Penske to run 2004 car at two races

The team has tested both the 2004 Intrepid and the 2005 Charger during the off-season, prompting speculation that the 2004 car could be pressed back into service again.

The team, along with many Dodge runners, have struggled with the Charger on what NASCAR calls 'intermediate tracks' - the two mile and one and a half mile ovals - and the team hope that bringing back the 2004 car for at least those two races will improve their pace.

"We're taking the best car to the racetrack and that's the 2004 car," Newman told autosport.com. "Obviously it is behind in development but it is pretty comparable speedwise. When we tested it last year at Kansas we were faster in testing than the cars that won the race.

"We are confident in it. It is maybe not ideal or perfect in the long run but it is a huge step in the right direction compared to what we had last year on the mile and a half racetracks."

Former Nextel Cup champion Busch doesn't believe it is a huge step back running older machinery.

"It is not a catastrophic as you would think," Busch told autosport.com. "When NASCAR chopped the spoiler off two years ago it seemed like it affected the Charger more than it did any other car. The Charger created a big front downforce programme and it was balanced to that bigger rear spoiler.

"And now the car would sit front and rear pretty. Now there is no rear spoiler on the car, so it doesn't have any rear downforce. We have way too much front and not enough rear downforce - so we are imbalanced."

Because the Intrepid is no longer manufactured in the United States, the car will simply be known as the 2004 Dodge.

Evernham Motorsports brought a 2004 Dodge to the final races of last season, but are likely to stick with the Chargers for the early races.