DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images for NASCAR photo —
“Amelia” may be preparing to take flight one final time, after Saturday’s ‘Happy Hour’ final practice session at Daytona International Speedway saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. — a two-time Daytona 500 champion and Thursday’s Can-Am Duel at Daytona winner — top the speed charts in the chassis he nicknamed in honor of the famous aviatrix.
Earnhardt ran just eight laps during the one hour, 40 minute lead-in to Sunday’s 58th running of ‘The Great American Race’, but it was his top time of 45.655 seconds (197.131 mph) that was the pacesetter, making the third-generation driver an overwhelming favorite to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy for the third time on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM).
“We caught a little draft there, and that’s why we put up that number [we did] in practice there,” Earnhardt explained after parking his car for the day. “We were trying to run by ourselves, but of course there’s other guys out there trying to run as well, so we caught the pull there and off we went.”
“The car’s got great speed. I’m really, really looking forward to the race. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. The track and the surface is starting to show a little bit of age, and it’s starting to get a little slick out there again. It may not be a big scramble to get the balance of the car right throughout the race, but you’re starting to see the old Daytona come back around. I’m excited, I just think you’ll see this place keep getting better and better over the [next couple of] years.”
Earnhardt was the only driver to crack the 197-mph threshold in Happy Hour.
Defending 500 champion Joey Logano was not far behind the 2004 and 2014 winner, however, leading a three-car Penske freight train in the first half-hour of the session that ended up two-three-four overall on the board. Logano’s clip of 45.832 seconds (196.369 mph) in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford was enough to make him the runner-up, setting up the last two 500 champions as the two fastest cars in Daytona Beach going into Sunday.
His Team Penske technical teammate Ryan Blaney (45.851/196.288) was third in the Wood Brothers’ famed No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers Ford, followed by true teammate Brad Keselowski (45.857/196.262) in the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.
Kurt Busch’s No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet for Stewart Haas Racing rounded out the top five (45.904/196.061).
Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, 500 polesitter Chase Elliott, Brian Vickers and Clint Bowyer were the balance of the 10 fastest drivers on the scoring pylon.
Notables outside the top 10 included Landon Cassill (11th); journeyman Robert Richardson Jr. (15th); 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne (16th); six-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (18th) and front-row qualifier Matt Kenseth (21st), who will drop to the rear of the field before the green flag after a crash in his Can-Am Duel Thursday night sent the 2003 Cup champion to a backup car.
15 drivers did not practice during the eighth and final Sprint Cup practice session: Austin Dillon, Danica Patrick, Denny Hamlin, Casey Mears, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Paul Menard, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Larson, A.J. Allmendinger, Michael McDowell, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto.
The Daytona 500 is scheduled to take the green flag at 1:31 p.m. ET on Sunday.
RESULTS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series; Daytona 500 Final Practice; Daytona International Speedway; Feb. 20, 2016
- Dale Earnhardt Jr
- Joey Logano
- Ryan Blaney
- Brad Keselowski
- Kurt Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Greg Biffle
- Chase Elliott
- Brian Vickers
- Clint Bowyer
- Landon Cassill
- Regan Smith
- Kasey Kahne
- David Ragan
- Robert Richardson Jr.
- Trevor Bayne
- Michael Annett
- Jimmie Johnson
- Jamie McMurray
- Ty Dillon
- Matt Kenseth
- Aric Almirola
- Brian Scott
- Ryan Newman
- Chris Buescher
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: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
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