Post by dalejrfan on Jan 16, 2006 22:53:58 GMT -5
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Round 2 of Daytona 500 preseason testing got under way at Daytona on Monday morning, with Hendrick Motorsports picking right up where it left off last week.
The session was the first of six this week for the Nextel Cup cars. A total of 30 drivers are participating, up from 20 from last week.
Kyle Busch was fastest in the morning session on Monday with a speed of 186.629 mph. Sterling Marlin was right behind him at 186.598 mph.
Cars powered by Hendrick engines posted six of the top-10 speeds.
Marlin's teammate, Joe Nemechek, was sixth-quickest during the session. MB2 Motorsports usually arrives at Daytona with a solid restrictor-plate package, and Bill Elliott led last week's session in a third MB2 car.
Scott Riggs' No. 10 Dodge was the lone Dodge to crack the top 10. Riggs, who finished fourth in the Daytona 500 last year, will be under the gun to produce a fast car because his new team doesn't have owners points to fall back on early in the season.
"For us, we need to be as strong as we can possible be. We need to get in the race and make the show," said Riggs, who moved to Evernham Motorsports' new third team after the 2005 season. "I feel good about it. The guys in the shop did a good job at getting the most we can. We have definitely improved the cars for superspeedway races this year."
Jamie McMurray was the fastest Ford Fusion in the opening session. McMurray got into the No. 26 Roush Racing Ford for the first time on Monday morning, officially completing an exodus from Chip Ganassi Racing, where he won just once in 114 tries.
McMurray's defection from Ganassi was one of the biggest stories of the 2005 season, and he joins a team that won 15 of 36 races last year.
The team switched from the No. 97 to the No. 26 over the offseason, and McMurray tested his new ride last week at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla.
Roush Racing brought an old chassis for McMurray to test at Daytona. Instead of building a new car, the team is using the same car Kurt Busch drove to Daytona 500 runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2005.
"Its an old car that always seems to run well," McMurray said. "We ran both cars this morning. The other drug real bad."
Brian Vickers was supposed to test the No. 25 Chevrolet, but he was scheduled to have outpatient hernia surgery on Monday.
David Green will handle the testing for all three days, and he was eighth-best in the opening session. Vickers is expected to recover in time for the critical Las Vegas test in two weeks.
Inside the Numbers
Pos. No. Driver Speed
1. 5 Kyle Busch 186.629
2. 14b Sterling Marlin 186.598
3. 26a Jamie McMurray 186.482
4. 14a Sterling Marlin 186.413
5. 10a Scott Riggs 186.305
6. 01a Joe Nemechek 186.227
7. 16b Greg Biffle 186.139
8. 25a David Green 186.073
9. 01b Joe Nemechek 185.874
10. 11b Denny Hamlin 185.640
11. 16a Greg Biffle 185.491
12. 2a Kurt Busch 185.330
13. 18a J.J. Yeley 185.322
14. 96r Terry Labonte 185.319
15. 88a Dale Jarrett 185.227
16. 18b J.J. Yeley 185.197
17. 6a Mark Martin 185.170
18. 55 Michael Waltrip 185.025
19. 10b Scott Riggs 184.987
20. 26b Jamie McMurray 184.949
21. 45 Kyle Petty 184.934
22. 5a Kyle Busch 184.885
23. 99b Carl Edwards 184.869
24. 11a Denny Hamlin 184.710
25. 88b Dale Jarrett 184.691
26. 6b Mark Martin 184.566
27. 45a Kyle Petty 184.517
28. 66x Jeff Green 184.509
29. 96t Terry Labonte 184.434
30. 07a Clint Bowyer 184.426
31. 2 Kurt Busch 184.396
32. 66 Jeff Green 184.343
33. 00b Hermie Sadler 184.320
34. 42x Casey Mears 184.222
35. 07 Clint Bowyer 184.102
36. 00a Hermie Sadler 183.940
37. 52a Larry Gunselman 183.887
38. 29a Kevin Harvick 183.820
39. 25b David Green 183.741
40. 7 Robby Gordon 183.722
41. 15 Paul Menard 183.655
42. 55a Michael Waltrip 183.505
43. 7a Robby Gordon 183.232
44. 22a Dave Blaney 183.195
45. 42 Casey Mears 183.105
46. 32a Travis Kvapil 183.091
47. 09 Mike Wallace 183.009
48. 49a Brent Sherman 182.983
49. 15a Paul Menard 182.916
50. 99a Carl Edwards 182.585
51. 22 Dave Blaney 182.120
52. 92b Chad Chaffin 182.101
53. 29 Kevin Harvick 181.925
54. 61a Kevin Lepage 181.664
55. 09a Mike Wallace 181.587
56. 95 Stanton Barrett 180.108
57. 52b Larry Gunselman 179.734
58. 49 Brent Sherman 179.540
The session was the first of six this week for the Nextel Cup cars. A total of 30 drivers are participating, up from 20 from last week.
