bigbadbrother
01-12-2014, 01:15 AM
Dillon fastest in Sprint Cup testing at Daytona: Austin Dillon knows there will be pressure racing the #3 car made famous by the late Dale Earnhardt. Today, he just raised the stakes with his first test in that car at Daytona International Speedway. The Richard Childress Racing driver planted the historic #3 atop the speed charts on the first and only day of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing at the World Center of Racing. His 195.109 mph led all drivers in single-car runs during this tune-up for the 56th running of the Daytona 500.
"I'm honored to be in the 3," said Dillon, who is driving a number that Dale Earnhardt drove to victory 24 times at Daytona. The defending NASCAR Nationwide Series will be a top contender for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. "This is special and walking into this [NASCAR Sprint] Cup garage this weekend is pretty cool. There are so many heroes in this garage for me, and just being in this garage is going to be pressure."
A rainout Thursday raised the pressure on all drivers Friday, as teams made the most of a testing session that was reduced to a single 8-hour window. Two of the sports biggest stars turned their first Daytona laps with new teams, including past Daytona 500 winners Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman. Harvick now drives the #4 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, while Newman is behind the wheel of the #31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
Forty-one drivers turned laps in Gen-6 Chevrolets, Fords and Toyotas, which are entering their second year of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. Those cars featured a new 4.5-inch spoiler, designed to add more rear downforce for stability. Results were positive. Thirty-three cars topped 190 mph and the new aero package performed well in traffic, which was tested in the draft during the final hour of testing.(NASCAR)
The top 5 speeds:
#3-Austin Dillon 195.109
#33-Brian Scott 194.582
#27-Matt Crafton 194.342
#43-Aric Almirola 193.828
#42-Kyle Larson 193.411
"I'm honored to be in the 3," said Dillon, who is driving a number that Dale Earnhardt drove to victory 24 times at Daytona. The defending NASCAR Nationwide Series will be a top contender for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2014. "This is special and walking into this [NASCAR Sprint] Cup garage this weekend is pretty cool. There are so many heroes in this garage for me, and just being in this garage is going to be pressure."
A rainout Thursday raised the pressure on all drivers Friday, as teams made the most of a testing session that was reduced to a single 8-hour window. Two of the sports biggest stars turned their first Daytona laps with new teams, including past Daytona 500 winners Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman. Harvick now drives the #4 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, while Newman is behind the wheel of the #31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
Forty-one drivers turned laps in Gen-6 Chevrolets, Fords and Toyotas, which are entering their second year of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. Those cars featured a new 4.5-inch spoiler, designed to add more rear downforce for stability. Results were positive. Thirty-three cars topped 190 mph and the new aero package performed well in traffic, which was tested in the draft during the final hour of testing.(NASCAR)
The top 5 speeds:
#3-Austin Dillon 195.109
#33-Brian Scott 194.582
#27-Matt Crafton 194.342
#43-Aric Almirola 193.828
#42-Kyle Larson 193.411