#7-Robby Gordon will test his Ford since the Dakar Rally race was cancelled; #20-Tony Stewart will test at Daytona for the first time in three years [due to the change to Toyota and the COT]; Jason Keller will test a 4th Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge; Kirk Shelmedine will test for his old boss, Richard Childress, in the #33 Chevy. SPEEDs – Day 1 AM: 2007 Cup Champ #48-Johnson was the fastest in the opening round of practice at Daytona International Speedway with a speed of 184.782mph, followed by #5-Mears, #27B-Villeneuve, #84B-Allmendinger [2 cars, other was 6th] and #24A-Gordon. #42-Montoya was the fastest Dodge, 13th fastest and #28A-Kvapil was the fastest Ford at 14th. 26 drivers in 42 cars took to the track. The #1 DEI Chevy has Aric Almirola driving. SPEEDs – Day 1 PM: #48A-Johnson was fastest again of the 45 cars that tested on Monday, with a speed of 184.672mph in a Chevy. The rest of the top-5 were #5B-Mears, #18-Busch [Toyota], #84B-Allmendinger and #27B-Villeneuve. The fastest Ford was #28-Kvapil, 8th; the fastest Dodge was #42-Montoya, 14th. Slowest were #1B-Almirola [subbing for Truex Jr.] and #70B-Mayfield. OVERALL Day 1: #48-Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest lap on the first day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing for the Sprint Cup Series with a lap of 184.782 mph in the morning session. Rounding out the top three were #5-Casey Mears at 184.475 mph and #18-Kyle Busch in his new ride at Joe Gibbs Racing at 184.064. The test session is the first shake down that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams have had with the new winged car (Car of Tomorrow) at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500. A surprise visitor during the first day of testing on Monday was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who stopped by DIS to see how his new Hendrick Motorsports teammates – Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears – were doing. Earnhardt Jr., who left Dale Earnhardt Inc. to join Hendrick Motorsports beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500, will shake down his new ride – the #88 Chevrolet – during next week’s second wave of Sprint Cup Series testing. Nationwide Series veteran Jason Keller is testing a #98 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge during this week’s test …Kirk Shelmerdine is behind the wheel of the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevy.(DIS PR)(1-7-2008)
