By David Morgan, Associate Editor
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the field for the 68th running of the Daytona 500 now set, preparations begin in earnest for Sunday’s race as nearly all of the 40 entrants hit the track for a 50-minute practice session late Friday afternoon.
When all was said and done, it was the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at the top of the board for a Chevrolet sweep of the top-10 times. Dillon posted the fast time of 46.006 seconds ahead of Alex Bowman, Justin Allgaier, Chase Elliott, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
Dillon explained that with Kyle Busch scoring the pole and his RCR Chevy on top in practice, the vibes are high in the Childress camp as Sunday draws closer.
“We’re just proud of the effort that we’ve made in the offseason,” said Dillon. “I think ECR horsepower is again showing how dominant they are. I mean we get these speedways and they always seem to give us a shot and then a job well done to Chevrolet.
“With the new Camaro, I feel like we feel like we can take the fight on offense more. It’s been a struggle I feel like the last couple years on speedways for us. And this time around you feel like you can push and compete up there and it’s a lot more fun.”
Josh Berry was the fastest Ford in 11th place, edging out Zane Smith for the best among the Blue Ovals, which held the fast times in practice early on before the Chevrolets swooped in and displaced them.
“It’s definitely not a bad thing,” Berry said. “I feel like to show you have some speed and we were in front, I think, when we ran that lap they said. So, I feel feel good about my car. Honestly, feel really good about my car. I felt good about it last night, so hopefully it’s a sign for a good race on Sunday.”
Berry added that he’s been seeking a certain feel in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford and noted that he thinks the team has found something here this weekend to get him what he needs to challenge on Sunday.
“For us, it’s been a pretty solid weekend, really. I know we didn’t quite get up to the front until the end of the Duel, just through the fuel savings and strategy of how it all worked out. But, honestly, felt really good about my car making that charge to the front at the end that we were able to do to get to sixth,” said Berry.
“Just kind of been searching for a balance here really ever since the July race and the 4 car with the flip. I have felt like I had a really good balance that night and kind of been searching for that in the 21. And I feel like I’m pretty close.
“I was really happy with my car yesterday and in that practice, same thing. So yeah, hopefully that translates to Sunday.”
The top Toyota representative was way back in 21st place, with Christopher Bell taking those honors over John Hunter Nemechek.
Bell noted that he didn’t expect to be that far back in the final rundown, noting that it was a bit concerning seeing them fall where they did on the timing sheet, but explained that some of that is circumstantial in where cars catch the draft, adding that his car has had a good feel so far in Speedweeks.
“It was surprising,” said Bell. “I found myself in really, really good positions to lay fast laps down in practice and before I looked at the speed chart, I would’ve expected myself to be right near the top. I found myself at the back of the drafts with gaps. I was able to or attempt to close the gaps and I thought I was going to be up on the speed charts and the fact that we weren’t is definitely alarming.
“But with that being said in the Duel, I felt fine and felt competitive. Maybe it tapers your strategy a little bit where you don’t commit to the Toyotas. I don’t know. But yeah, I raced fine in the Duals last night, but certainly it was a little alarming that I was in good aero positions to get good drafts and make big hay and we didn’t do it, so I don’t know.”
One final practice remains on Saturday at 3:00 pm ET before Sunday’s main event. The Daytona 500 is scheduled for 2:30 pm ET on FOX.
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