Well, you know what they say about unfair advantages. If you can get one, do it. Enter: 5 national drag teams and 11 drivers escaping the winter cold, shaking off the off-season rust and testing at the all-new, 1/4-mile drag strip of Palm Beach International Raceway. With temps sitting comfortably in the 70’s, teams and drivers were able to take advantage−prepping for the upcoming drag season, trying out new ideas and tinkering with new cars and teammates. Ron Capps of Schumacher Racing, who ran a 4.102 second at 302.25 mph on Sunday behind the wheel of his Napa Auto Parts funny car, was in amazement of the state of the technological advanced all-concrete drag strip.

“This facility is great. It's 100 percent concrete. They've bent over backwards and have done everything as far as preparation of the track goes and it's been a real pleasurable
experience. We've been spoiled with having Las Vegas to go to for testing in the past and we always go to Phoenix. And Las Vegas it's just too cold and it's been in the 70s here, which is just right. So, it's a great track, great facility.”

Joining Capps in funny car testing were Schumacher teammates; Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman. Hagan posted a 4.124 seconds, 301.40 mph best and Beckman a quick 4.144 seconds, 300 mph run. Jeff Arend of Kalitta Racing in the DHL dragster, posted the 3rd best time of the weekend with a 4.120 second run. Tim
Wilkerson of Wilkerson & Tasca racing, debuted a newly constructed chassis, with a front suspension on his Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang; posting a time of 4.198 seconds at 284.62 mph.

"The facility here is terrific, and I think all the teams that are here are impressed with the all-concrete track and just the way they have this place set up,” said Wilkerson. “To me, it's seems like a great place to have this sort of spring training, because the air is good and the track is good, and these laps have some value for us.  Plus, there's nothing bad about being in South Florida in January.  We have the chance to not only shake things down, but work on tune-ups and get after it a little bit, so it's good for the driver and the team."

Wilkerson’s teammate Bob Tasca III, was busy working out the kinks in his new Quick Lane car and left testing posting a 4.247 second at 240.12 mph run.

Though the Schumacher team(http://www.shoeracing.com) consistently delivered some of the fastest laps , the weekend of funny cars belonged to Del Worsham of Alan Johnson Racing (in the Al-Anabi Toyota funny car), who closed with the fastest weekend time of 4.056 seconds at 308.50 mph, outrunning Capps.

Top-fuel dragsters were also on display over the weekend at PBIR and the Schumacher team continued to impress. Leading the pack was Tony Schumacher, in his U.S. Army Dragster, posting a 3.812 second, 317.05 mph final run. Contesting for the weekends top-fuel best was Larry Dixon who fell just short Schumacher’s time, posting a 3.813 second, 313.73 mph run in his Al-Abani dragster for Alan Johnson racing. Also running a top-fuel car was Cory McClenathan with Schumacher Racing and posted a 3.887 second, 308.85 mph in his Fram dragster.

Go faster, run longer−this is the footprint to a game changing motorsports facility. This  is Palm Beach International Raceway. PBIR allows professional teams and drivers the ability to test year-round, day and night−making it one of the premier racing facilities in the nation. Combine that with premier engineering and state-of-the-art equipment, PBIR is vastly becoming the new home to major racing motorsports. Professional drivers and teams aren’t the only ones receiving the star treatment, the facility is also becoming a premier fan park. Built around the fans that love the sport, PBIR features all-new grandstand seating, concessions and will be adding to that experience with the future completion of it’s driving pavilions, club-houses, and pit garages set to be complete in 2010.