Daytona testing: Lola stays top of the Field

Field set the 1m40.494s lap on new rubber in the very first session of the test, when the weather was at its coldest and the track was quiet. His time was 1.2 seconds shy of the Daytona record but sixth-tenths quicker than last year's pole sitting Dyson Racing Riley & Scott of James Weaver, Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger.

Continuing the Lola domination was the TRP Racing Lola B2K-40-Nissan of Dick Downs, Gary Tiller and Travis Duder which was the fastest SRPII car, set the 11th fastest time overall and, most impressively, outpaced the fastest of the GTS cars.

In the closely-matched GTS division, the Porsche GT1 of Klaus Bytzek, Scott Maxwell, David Empringham and John Brenner led the way ahead of the works Chevrolet Corvette ranks. They included NASCAR's father-son duo of Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jnr, who teamed up with Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins and took the fourth-fastest time in the GTS class on 1m48.769s. Gunnar Racing's Porsche GT1, which includes acting legend Paul Newman on its driver strength, was just a tenth slower.

The White Lightning Racing-run Porsche 911 GT3R of Mike Fitzgerald, Lucas Luhr, Randy Pobst and Timo Bernhard wound up top of the GT class. NASCAR driver Kyle Petty was eighth fastest the GT class in the Orbit Porsche 911 GT3R he shares with Leo Hindery, Peter Baron and Tony Kester.

The 24-hour sportscar classic takes place on February 3-4.