With the prohibition of testing on NASCAR sanctioned tracks beginning on January 1, 2009, the bonding process for many new teams, such as the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, will be stymied.

On December 10-11 Mark Martin and the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team will head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to participate in a Goodyear tire test that will focus on selection and tire wear.

With only two other teams invited to the event, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Alan Gustafson knows just how important those two days will be to the team. With the chance to build some valuable chemistry before the green flag waves at Daytona in February, Martin and the rest of the No. 5 team will need to make best of the scarce occasion.

"Those two days in Vegas are going to be, quite possibly, the two most important days of our 2009 season," stated Gustafson. "With NASCAR's latest ‘no testing' rule, we are very fortunate to have been invited by Goodyear to this test. This gives us two extra days on an intermediate track that only two other teams are getting. We need to maximize that time all we can."

The test will not be the first time Martin has taken the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet, he took part in a four-hour session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in September as well as a two-day Goodyear test session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October.

Gustafson told the Associated Press that the team will not face as much adversity as other teams due to Martin’s experience in the sport.

"Mark's so good in the car, he's had so much experience and seen so many things, that he's kind of like having a 130-pound data acquisition setup in our car," said Gustafson. "He's going to be a big help to the (No.) 5 team, and he'll be a big help to all of Hendrick Motorsports."