-day test sessions will take place at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.

Tentatively scheduled for the first session are: two-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr. and Robby Gordon. Gordon was expected to use a substitute driver until the Dakar Rally was cancelled late last week.

Johnson will be attempting to be the first driver to win three consecutive championships since Cale Yarborough did it in 1976-78.

Session number two, scheduled for January 15-17, will include: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch.

For Earnhardt Jr. it will be his first chance to show off for his new team - Hendrick Motorsports.

"The only memory I have is how badly we ran last year," Earnhardt Jr. said to David Poole of the Charlotte Observer. "I want to get out there and get top- five finishes and feel like that's where I belong. I'm ticked off we didn't win a race. That bothers me every day."