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Extensive track drying following morning showers delayed the start of testing at Houston Raceway Park Thursday until mid-afternoon. The pace was slow under sometimes-sunny skies, the air temperature near 60 degrees, and the track between 70 and 80 degrees most of the afternoon.

3:35 p.m. Von Smith (PM): 1.007 Smith, driving the Tommy Lipar racing blown Pro Modified '03 Mustang, launched, started to shake and turn right, then lifted.

3:42 p.m. Bruce Allen (PS): 1.013 Allen made a pretty good launch, then shut it off and coasted through.

4:00 p.m. Chip Hunter (PSB): 1.083 2.992 4.628 148.76 6.080 7.332 177.56 Hunter, aboard Harry Lartigue's Lucas Oil Suzuki, made one aborted launch, the rear tire spinning violently, then restaged the bike and made a full pass, out of the groove toward the centerline and leaning hard on the top end.

4:18 p.m. Ben Watson (PS): 1.016 2.857 4.400 160.35 5.731 6.852 200.65 Watson gave us the first full pass of the day on four wheels, the car pretty stable throughout the run.

4:25 p.m. Von Smith (PM): 1.033 Smith launched, went about 300 feet, then shut it down, the car dancing under him.

4:36 p.m. Mark Whisnant (PS): 1.020 2.854 4.496 137.48 Whisnant lifted, the car getting a bit loose before half track.

4:47 p.m. Bruce Allen (PS): 1.005 2.847 4.393 160.02 5.726 6.846 200.53 Allen made a smooth-looking full pass, but the elapsed time and speed were off-pace a bit.

5:07 p.m. Josh Helvie (PSB): 1.290 Helvie, riding Pete Briggs' bright-green Kawasaki, appeared to break something after a tire-chattering launch, the RPMs up against the chip for a couple seconds while Helvie fought to regain control. He coasted to a stop about 1,000 feet down the track.

5:16 p.m. Von Smith (PM): 1.042 Smith took another shot and once again the car shook and got very loose, so he gave it up before the 330-foot marker.

5:28 p.m. Vince Fourcade (PS): 1.039 3.069 Fourcade, driving Jim Cunningham's brand-new '04 Escort, gave the new car its first shakedown run.

5:35 p.m. Chip Hunter (PSB): 1.071 2.992 4.621 150.53 6.058 7.293 180.31 Hunter made the final pass of the day, this time right down the groove.

Testing will resume at 9 a.m. Friday.