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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Two-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon was fastest out of the box Tuesday morning in the opening day of Nextel Cup Series testing at Daytona International Speedway, but it was Boris Said who turned the most heads.
With a smaller restrictor plate opening keeping down the overall speeds, Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet was fastest of the 26 teams at the test, with a best lap in 48.579 seconds -- an average speed of 185.265 mph.
Said, driving two different No. 36 Chevrolets, had the second- and third-fastest laps of the 48 cars that participated in the morning session.
Said's "36B" car turned a lap in 48.601 seconds, 185.181 mph. The team's new 36A car was close behind at 48.663/184.945.
The noted road racer Said plans at least a 10-race program this season in cars engineered by veteran crew chief Frank Stoddard and sponsored by Centrix Financial.
"I'm really having a blast," Said said. "I'm sure all of the veterans who do this every year are probably pretty bored running around the track, but I'm not. For me it's really important to get a feel for the car and the track."
Said made his Daytona Cup debut in 2004's Budweiser Shootout, after he won a road race pole in '03.
"Running in the Bud Shootout last year really helped," Said said. "I didn't think I could do it at first -- the first 20 laps I was scared to death. By the end of the race, I loved it. I was very pleased to finish 10th."
Stoddard was also pleased with the morning results.
Carl Edwards had the 19th fastest speed Tuesday morning. Credit: Jason Schoellen/Turner Sports Interactive
Inside the Numbers
Tuesday morning test speeds
No. Driver MPH
1. J. Gordon 185.265
2. B. Said 185.181
3. J. Mayfield 184.506
4. G. Biffle 184.430
5. Ku. Busch 184.419
6. M. Waltrip 184.158
7. D. Jarrett 183.993
8. E. Sadler 183.824
9. R. Rudd 183.666
10. R. Newman 183.411
11. D. Earnhardt Jr. 183.329
12. J. Leffler 183.311
13. M. McLaughlin 183.206
14. T. Kvapil 183.098
15. Ky. Busch 182.960
16. K. Petty 182.886
17. K. Wallace 182.793
18. M. Bliss 182.726
19. C. Edwards 182.685
20. J. McMurray 182.231
21. M. Skinner 181.701
22. K. Earnhardt 181.697
23. C. Mears 181.459
24. M. Shepherd 181.419
25. R. LaJoie 181.368
26. J. Fuller 176.585
"The guys at the shop had a great speedway program last year and it shows they worked hard again in the offseason," Stoddard said. "I'm excited to be part of it. It's nice to come to Daytona and have speed off the bat (because) if you don't have it off the truck, you usually don't find it in three days.
"Right now, if we can find two-three tenths the next two days that would be great."
All three manufacturers figured in the top five morning speeds, as Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge was at 48.779/184.506, followed by Roush Racing teammates Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford (48.799/184.430) and Kurt Busch's No. 97 Ford (48.802/184.419).
While teams will face smaller spoilers and a gear rule aimed at slowing speeds at the first open-engine race weekend at California Speedway in February, teams at Daytona only have a restrictor plate that is 1/64th of inch smaller -- or 57/64ths of an inch.
A year ago, with 29/32nds of an inch openings in the carburetor restrictor plates that limit the flow of air and fuel into the engine's intake manifold, Michael Waltrip was fastest on the opening morning of testing, at 48.171 seconds, 186.834 mph.
Gordon's best speed on the opening morning of his 2004 test was 48.084/187.313.
Despite the slowdown and wondering who is showing how much of what they have at Daytona's "Preseason Thunder" sessions, Gordon still said they were important.
'I think it's crucial," Gordon said. "The first three or four years I'd do Cup testing I'd look forward to it -- then there was a period of time where I'd dread it -- (now) I just realized how important it is to be behind the wheel of the car, getting laps (and) getting the team information.
"These days the information you're getting is so important. I think most of what we've done has already been done in the wind tunnel -- there aren't many major things we do here, it's all fine-tuning.
"There aren't many major things to change like we used to do here -- but it's still important and influences your chances of winning the championship."
Fog and a damp racetrack kept cars off the 2.5-mile trioval until 9:45 a.m. and the morning session was extended until 12:30 p.m. A splatter of rain delayed the start of afternoon testing until 1:30 p.m.
