Nextel Cup testing at Daytona ends
With a shortened afternoon session due to rain, NASCAR Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder testing of the Nextel Cup teams, in preparation for the season opener Daytona 500, ended today
A total of sixty four drivers tested at the venue of the first race of the season since last week, combining single-car runs with afternoon drafting sessions.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Paul Menard emerged fastest in the final practice session of the week and set the fastest lap of the month at 187.090 mph in his No. 15 Chevrolet.
He was the only driver to run above 186 mph, and his best lap was a massive 0.334 seconds quicker than the second fastest, set by Hendrick Motorsport's Kyle Busch at 186.765.
Despite that, the true fastest lap of the month was set by Kurt Busch, who drove a Dodge Avenger in Wednesday's morning session, showing the improved performance of NASCAR's new breed of cars.
He lapped at 191.188 mph in a single-car run with the Car of Tomorrow, which was also tested by his Penske teammate Ryan Newman.
Jeff Green, who was fastest in the first week of testing at Daytona, ended third in the combined results from the seven days of running, making it a Chevrolet 1-2-3-4, with Dale Earnhardt Jr ranking in fourth.
Among the most consistent runners from the two weeks was four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who set the ninth fastest speed of the month, as well as Tony Raines, who shined in the first week of testing. Both men also drive Chevrolets.
Best from the Toyotas was 1999 Cup champion Dale Jarrett who ranked seventh at 186.517 miles per hour. Nine different drivers running Camrys tested in preparation for the brand's debut in NASCAR's top division.
Star rookie Juan Pablo Montoya enjoyed a good first time at the 2.5-mile oval, being fastest on Tuesday morning in the No. 42 Dodge. He had, however, a small brush with the wall in the afternoon drafting session of the same day.
Defending Daytona 500 winner and Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson tested during the first week and ended thirty-fifth in the combined results, while two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart didn't test at all, his car being driven by Mike McLaughlin.
The Daytona 500 takes place on February 18th. Before that, the Budweiser Shootout runs on February 10th.
Combined speeds from week 1 and 2 of Daytona 500 testing:
Pos Car Driver Make Time Speed Session 1. 15 Paul Menard Chevrolet 48.103 187.099 D7PM 2. 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet 48.189 + 0.334 186.765 D7PM 3. 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet 48.200 + 0.043 186.722 D3PM 4. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 48.230 + 0.116 186.606 D2PM 5. 6 David Ragan Ford 48.248 + 0.070 186.536 D6PM 6. 12 Ryan Newman Dodge 48.248 + 0.000 186.536 D6PM 7. 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota 48.253 + 0.019 186.517 D3PM 8. 2 Kurt Busch Dodge 48.257 + 0.016 186.501 D6PM 9. 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 48.268 + 0.042 186.459 D6PM 10. 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 48.269 + 0.004 186.455 D6PM 11. 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet 48.270 + 0.004 186.451 D3PM 12. 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet 48.273 + 0.011 186.440 D2PM 13. 10 Scott Riggs Dodge 48.278 + 0.020 186.420 D3PM 14. 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge 48.279 + 0.004 186.416 D2PM 15. 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet 48.281 + 0.007 186.409 D6PM 16. 88 Ricky Rudd Ford 48.282 + 0.004 186.405 D4AM 17. 37 Bill Elliott Dodge 48.284 + 0.008 186.397 D2PM 18. 7 PJ Jones Ford 48.284 + 0.000 186.397 D3PM 19. 00 David Reutimann Toyota 48.285 + 0.004 186.393 D6PM 20. 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet 48.288 + 0.011 186.382 D3PM 21. 22 Dave Blaney Toyota 48.289 + 0.004 186.378 D3PM 22. 21 Kenny Schrader Ford 48.294 + 0.019 186.359 D7PM 23. 1 Martin Truex Jr Chevrolet 48.295 + 0.004 186.355 D3PM 24. 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge 48.305 + 0.039 186.316 D3PM 25. 26 Jamie McMurray Ford 48.327 + 0.085 186.231 D2PM 26. 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge 48.348 + 0.081 186.150 D6PM 27. 39 Regan Smith Chevrolet 48.359 + 0.042 186.108 D7PM 28. 99 Carl Edwards Ford 48.400 + 0.158 185.950 D6PM 29. 16 Greg Biffle Ford 48.401 + 0.003 185.947 D2PM 30. 09 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 48.422 + 0.081 185.866 D6PM 31. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Dodge 48.444 + 0.084 185.782 D6PM 32. 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet 48.452 + 0.031 185.751 D7PM 33. 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge 48.459 + 0.027 185.724 D3PM 34. 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 48.462 + 0.011 185.713 D7PM 35. 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 48.483 + 0.081 185.632 D3PM 36. 40 David Stremme Dodge 48.502 + 0.073 185.559 D6PM 37. 84 Brian Vickers Toyota 48.504 + 0.007 185.552 D7PM 38. 30 Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 48.511 + 0.027 185.525 D7PM 39. 58 James Hylton Chevrolet 48.532 + 0.080 185.445 D7PM 40. 01 Mark Martin Chevrolet 48.566 + 0.130 185.315 D6PM 41. 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 48.611 + 0.172 185.143 D4AM 42. 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 48.616 + 0.019 185.124 D3PM 43. 38 David Gilliland Ford 48.627 + 0.042 185.082 D5 44. 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 48.687 + 0.228 184.854 D5 45. 38 Ricky Rudd Ford 48.701 + 0.053 184.801 D6PM 46. 45 Kyle Petty Dodge 48.740 + 0.148 184.653 D7PM 47. 20 Mike McLaughlin Chevrolet 48.741 + 0.004 184.649 D2PM 48. 04 Eric McClure Chevrolet 48.766 + 0.094 184.555 D3PM 49. 23 Mike Skinner Toyota 48.770 + 0.015 184.540 D6PM 50. 92 Kevin Lepage Dodge 48.798 + 0.106 184.434 D7PM 51. 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 48.799 + 0.004 184.430 D5 52. 13 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 48.828 + 0.110 184.320 D2PM 53. 23 Dave Blaney Toyota 48.833 + 0.018 184.302 D7PM 54. 84 AJ Allmendinger Toyota 48.847 + 0.053 184.249 D6PM 55. 72 Brandon Whitt Chevrolet 48.862 + 0.057 184.192 D7PM 56. 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 48.864 + 0.007 184.185 D6PM 57. 60 Boris Said Ford 48.920 + 0.211 183.974 D2PM 58. 13 Regan Smith Chevrolet 48.943 + 0.087 183.887 D4AM 59. 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota 48.998 + 0.206 183.681 D7AM 60. 33 Scott Wimmer Chevrolet 49.023 + 0.094 183.587 D4AM 61. 8 Kerry Earnhardt Chevrolet 49.072 + 0.183 183.404 D3PM 62. 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 49.091 + 0.071 183.333 D6PM 63. 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet 49.093 + 0.007 183.326 D7PM 64. 27 Kirk Shelmerdine Chevrolet 49.270 + 0.659 182.667 D2PM
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