Gilliland ahead as testing resumes
Testing for the season opener Daytona 500 resumed today with the rest of the teams taking to the track for the second week of the NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder testing
Despite a rainy start, which allowed the cars to go on track just after mid-morning, all teams took part in today's seven-hour session in which only single-car runs were allowed.
Robert Yates Racing driver David Gilliland topped the speed charts with a lap of 185.090 mph in his No. 38 M&M's Ford.
Gilliland was the only driver to break into the 185 mph bracket, edging the Toyota of Jeremy Mayfield.
The driver of the No. 36 Bill Davis Camry, who returns to the Nextel Cup this year after leaving Ray Evernham's team last year in the middle of the season, was by far the fastest among the five Toyotas on track, setting his fastest lap in his last run.
AJ Allmendinger, who was quick testing the Toyota Tundra truck during the weekend, was by contrast the slowest Camry back in 25th, as his Red Bull team continued to struggle for speed at Daytona.
Four-time Nextel Cup champion Jeff Gordon was the fastest Chevy in third, while Chip Ganassi's David Stremme put his No. 40 Dodge in fourth.
His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya had a good first day of testing at the 2.5-mile oval, setting the sixth fastest speed in his No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge, ahead of Clint Bowyer and 2006 Rookie of the Year Denny Hamlin.
"From what I hear we've stepped it up from where we were last year," Montoya said. "It's still very early. It's my first test this year, so we'll take it step by step."
James Hylton, who hopes to make the field for the Daytona 500 at 72 years of age, was slowest in his No. 58 JC Weaver Motorsports Chevrolet.
Testing at Daytona International Speedway continues tomorrow.
Monday testing speeds at Daytona:
Pos Driver Make Speed (mph) 1. David Gilliland Ford 185.090 2. Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 184.854 3. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 184.744 4. David Stremme Dodge 184.729 5. Regan Smith Chevrolet 184.581 6. Juan Pablo Montoya Dodge 184.570 7. Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 184.434 8. Denny Hamlin Chevrolet 184.385 9. J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 184.226 10. Elliott Sadler Dodge 184.134 11. Kyle Busch Chevrolet 184.075 12. David Ragan Ford 184.049 13. Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 184.030 14. Mark Martin Chevrolet 183.981 15. Mike Skinner Toyota 183.835 16. Matt Kenseth Ford 183.775 17. Kurt Busch Dodge 183.426 18. Ryan Newman Dodge 183.400 19. Michael Waltrip Toyota 183.307 20. David Reutimann Toyota 183.191 21. Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 183.132 22. Kyle Petty Dodge 183.061 23. Ken Schrader Ford 182.815 24. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 182.789 25. AJ Allmendinger Toyota 182.689 26. Paul Menard Chevrolet 182.630 27. Ward Burton Chevrolet 182.216 28. Carl Edwards Ford 181.958 29. Mike Wallace Chevrolet 181.635 30. Kevin Lepage Dodge 181.411 31. Mike Bliss Dodge 180.930 32. Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 180.411 33. Brandon Whitt Chevrolet 180.393 34. James Hylton Chevrolet 180.058
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