Rudd fastest in Daytona 500 practice
Robert Yates Racing driver Ricky Rudd emerged fastest in the first two practice sessions held on Saturday, as drivers and teams prepared for Sunday's qualifying for the Daytona 500
Rudd, who returns full-time to the NASCAR Nextel Cup this year to drive the No. 88 Snickers Ford, set the day's benchmark during the afternoon session, with a speed of 186.761 mph. He had also been fastest in the morning session.
Two-time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin was second fastest in the afternoon session, driving his No. 14 Waste Management Chevrolet, while Rudd's teammate David Gilliland was third quickest after being second in the morning practice.
Fastest among the Toyotas was Jeremy Mayfield, who doesn't have a place guaranteed on the grid for the Daytona 500 and needs to qualify based on speed. He set a speed of 185.585 mph in the afternoon session to finish the day as fourth fastest.
Three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon was fifth fastest overall at 185.563 mph, having set the fourth fastest speed in the morning session.
Series rookie and Daytona 24 Hours winner Juan Pablo Montoya was impressive as he prepared for Sunday's qualifying. He was sixth fastest and best among the Dodge drivers in the afternoon, after being at the top of the speed charts in the early part of the session.
His speed was 185.533 mph, improving nearly one mile per hour relative to the morning session where he had finished ninth fastest. The Colombian finished ahead of his teammate David Stremme who was also impressive in seventh.
Rounding up the top ten were two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham's Elliot Sadler, while reigning Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson finished the day as seventeenth fastest with a speed of 184.831 mph.
American AJ Allmendinger and three-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Jarrett were among the Toyotas failing to finish the day in the top 43, both being unable to lap above the 182 mph bracket.
While Jarrett is guaranteed his place on the grid for the race based on his past winnings, Allmendinger's chances of making the race look slim so far as he has to qualify based on speed.
The two-lap single-car qualifying, which determines the front-row starters for the Daytona 500, takes place on Sunday. The rest of the starting grid will be determined in the Gatorade Duels next Thursday.
Daytona 500 Practice Speeds:
Pos Driver Make Speed Time 1. Ricky Rudd Ford 186.761 48.190 2. Sterling Marlin Chevrolet 186.093 48.363 + 0.173 3. David Gilliland Ford 186.000 48.387 + 0.197 4. Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 185.858 48.424 + 0.234 5. Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 185.563 48.501 + 0.311 6. Juan Montoya Dodge 185.533 48.509 + 0.319 7. David Stremme Dodge 185.468 48.526 + 0.336 8. Kyle Busch Chevrolet 185.345 48.558 + 0.368 9. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 185.261 48.580 + 0.390 10. Elliott Sadler Dodge 185.212 48.593 + 0.403 11. JJ Yeley Chevrolet 185.151 48.609 + 0.419 12. David Reutimann Toyota 185.139 48.612 + 0.422 13. Mike Skinner Toyota 185.040 48.638 + 0.448 14. Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 184.995 48.650 + 0.460 15. David Ragan Ford 184.923 48.669 + 0.479 16. Tony Raines Chevrolet 184.900 48.675 + 0.485 17. Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 184.831 48.693 + 0.503 18. Michael Waltrip Toyota 184.828 48.694 + 0.504 19. Jamie McMurray Ford 184.797 48.702 + 0.512 20. Johnny Sauter Chevrolet 184.759 48.712 + 0.522 21. Matt Kenseth Ford 184.752 48.714 + 0.524 22. Greg Biffle Ford 184.684 48.732 + 0.542 23. Regan Smith Chevrolet 184.657 48.739 + 0.549 24. Denny Hamlin Chevrolet 184.650 48.741 + 0.551 25. Reed Sorenson Dodge 184.630 48.746 + 0.556 26. Casey Mears Chevrolet 184.562 48.764 + 0.574 27. Bobby Labonte Dodge 184.456 48.792 + 0.602 28. Boris Said Ford 184.445 48.795 + 0.605 29. Mark Martin Chevrolet 184.377 48.813 + 0.623 30. Jeff Green Chevrolet 184.347 48.821 + 0.631 31. Kurt Busch Dodge 184.332 48.825 + 0.635 32. Kasey Kahne Dodge 184.204 48.859 + 0.669 33. Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 184.083 48.891 + 0.701 34. Martin Truex Jr Chevrolet 184.064 48.896 + 0.706 35. Dave Blaney Toyota 183.985 48.917 + 0.727 36. Bill Elliott Dodge 183.869 48.948 + 0.758 37. Paul Menard Chevrolet 183.861 48.950 + 0.760 38. Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 183.820 48.961 + 0.771 39. Kyle Petty Dodge 183.767 48.975 + 0.785 40. Ken Schrader Ford 183.689 48.996 + 0.806 41. Ryan Newman Dodge 183.685 48.997 + 0.807 42. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 183.569 49.028 + 0.838 43. Scott Riggs Dodge 183.509 49.044 + 0.854 44. Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 183.415 49.069 + 0.879 45. Mike Wallace Chevrolet 183.337 49.090 + 0.900 46. Ward Burton Chevrolet 183.314 49.096 + 0.906 47. Frank Kimmel Ford 183.113 49.150 + 0.960 48. Brian Vickers Toyota 182.997 49.181 + 0.991 49. AJ Allmendinger Toyota 182.960 49.191 + 1.001 50. Carl Edwards Ford 182.930 49.199 + 1.009 51. Robby Gordon Ford 182.912 49.204 + 1.014 52. Kevin Lepage Dodge 182.801 49.234 + 1.044 53. Kirk Shelmerdine Chevrolet 182.648 49.275 + 1.085 54. Dale Jarrett Toyota 182.330 49.361 + 1.171 55. Mike Bliss Dodge 181.715 49.528 + 1.338 56. Derrike Cope Dodge 181.309 49.639 + 1.449 57. Stanton Barrett Chevrolet 181.269 49.650 + 1.460 58. Brandon Whitt Chevrolet 181.174 49.676 + 1.486 59. Eric McClure Chevrolet 181.065 49.706 + 1.516 60. James Hylton Chevrolet 179.347 50.182 + 1.992
Share Or Save This Story
Montoya's memories of a lost rival and rising star
Montoya: Vettel F1 2019 issues more likely technical than mentality
Leclerc reminds ex-Ferrari president di Montezemolo of young Lauda
How Rally Portugal served up WRC redemption for Neuville
Hall at the British Hillclimb summit after incredibly close early rounds
Norman conquers England in Armed Forces opener at Silverstone 750MC event
The F1 drivers to take on the Nurburgring 24 Hours before Verstappen
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments