Johnson paces final Shootout practice; Menard, Speed tangle
Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson paced Friday night's final practice in preparation for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Johnson, who ran a fast lap of 192.620 mph, led Richard Petty Motorsports' AJ Allmendinger at 192.542 and Hendrick’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 192.304.
The session was stopped for several minutes when Red Bull Racing's Scott Speed and Yates Racing's Paul Menard got together after Menard lost control of his Ford. Speed won't have to go to a backup for the race and Menard's crew hopes to fix his car and avoid going to a backup.
Rounding out the top five in speed were Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne and Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart.
Sixth through 10th in speed were JGR's Denny Hamlin, Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle, Hall of Fame Racing's Bobby Labonte, Roush Fenway's Jamie McMurray and Busch.
TV Coverage of the 75-lap exhibition race begins at 8 p.m. EST Saturday.
Practice 1
| FIN | CAR | DRIVER | MAKE | SPONSOR | SPEED | TIME | BEHIND |
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M's | 191.453 | 47.009 | Leader |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 191.156 | 47.082 | -0.073 |
| 3 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Dewalt | 191.144 | 47.085 | -0.076 |
| 4 | 43 | Reed Sorenson | Dodge | McDonald's | 190.706 | 47.193 | -0.184 |
| 5 | 44 | A.J. Allmendinger | Dodge | Valvoline | 190.512 | 47.241 | -0.232 |
| 6 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | National Guard / Amp Energy | 190.146 | 47.332 | -0.323 |
| 7 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Aflac | 190.126 | 47.337 | -0.328 |
| 8 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Express | 190.102 | 47.343 | -0.334 |
| 9 | 82 | Scott Speed* | Toyota | Red Bull | 190.074 | 47.350 | -0.341 |
| 10 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Dodge | Jim Beam | 190.070 | 47.351 | -0.342 |
| 11 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | Stanley Tools | 190.038 | 47.359 | -0.350 |
| 12 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | NAPA | 189.773 | 47.425 | -0.416 |
| 13 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Red Bull | 189.725 | 47.437 | -0.428 |
| 14 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | Budweiser | 189.717 | 47.439 | -0.430 |
| 15 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Crown Royal | 189.577 | 47.474 | -0.465 |
| 16 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 189.406 | 47.517 | -0.508 |
| 17 | 20 | Joey Logano* | Toyota | The Home Depot | 189.251 | 47.556 | -0.547 |
| 18 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Miller Lite | 189.159 | 47.579 | -0.570 |
| 19 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 3M | 189.147 | 47.582 | -0.573 |
| 20 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | UPS | 189.032 | 47.611 | -0.602 |
| 21 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Caterpillar | 188.806 | 47.668 | -0.659 |
| 22 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Shell / Pennzoil | 188.679 | 47.700 | -0.691 |
| 23 | 12 | David Stremme | Dodge | Penske Racing | 188.596 | 47.721 | -0.712 |
| 24 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Old Spice / Office Depot | 188.501 | 47.745 | -0.736 |
| 25 | 96 | Bobby Labonte | Ford | Ask.com | 187.609 | 47.972 | -0.963 |
| 26 | 00 | David Reutimann | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | 187.465 | 48.009 | -1.000 |
| 27 | 98 | Paul Menard | Ford | Quaker State / Menards | 186.807 | 48.178 | -1.169 |
| 28 | 07 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's | 186.749 | 48.193 | -1.184 |
Practice 2
|
FIN |
CAR | DRIVER | MAKE | SPONSOR | SPEED | TIME | BEHIND |
| 1 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | Lowe's | 192.620 | 46.724 | Leader |
| 2 | 44 | A.J. Allmendinger | Dodge | Valvoline | 192.542 | 46.743 | -0.019 |
| 3 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | National Guard / Amp Energy | 192.304 | 46.801 | -0.077 |
| 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge | Budweiser | 191.910 | 46.897 | -0.173 |
| 5 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | Old Spice / Office Depot | 191.799 | 46.924 | -0.200 |
| 6 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Express | 191.551 | 46.985 | -0.261 |
| 7 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 3M | 190.941 | 47.135 | -0.411 |
| 8 | 96 | Bobby Labonte | Ford | Ask.com | 190.545 | 47.233 | -0.509 |
| 9 | 26 | Jamie McMurray | Ford | Crown Royal | 190.239 | 47.309 | -0.585 |
| 10 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M's | 190.154 | 47.330 | -0.606 |
| 11 | 82 | Scott Speed* | Toyota | Red Bull | 190.126 | 47.337 | -0.613 |
| 12 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | Caterpillar | 190.070 | 47.351 | -0.627 |
| 13 | 83 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | Red Bull | 190.070 | 47.351 | -0.627 |
| 14 | 43 | Reed Sorenson | Dodge | McDonald's | 190.070 | 47.351 | -0.627 |
| 15 | 6 | David Ragan | Ford | UPS | 190.058 | 47.354 | -0.630 |
| 16 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Aflac | 190.042 | 47.358 | -0.634 |
| 17 | 2 | Kurt Busch | Dodge | Miller Lite | 189.938 | 47.384 | -0.660 |
| 18 | 20 | Joey Logano* | Toyota | The Home Depot | 189.910 | 47.391 | -0.667 |
| 19 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | DuPont | 189.902 | 47.393 | -0.669 |
| 20 | 00 | David Reutimann | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | 189.885 | 47.397 | -0.673 |
| 21 | 19 | Elliott Sadler | Dodge | Stanley Tools | 189.881 | 47.398 | -0.674 |
| 22 | 98 | Paul Menard | Ford | Quaker State / Menards | 189.705 | 47.442 | -0.718 |
| 23 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Dewalt | 189.641 | 47.458 | -0.734 |
| 24 | 12 | David Stremme | Dodge | Penske Racing | 189.127 | 47.587 | -0.863 |
| 25 | 7 | Robby Gordon | Dodge | Jim Beam | 189.087 | 47.597 | -0.873 |
| 26 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | NAPA | 188.830 | 47.662 | -0.938 |
| 27 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | Shell / Pennzoil | 188.478 | 47.751 | -1.027 |
| 28 | 07 | Casey Mears | Chevrolet | Jack Daniel's | 188.296 | 47.797 | -1.073 |