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With the 2016 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway just over four months away, fans will have an opportunity to get an early NASCAR fix when the track hosts an open team test for Sprint Cup Series teams on its 1.54-mile track Thursday, Oct. 29.

The test, open to one driver from each NASCAR team participating in the Sprint Cup Series, will be a preview of NASCAR’s new, low-downforce aero package, which will be used for the first time in 2016 in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. The package includes a 3.5-inch rear spoiler, a .25-inch front splitter leading edge and a 33-inch-wide radiator pan.

General admission in the Champions Grandstand will be free and open to the public for fans interested in watching the test session. Fans who have purchased a ticket to any 2016 NASCAR Weekend event will also be invited to visit the infield, where they will have special access to viewing zones in the garage and pit areas. Drivers will be on track from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., breaking for one hour from around noon to 1 p.m.

AMS ticket agents will be on hand for fans interested in purchasing their 2016 NASCAR Weekend tickets on the day of the test.

Though open tests are not mandatory, they are essential among Sprint Cup Series teams preparing for new aero packages and discovering how cars perform in specific conditions, after NASCAR eliminated private team testing following the 2014 season.

NASCAR racing returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway Feb. 26-28, 2015, featuring a Camping World Truck Series and XFINITY Series doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 27 and the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 28.