With a smaller restrictor plate opening keeping down the overall speeds, Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet was fastest of the 26 teams at the test, with a best lap in 48.579 seconds -- an average speed of 185.265 mph.
Said, driving two different No. 36 Chevrolets, had the second- and third-fastest laps of the 48 cars that participated in the morning session.
Said's "36B" car turned a lap in 48.601 seconds, 185.181 mph. The team's new 36A car was close behind at 48.663/184.945.
The noted road racer Said plans at least a 10-race program this season in cars engineered by veteran crew chief Frank Stoddard and sponsored by Centrix Financial.
"I'm really having a blast," Said said. "I'm sure all of the veterans who do this every year are probably pretty bored running around the track, but I'm not. For me it's really important to get a feel for the car and the track."
Said made his Daytona Cup debut in 2004's Budweiser Shootout, after he won a road race pole in '03.
"Running in the Bud Shootout last year really helped," Said said. "I didn't think I could do it at first -- the first 20 laps I was scared to death. By the end of the race, I loved it. I was very pleased to finish 10th."
Stoddard was also pleased with the morning results.
Carl Edwards had the 19th fastest speed Tuesday morning. Credit: Jason Schoellen/Turner Sports Interactive
Inside the Numbers
Tuesday morning test speeds
No. Driver MPH
1. J. Gordon 185.265
2. B. Said 185.181
3. J. Mayfield 184.506
4. G. Biffle 184.430
5. Ku. Busch 184.419
6. M. Waltrip 184.158
7. D. Jarrett 183.993
8. E. Sadler 183.824
9. R. Rudd 183.666
10. R. Newman 183.411
11. D. Earnhardt Jr. 183.329
12. J. Leffler 183.311
13. M. McLaughlin 183.206
14. T. Kvapil 183.098
15. Ky. Busch 182.960
16. K. Petty 182.886
17. K. Wallace 182.793
18. M. Bliss 182.726
19. C. Edwards 182.685
20. J. McMurray 182.231
21. M. Skinner 181.701
22. K. Earnhardt 181.697
23. C. Mears 181.459
24. M. Shepherd 181.419
25. R. LaJoie 181.368
26. J. Fuller 176.585
"The guys at the shop had a great speedway program last year and it shows they worked hard again in the offseason," Stoddard said. "I'm excited to be part of it. It's nice to come to Daytona and have speed off the bat (because) if you don't have it off the truck, you usually don't find it in three days.
"Right now, if we can find two-three tenths the next two days that would be great."
All three manufacturers figured in the top five morning speeds, as Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge was at 48.779/184.506, followed by Roush Racing teammates Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford (48.799/184.430) and Kurt Busch's No. 97 Ford (48.802/184.419).
While teams will face smaller spoilers and a gear rule aimed at slowing speeds at the first open-engine race weekend at California Speedway in February, teams at Daytona only have a restrictor plate that is 1/64th of inch smaller -- or 57/64ths of an inch.
A year ago, with 29/32nds of an inch openings in the carburetor restrictor plates that limit the flow of air and fuel into the engine's intake manifold, Michael Waltrip was fastest on the opening morning of testing, at 48.171 seconds, 186.834 mph.
Gordon's best speed on the opening morning of his 2004 test was 48.084/187.313.
Despite the slowdown and wondering who is showing how much of what they have at Daytona's "Preseason Thunder" sessions, Gordon still said they were important.
'I think it's crucial," Gordon said. "The first three or four years I'd do Cup testing I'd look forward to it -- then there was a period of time where I'd dread it -- (now) I just realized how important it is to be behind the wheel of the car, getting laps (and) getting the team information.
"These days the information you're getting is so important. I think most of what we've done has already been done in the wind tunnel -- there aren't many major things we do here, it's all fine-tuning.
"There aren't many major things to change like we used to do here -- but it's still important and influences your chances of winning the championship."
Fog and a damp racetrack kept cars off the 2.5-mile trioval until 9:45 a.m. and the morning session was extended until 12:30 p.m. A splatter of rain delayed the start of afternoon testing until 1:30 p.m.