NASCAR starts their engines at Daytona 500

By Adam Fenwick
Staff Writer

Testing has wrapped up for Nextel Cup teams in preparation for the Feb. 15 Daytona 500. Testing sessions were held Jan. 6-8 for teams who finished in odd numbered positions in the 2003 points standings; even numbers tested on Jan 13-15.

Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) driver, Michael Waltrip, was fastest in every test session from Jan 6-8 with a fastest lap of 187.731 mph. This was after wrecking his primary test car on the first day of testing when he beat his closest follower by nearly a full mph.

During the second round of testing, Ford drivers Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler consistently lead the way. Ricky Rudd’s top speed of 188.470 mph was the fastest speed recorded during the test sessions.

The top ten drivers from both sessions with speeds were Rudd, John Andretti, Ken Schrader, Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson, Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears,and Dale Jarrett.

In the last several years it has been DEI drivers that have ruled the super speedway, with victories coming in six of the last eight speedway events. The only drivers to beat DEI at the speedways in the last two years were Ward Burton at the 2002 Daytona 500 and Greg Biffle at the 2003 Pepsi 400.

2003 Nextel Cup Champion Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Jimmie Johnson could all be contenders when the green flag drops.

The chase for the championship begins live on Feb. 15 at 1:30 p.m. on NBC.