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NASCAR Nextel Cup teams ended their two-day test Tuesday at Talladega Superspeedway. It was the first time all teams tested the Car of Tomorrow there before next month's race.

The early word is that drivers might be more aggressive because these cars draft differently than the current Cup car.

"I think it's going to be twice as exciting," Kurt Busch said.

One change is that the front and rear bumpers on the Car of Tomorrow are aligned. That could make it easier to bump draft, where a driver slams into the back of a competitor to push both forward. Doing that comes with some danger, though.

"If you hit someone too hard it will pull the splitter up and actually change the shape of it and create lift in the car, which would be a big problem," Jimmie Johnson said.

"So hopefully that will discourage a lot of the real pushing and shoving that goes on. I'm sure NASCAR will keep a close eye on things so we have safe racing. But the potential is there for more rough driving than in the past."

NO GAMBLING: Tony Stewart says that he won't take the chances in the Chase for the Championship like he did last season when he was not eligible to race for the title. Stewart won three of the final 10 races a year ago, including one on fuel mileage.

"We've never taken that chance in a Chase and won't take that chance if it presents itself now," Stewart said. "The risk versus reward isn't really worth it as far as the points are concerned, and that's what it's going to be about the next 10 weeks."

RUDD OUT: Ricky Rudd will miss his second consecutive race after separating his left shoulder in a crash at California Speedway earlier this month. Kenny Wallace will again drive for Rudd.

NEW DRIVER: Former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish will attempt to make his Cup debut this weekend at New Hampshire for Penske Racing.

With the Indy Racing League season over, Hornish is scheduled to try to make as many as seven of the final 10 Cup races.

Hornish has not announced if he will leave the IRL for NASCAR next year but by competing in no more than seven races this year, he would retain his rookie status for next season.

RUNNING MEN: Only three drivers have been running at the end of all 26 Cup races. Two of them -- Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer -- are in the Chase. The other is Elliott Sadler.

PIT STOPS: Among the drivers who tested at Talladega was former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve (Bill Davis Racing). ... Ken Schrader is back in the Wood Brothers car at New Hampshire for the first time since Darlington in May. ... Boris Said is entered in a fourth Gillett Evernham Motorsports car for New Hampshire. ... ESPN/ABC analyst Rusty Wallace picks Tony Stewart to win the championship. ... Jeff Gordon makes his 500th career Cup start this weekend.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dlong@news-record.com