Daytona 500: Danica Patrick fastest in pre-qualifying practice
Danica Patrick lived up to her prediction that she could challenge for Daytona 500 pole by leading Saturday's practice sessions
The two sessions were the first time that the full 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup field had been on track together, following Friday's running for the 19 drivers eligible for the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race.
With drivers focusing on qualifying set-ups ahead of Sunday's Daytona 500 front row-deciding session, Saturday featured single-car runs rather than pack drafting.
Joey Logano had been fastest for his new employer Penske in opening practice, followed by Richard Childress Racing's rookie Austin Dillon.
Patrick was third-quickest, then hit the front in the second session.
She led team boss Tony Stewart in a Stewart-Haas Chevrolet one-two, but her 45.867-second lap was the only sub-46s time of the day, with Stewart 0.201s adrift. The same margin covered the next 10 cars.
There was no repeat of the crashes that occurred in January testing or Unlimited practice, with an engine failure for Juan Pablo Montoya in the second session causing the sole interruption.
The Unlimited race takes place on Saturday night, with Daytona 500 qualifying scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Practice one times: Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Joey Logano Penske Ford 46.057s 2. Austin Dillon Childress Chevrolet 46.064s + 0.007s 3. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 46.069s + 0.012s 4. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 46.112s + 0.055s 5. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 46.133s + 0.076s 6. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Chevrolet 46.144s + 0.087s 7. Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Ford 46.196s + 0.139s 8. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 46.204s + 0.147s 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 46.212s + 0.155s 10. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.226s + 0.169s 11. Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 46.237s + 0.180s 12. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 46.251s + 0.194s 13. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet 46.276s + 0.219s 14. Kurt Busch Furniture Row Chevrolet 46.329s + 0.272s 15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr Roush Fenway Ford 46.340s + 0.283s 16. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.350s + 0.293s 17. Casey Mears Germain Ford 46.354s + 0.297s 18. Mark Martin Waltrip Toyota 46.364s + 0.307s 19. Josh Wise Front Row Ford 46.368s + 0.311s 20. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.375s + 0.318s 21. Clint Bowyer Waltrip Toyota 46.380s + 0.323s 22. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 46.382s + 0.325s 23. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 46.391s + 0.334s 24. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 46.391s + 0.334s 25. Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 46.400s + 0.343s 26. Scott Speed Leavine Ford 46.400s + 0.343s 27. Aric Almirola Petty Ford 46.402s + 0.345s 28. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 46.446s + 0.389s 29. Regan Smith Phoenix Chevrolet 46.466s + 0.409s 30. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 46.478s + 0.421s 31. Brad Keselowski Penske Ford 46.487s + 0.430s 32. Michael Waltrip Swan Toyota 46.497s + 0.440s 33. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 46.532s + 0.475s 34. David Ragan Front Row Ford 46.545s + 0.488s 35. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 46.618s + 0.561s 36. Terry Labonte FAS Lane Ford 46.711s + 0.654s 37. Michael McDowell Parsons Ford 46.818s + 0.761s 38. JJ Yeley Baldwin Chevrolet 46.891s + 0.827s 39. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota 46.909s + 0.840s 40. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 47.251s + 1.139s 41. David Reutimann BK Toyota 47.375s + 1.242s 42. Joe Nemechek NEMCO-JRR Toyota 47.473s + 1.329s 43. Mike Bliss Humphrey Smith Chevrolet 47.847s + 1.651s 44. Travis Kvapil BK Toyota 48.920s + 2.716s Practice two times: Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Danica Patrick Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 45.867 2. Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 46.068 + 0.201s 3. Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.073 + 0.206s 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Chevrolet 46.130 + 0.263s 5. Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 46.159 + 0.292s 6. Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Ford 46.189 + 0.322s 7. Paul Menard Childress Chevrolet 46.198 + 0.331s 8. Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Chevrolet 46.212 + 0.345s 9. Joey Logano Penske Ford 46.238 + 0.371s 10. Jeff Burton Childress Chevrolet 46.240 + 0.373s 11. Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.245 + 0.378s 12. Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Chevrolet 46.271 + 0.404s 13. Marcos Ambrose Petty Ford 46.282 + 0.415s 14. Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Toyota 46.286 + 0.419s 15. Martin Truex Jr Waltrip Toyota 46.290 + 0.423s 16. Kasey Kahne Hendrick Chevrolet 46.300 + 0.433s 17. Casey Mears Germain Ford 46.322 + 0.455s 18. Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Ford 46.332 + 0.465s 19. Jeff Gordon Hendrick Chevrolet 46.344 + 0.477s 20. Clint Bowyer Waltrip Toyota 46.395 + 0.528s 21. Mark Martin Waltrip Toyota 46.396 + 0.529s 22. Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Ford 46.397 + 0.530s 23. Regan Smith Phoenix Chevrolet 46.413 + 0.546s 24. Aric Almirola Petty Ford 46.435 + 0.568s 25. Kevin Harvick Childress Chevrolet 46.454 + 0.587s 26. Brad Keselowski Penske Ford 46.495 + 0.628s 27. David Gilliland Front Row Ford 46.538 + 0.671s 28. Michael Waltrip Swan Toyota 46.544 + 0.677s 29. Josh Wise Front Row Ford 46.549 + 0.682s 30. Michael McDowell Parsons Ford 46.631 + 0.764s 31. Scott Speed Leavine Ford 46.644 + 0.777s 32. Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Chevrolet 46.668 + 0.801s 33. David Ragan Front Row Ford 46.718 + 0.851s 34. Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Toyota 46.737 + 0.870s 35. Terry Labonte FAS Lane Ford 46.903 + 1.036s 36. Dave Blaney Baldwin Chevrolet 46.993 + 1.126s 37. JJ Yeley Baldwin Chevrolet 47.070 + 1.203s 38. Joe Nemechek NEMCO-JRR Toyota 47.407 + 1.339s 39. David Reutimann BK Toyota 47.515 + 1.442s 40. Travis Kvapil BK Toyota 47.637 + 1.507s 41. Mike Bliss Humphrey Smith Chevrolet 47.854 + 1.695s
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