Cold weather sparks safety fears

The race was originally scheduled for September 16, but postponed after the September 11 terrorist attacks. As the north east of America prepares itself for winter, one of the major issues on Friday will be how the cold tyres will grip on an even colder track.

"We don't get much grip there when it's warm," said Bobby Labonte. "It's going to be cold and it's going to be hard. The grip isn't good there for the first 10 laps anyway. We're going to have to be careful."

Labonte's crew chief Jimmy Makar said there is little that can be done to keep heat in the tyres. "NASCAR doesn't allow us to have heating blankets or cover the tyres," said Makar. "I think it will be up to the drivers to be careful and get heat in them.

"Goodyear came with a softer tyre and that will help a little bit. It's anybody's guess what we can do with the cold weather we are expecting."

NASCAR's Winston Cup closer at New Hampshire is expected to be run in dry conditions, however, temperatures are unlikely to reach above nine degrees Celsius.