If you look at Nascar's track payouts, the purse money can add $1.5 million to a team by simply finishing in the Top 20 instead of mid 30's. The difference per race is about $25,000 for finishing 20th instead of 33rd.
here is a list from Jayski.
Phoenix, 1/13: #1-Truex Jr., #26-McMurray, #20-Logano, #44-Allmendinger
Atlanta, 1/20-21: #16-Biffle, #77-Hornish, #82-Speed, #42-Montoya
Darlington, 3-11: #11-Hamlin, #29-Harvick, #96-Labonte, #19-Sadler
Charlotte, 3/17-18: #9-Kahne, #48-Johnson, #47-Ambrose, #98-Menard
New Hampshire, 4/7-8: #24-Gordon, #12-Stremme, #18-Busch, #6-Ragan
Indianapolis, 4/20-21: #43-Sorenson, #39-Newman, #83-Vickers, #17-Kenseth
Indianapolis, 4/29: #9-Kahne, #39-Newman, #83-Vickers, #17-Kenseth
Daytona, 5/4-5: #5-Martin, #47-Ambrose, #77-Hornish Jr., #82-Speed, #98-Menard, #33-Bowyer, Almirola in an EGR Chevy
Indianapolis, 6/1-3: #14-Stewart, #42-Montoya, #9-Kahne, #7-Gordon, #36-TBA, #12-Stremme, #16-Biffle, #21-Elliott, and #31-Burton
Indianapolis, 6/15-16: #2-Busch and many other teams/drivers
Bristol, 7/7: #07-Mears and some Nationwide and Truck teams
Atlanta, 7/14-15: #14-Stewart, #2-Busch, #11-Hamlin, #26-McMurray
Dover, 8/4-5: #48-Johnson, #42-Montoya, #47-Ambrose, #18-Busch, #12-Stremme, #6-Ragan, #96-Labonte and #44-Allmendinger
Daytona, 9/22-23: #6-Ragan, #20-Logano, #47-Ambrose, #12-Keselowski and #33-Bowyer.
Richmond, 10/6: Paul Menard & Travis Kvapil in special Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Charlotte, 10/?: #88-Earnhardt Jr., #47-Marcos Ambrose, #17-Matt Kenseth and #19-Elliott Sadler
Daytona, 11/2-3: 17 drivers
He might have went to Indy but I think it was rained out. Not 100% sure. But as you can see he was not on the list except for Indy and most all of these sessions are by invite only, yet some drives are on the list more than once. Anyone know how NASCAR and Goodyear decided who is invited??? Maybe goodyear is pissed cause Robby runs Toyo tires in off road! lol Just trying to stir the pot, ya all know me!
Good point about the money, but they test for Goodyear, so I wonder if Goodyear foots the bill for the teams?? I cant imagine they would charge the team for the tires during the test, now travel expenses and other things I'm not sure about.
I'm sure Matt will know more details as he used to work for GoodYear. But from what I understand and know is that NASCAR and GoodYear pull one or two teams name from each manufacture and they are invited to tire test. I would assume if they decline GoodYear pulls another teams name. No the teams do not have to pay for the tires or race fuel, but they do pay for transportation, lodging costs and the cost of running the car around the track.
From what I have been told is most teams will send a skeleton test crew over as they are very limited to what they can do to the cars. Most of the time NASCAR and GoodYear will tell the teams what adjustments they want the teams to do to the cars, and they are only allowed to do those adjustments. Also many times they will only run one or two cars with the actual test tires and the rest of the cars will be just running laps in attempt to rubber in the track.
I thought I read at one of the tests were Kurt Busch talked about how the whole test session he was told to run in the top to middle groove and he was just laying rubber down the whole time.
Maybe Matt will chime in and be able to explain it in better detail then I can.