Kyle Busch was fastest in the morning session on Monday with a speed of 186.629 mph. Sterling Marlin was right behind him at 186.598 mph.
Cars powered by Hendrick engines posted six of the top-10 speeds.
Marlin's teammate, Joe Nemechek, was sixth-quickest during the session. MB2 Motorsports usually arrives at Daytona with a solid restrictor-plate package, and Bill Elliott led last week's session in a third MB2 car.
Scott Riggs' No. 10 Dodge was the lone Dodge to crack the top 10. Riggs, who finished fourth in the Daytona 500 last year, will be under the gun to produce a fast car because his new team doesn't have owners points to fall back on early in the season.
"For us, we need to be as strong as we can possible be. We need to get in the race and make the show," said Riggs, who moved to Evernham Motorsports' new third team after the 2005 season. "I feel good about it. The guys in the shop did a good job at getting the most we can. We have definitely improved the cars for superspeedway races this year."
Jamie McMurray was the fastest Ford Fusion in the opening session. McMurray got into the No. 26 Roush Racing Ford for the first time on Monday morning, officially completing an exodus from Chip Ganassi Racing, where he won just once in 114 tries.
McMurray's defection from Ganassi was one of the biggest stories of the 2005 season, and he joins a team that won 15 of 36 races last year.
The team switched from the No. 97 to the No. 26 over the offseason, and McMurray tested his new ride last week at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla.
Roush Racing brought an old chassis for McMurray to test at Daytona. Instead of building a new car, the team is using the same car Kurt Busch drove to Daytona 500 runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2005.
"Its an old car that always seems to run well," McMurray said. "We ran both cars this morning. The other drug real bad."
Brian Vickers was supposed to test the No. 25 Chevrolet, but he was scheduled to have outpatient hernia surgery on Monday.
David Green will handle the testing for all three days, and he was eighth-best in the opening session. Vickers is expected to recover in time for the critical Las Vegas test in two weeks.
Inside the Numbers
Pos. No. Driver Speed
1. 5 Kyle Busch 186.629
2. 14b Sterling Marlin 186.598
3. 26a Jamie McMurray 186.482
4. 14a Sterling Marlin 186.413
5. 10a Scott Riggs 186.305
6. 01a Joe Nemechek 186.227
7. 16b Greg Biffle 186.139
8. 25a David Green 186.073
9. 01b Joe Nemechek 185.874
10. 11b Denny Hamlin 185.640
11. 16a Greg Biffle 185.491
12. 2a Kurt Busch 185.330
13. 18a J.J. Yeley 185.322
14. 96r Terry Labonte 185.319
15. 88a Dale Jarrett 185.227
16. 18b J.J. Yeley 185.197
17. 6a Mark Martin 185.170
18. 55 Michael Waltrip 185.025
19. 10b Scott Riggs 184.987
20. 26b Jamie McMurray 184.949
21. 45 Kyle Petty 184.934
22. 5a Kyle Busch 184.885
23. 99b Carl Edwards 184.869
24. 11a Denny Hamlin 184.710
25. 88b Dale Jarrett 184.691
26. 6b Mark Martin 184.566
27. 45a Kyle Petty 184.517
28. 66x Jeff Green 184.509
29. 96t Terry Labonte 184.434
30. 07a Clint Bowyer 184.426
31. 2 Kurt Busch 184.396
32. 66 Jeff Green 184.343
33. 00b Hermie Sadler 184.320
34. 42x Casey Mears 184.222
35. 07 Clint Bowyer 184.102
36. 00a Hermie Sadler 183.940
37. 52a Larry Gunselman 183.887
38. 29a Kevin Harvick 183.820
39. 25b David Green 183.741
40. 7 Robby Gordon 183.722
41. 15 Paul Menard 183.655
42. 55a Michael Waltrip 183.505
43. 7a Robby Gordon 183.232
44. 22a Dave Blaney 183.195
45. 42 Casey Mears 183.105
46. 32a Travis Kvapil 183.091
47. 09 Mike Wallace 183.009
48. 49a Brent Sherman 182.983
49. 15a Paul Menard 182.916
50. 99a Carl Edwards 182.585
51. 22 Dave Blaney 182.120
52. 92b Chad Chaffin 182.101
53. 29 Kevin Harvick 181.925
54. 61a Kevin Lepage 181.664
55. 09a Mike Wallace 181.587
56. 95 Stanton Barrett 180.108
57. 52b Larry Gunselman 179.734
58. 49 Brent Sherman 179.540