Hamlin fastest in California Cup test

The test was the first time the new Cup car ran at a 2-mile oval and Hamlin didn't need much time to set the tone at the wheel of his No. 11 Toyota Camry. After only a handful of laps, he ran above the 182 mph barrier, being the only driver to do so over the two days.

To compound that, he ran nearly as quick on his spare car, setting what was the second fastest overall lap of the whole test. His new teammate Kyle Busch was just a couple of tenths off underlining the team's form.

Hamlin and his team were so happy with what they saw that they headed back home after completing only the first day of running and none of the JGR drivers stayed for the second day of testing.

"It was good for us," said Hamlin after completing the first day of running. "We were fastest in the morning and right up there in the top two and three all afternoon, so we're pretty pleased with it. It's good enough that where we're going to pack up and go home."

Ryan Newman was second fastest overall in the test on his Penske Dodge ahead of Kyle Busch and DEI's Mark Martin who was the fastest Chevrolet driver. Carl Edwards was the fastest Ford, and emerged quickest in two of the five sessions.

"Personally I was nervous about running these cars on these bigger racetracks," Edwards said. "I wasn't sure they'd handle. The engineers have been doing really well, have been doing a great job of getting the cars so that they feel real nice around the racetrack."

Jimmie Johnson struggled for speed during most of the test and was quickest in the last session, although far from the benchmark set by Hamlin. His Hendrick teammates were all more comfortable with the handling of their Impala.

"The aero balance is really the thing we're struggling with the most," Johnson said. "There's been a lot of changes. I understand it it's to slow the cars down. We'll end up with these cars being as fast as the old cars, which is hard to believe.

"From my driving style, the way we used to build bodies on our old cars, had a lot more front downforce. Right now with the wing on the car, the fenders placed the way that they are, there's very, very little front downforce."

Among the rookies Jacques Villeneuve emerged fastest, running only during the first day, while Dario Franchitti was slowest of the newcomers, rounding up a tough week that included the Rolex 24, testing at Las Vegas in his Cup and Nationwide cars, plus the two days at Fontana.

"It was only nine days straight in the car between doing the Rolex 24 Hour and then testing the Sprint Cup car, the Nationwide car in Vegas, and then coming here," Franchitti said.

"It's been nine days. Tomorrow, I'm going to lie in bed and do absolutely nothing all day. Try to make it breakfast in bed maybe

Sprint Cup teams will meet again at Daytona next week for official practice ahead of Bud Pole qualifying next weekend.