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NASCAR Preseason Thunder Day 3: First Round Of Daytona 500 Testing Wraps Up DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., — The first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing wrapped up on Wednesday with Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, on top both the morning and afternoon sessions. In the morning session of the three-day test, Busch posted a lap of 187.786 mph and in the afternoon session turned a lap of 188.830 mph. The fast test session was the perfect way that Busch wanted to start his tenure with his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing, which switched from Chevrolet to Toyota in the off-season.

“We knew that the switch was going to be good and the reason we went to Toyota was for the purse fact that they want to go out there and compete and win races and win championships,” said Busch, who joins Joe Gibbs Racing from Hendrick Motorsports. “So that’s what we’re here to do with them.

“The biggest thing was it was nice to see the Red Bull stuff up there, Bill Davis’ stuff going fast. I’m not necessarily sure if it’s a lot to do with their engines or just the way that the Camry’s front end is shaped or what exactly it is. For what we’ve got going on with our program and the Gibbs stuff, we’re proud of the way we came out of the box strong.”

Teams were able to draft in both the morning session and the afternoon session as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prepare for the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17.

A second wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams will begin their three-day test next Monday and among the drivers that will participate in the test will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin.

Hometown win: Daytona International Speedway is the home track for Alan Gustafson, who hails from nearby Ormond Beach and serves as the crew chief for Casey Mears and the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

The new season brings a new driver for Gustafson as Mears moves from the No. 25 to the No. 5 car replacing Kyle Busch, who left Hendrick Motorsports for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Winning at his home track of Daytona International Speedway would be special enough for Gustafson, but to capture the 50th running of the Daytona 500 only adds fuel to the fire.

“Growing up here as a kid, coming to a lot of the races here, it’s definitely a special place,” Gustafson said. “A lot of friends and family that are close by. It’s the biggest race in our sport. It’s a very, very tough race to do well at and to win. It’s something that when you start out in your career, you always dream of doing, and something that I’d love to do for our team and Casey and Mr. Hendrick.

“We put a lot of emphasis on it. This is the kind of the place where all the teams, everybody tests here, you bring the best of the best. You work on the wind tunnel, your motors, your cars, how they drive. It would be real nice to win it for that reason, too, because you know everybody’s bringing their best stuff.”

Quotable: Elliott Sadler on the 50th running of the Daytona 500: “It’s pretty hard to put into words what it would mean to win any Daytona 500 but to win the 50th, it’s a special race. I came to my first Daytona 500 in 1977 and came to one in 1979 and wanted to know why the people were fighting in the infield. That was pretty cool. I got to stand on the track and then came back years later as a pit crew for my brother’s car. I’ve been a big fan of the sport. I understand its history and where we’ve come from and where we’re going. To be able to race in my 10th Daytona 500 coming up here in a month is a dream come true for me. From a kid from a very small town in Emporia, Va. to be able to come and be on this kind of stage and race for these kinds of stakes and try to win at Daytona for the 50th running is pretty special. It’s hard to put in words.”

Craftsman Truck Series on the way: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series invades “The World Center of Racing” Friday, Saturday and Sunday in advance of their season-opening Chevy Silverado 250 on Friday, Feb. 15. NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest for the Craftsman Truck Series is set for Saturday. Sprint FANZONE opens at 9 a.m. Tickets to the event are $10.

Tickets: Race tickets for all DIRECTV Speedweeks 2008 events at Daytona International Speedway are available online at www.racetickets.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Speeds:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Wednesday afternoon testing speeds from the first wave of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 18B, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 47.662, 188.830
2. 17B, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 47.747, 188.494
3. 41B, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 47.894, 187.915
4. 24B, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 47.914, 187.837
5. 1B, Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet, 47.922, 187.805
6. 84B, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 47.922, 187.805
7. 5B, Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 48.040, 187.344
8. 8A, Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 48.049, 187.309
9. 99A, Carl Edwards, Ford, 48.089, 187.153
10. 16B, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.104, 187.095
11. 2A, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.104, 187.095
12. 42B, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.107, 187.083
13. 00B, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.111, 187.067
14. 28A, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.118, 187.040
15. 48B, Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 48.121, 187.029
16. 42A, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dodge, 48.122, 187.025
17. 18, Kyle Busch, Toyota, 48.129, 186.997
18. 07B, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 48.157, 186.889
19. 2B, Kurt Busch, Dodge, 48.163, 186.865
20. 28B, Travis Kvapil, Ford, 48.210, 186.683
21. 19A, Elliott Sadler, Dodge, 48.384, 186.012
22. 41A, Reed Sorenson, Dodge, 48.413, 185.900
23. 70A, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 48.462, 185.713
24. 16A, Greg Biffle, Ford, 48.474, 185.667
25. 27A, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.482, 185.636
26. 45A, Kyle Petty, Dodge, 48.516, 185.506
27. 00A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 48.544, 185.399
28. 84A, A.J. Allmendinger, Toyota, 48.598, 185.193
29. 27B, Jacques Villeneuve, Toyota, 48.789, 184.468
30. 78A, Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 48.945, 183.880
31. 96B, J.J. Yeley, Toyota, 48.998, 183.681
32. 98A, Jason Keller, Dodge, 49.241, 182.775
33. 33, Kirk Shelmerdine, Chevrolet, 49.304, 182.541
34. 17A, Matt Kenseth, Ford, 49.621, 181.375
35. 07A, Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 49.654, 181.254
36. 70B, Jeremy Mayfield, Chevrolet, 49.851, 180.538