A year ago, Jeff Gordon left Watkins Glen International feeling a little sore after a frightening crash. He's smiling now. "I'm certainly happy to see the improvements that they've made," Gordon said Tuesday after completing approximately 50 laps on the first day of a two-day tire test on the track for Goodyear. "There are a lot more runoff areas that I think are really good improvements." Jeff Burton and Marcos Ambrose also tested for about four hours in the afternoon after the morning session was rained out. All three drivers are due back on track on Wednesday. NASCAR's Cup and Nationwide series use an 11-turn, 2.45-mile layout, while the IndyCar Series utilizes the entire 3.4-mile Watkins Glen circuit. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=5240355
