Hamlin tops first Shootout practice
2006 Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year Denny Hamlin topped the speed charts in the first practice session for the 29th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona
Hamlin, who won the event last year as a rookie, set the session's benchmark at 189.745 mph, with a lap time of 47.432 seconds, driving his No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet.
His speed was nearly three miles per hour quicker than the fastest speed set during testing at Daytona in January, and nearly six tenths better than the best time.
Behind Hamlin was Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who finished the session only twelve thousandths of a second adrift in his No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet and ahead Kasey Kahne's Dodge.
Greg Biffle rounded out the top four and the group of drivers able to lap within the 189 mph bracket, as fifth placed driver Kevin Harvick set his fastest lap of the session at 187.970 mph.
Dale Jarrett, who starts the event from pole position, was fastest among the Toyotas, finishing eleventh at 187.021 mph. Brian Vickers in the Red Bull Toyota was twentieth, only ahead of 1987 shootout winner Bill Elliot.
The Budweiser Shootout starts at 8:30 pm US Eastern time on Saturday (1:30 am GMT Sunday).
Bud Shootout - Practice 1 results:
Pos Driver Make Speed Time 1. Denny Hamlin Chevrolet 189.745 47.432 2. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 189.697 47.444 + 0.012 3. Kasey Kahne Dodge 189.506 47.492 + 0.060 4. Greg Biffle Ford 189.087 47.597 + 0.165 5. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 187.970 47.880 + 0.448 6. Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 187.352 48.038 + 0.606 7. Scott Riggs Dodge 187.340 48.041 + 0.609 8. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 187.192 48.079 + 0.647 9. Elliott Sadler Dodge 187.137 48.093 + 0.661 10. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 187.118 48.098 + 0.666 11. Dale Jarrett Toyota 187.021 48.123 + 0.691 12. Ryan Newman Dodge 186.900 48.154 + 0.722 13. Ken Schrader Ford 186.811 48.177 + 0.745 14. Jeff Burton Chevrolet 186.792 48.182 + 0.750 15. Kyle Busch Chevrolet 186.695 48.207 + 0.775 16. Mark Martin Chevrolet 186.676 48.212 + 0.780 17. Kurt Busch Dodge 186.633 48.223 + 0.791 18. David Gilliland Ford 186.544 48.246 + 0.814 19. Boris Said Ford 186.081 48.366 + 0.934 20. Brian Vickers Toyota 185.935 48.404 + 0.972 21. Bill Elliott Dodge 185.820 48.434 + 1.002
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