The on-track schedule at Daytona International Speedway was abbreviated due to rain on Thursday. Both the Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series were slated to have two one-hour practice sessions, allowing teams to prepare for their respective race.
XFINITY Series:
There was just 26 minutes of cars on the racetrack in the XFINITY Series, led by Erik Jones at 193.353 mph. The lap was put down in the draft. He was followed by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate David Ragan (193.307 mph).
Ragan is filling in for Matt Tifft, who was scheduled to drive the No. 18 machine this weekend. On Tuesday, while undergoing treatment for a recent disc issue in his back, the 20-year-old found out that he has a brain tumor and required to have surgery.
Ragan competed in the July race in Daytona last year for JGR, starting third and finishing seventh.
Ty Dillon was third on the board at 192.102 mph. His Richard Childress Racing teammate Brandon Jones had the fourth fastest lap at 192.045 mph, while Justin Marks rounded out the top 5 at 192.004 mph.
Brennan Poole, Darrell Wallace, Jr., Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier and Aric Almirola rounded out the top 10.
Running 17 laps, the most of all drivers, Dillon had the best 10-consecutive-lap average at 188.277 mph. 13 teams were able to make a run of 10 consecutive laps. 14 teams failed to make it out on the track.
XFINITY Series opening practice results
Cup Series:
During Cup Series practice, eight cars took time before lightning delayed the start of practice. Less than five minutes after the first car took to the track there was a downpour that led to the cancellation of practice.
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. led the way at 191.014 mph. A pair of Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Chevrolets were behind the No. 17 car, led by two-time Daytona winner Jamie McMurray (190.981 mph) and Kyle Larson (190.917 mph).
Almirola, 2014 winner of the Coke Zero 400, was fourth at 190.884 mph. Paul Menard rounded out the top 5 with a speed of 190.078 mph.
Kurt Busch was the only driver to record more than one lap, coming sixth at 187.629 mph. Last year’s winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was seventh and AJ Allmendinger was last of the eight cars to take time.
NASCAR added an additional Cup Series practice on Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. ET prior to qualifying beginning shortly after 4 p.m. ET.
Dustin joined the Frontstretch team at the beginning of the 2016 season. 2020 marks his sixth full-time season covering the sport that he grew up loving. His dream was to one day be a NASCAR journalist, thus why he attended Ithaca College (Class of 2018) to earn a journalism degree. Since the ripe age of four, he knew he wanted to be a storyteller.
It amazes me how NASCAR’s home office is in Daytona Beach and yet they have never figured out that it rains nearly every day in Central Florida in the afternoon and/or early evening.
Maybe Brian believes he can keep the rain away as he takes his walk on the ocean.