DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
Normally, Jimmie Johnson isn’t anywhere near the top of the speed charts during a Daytona Speedweeks practice session.
2016 seems to be the exception.
Johnson led his second-consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice in advance of Sunday’s 58th annual Daytona 500, sitting highest on the pylon at the end of Friday’s opening 55-minute session despite having to debut a backup car after a crash on the final lap of his Can-Am Duel Thursday night. His lap of 46.372 seconds (194.083 mph) was fastest over the field by a half-tenth of a second.
The block was the sixth of eight total practices ahead of ‘The Great American Race’, and Johnson was the only driver of the four (A.J. Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr. and Matt Kenseth) who went to backup cars after their Duel Two crash to make laps during the noontime hour.
Denny Hamlin, who won last Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited, was second-quick with his best time of 46.425 seconds (193.861 mph) and is looking for his first-career Daytona 500 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Daytona 500 polesitter Chase Elliott (46.580/193.216) was third overall, with the Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Ricky Stenhouse (46.716/192.653) and Elliott’s teammate Kasey Kahne (46.752/192.505) rounding out the ‘Fast Five’.
Other notables included 2011 500 winner Trevor Bayne (sixth), reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chris Buescher (seventh) and Cinderella story Robert Richardson Jr. (11th).
Just 13 drivers recorded times during the opening practice.
Friday’s second practice — the seventh of eight overall — for Sprint Cup Series drivers in advance of the Daytona 500 goes green at 2 p.m. ET (live on FS1).
RESULTS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice Six; Daytona International Speedway; Feb. 19, 2016
- Jimmie Johnson
- Denny Hamlin
- Chase Elliott
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Kasey Kahne
- Trevor Bayne
- Chris Buescher
- Michael Annett
- Casey Mears
- Clint Bowyer
- Robert Richardson Jr.
- Brian Scott
- Bobby Labonte
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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