Dillon Leads Preseason Thunder Tests

It didn’t take Austin Dillon long to put the No. 3 back where it has long been…at the top of the speed charts at Daytona International Speedway. 

Dillon took the No. 3 Dow/Cheerios Chevrolet to a lap at 195.109 mph around the 2.5-mile tri-oval, a touch faster than the Richard Childress Racing team car of Brian Scott at 194.582. Matt Crafton, subbing for Paul Menard in another RCR Chevrolet, was third at 194.342. Aric Almirola got Ford on the map at 193.828, and rookie Kyle Larson was fifth at 193.411.

First Toyota in the list was Denny Hamlin in ninth, and Danica Patrick, who won the pole for the Daytona 500 last year, was 10th.

Jimmie Johnson finished 11th, and the next Ford on the list was Joey Logano, in 18th. The Fords are dialing in a new nose for this year.

Thirty-three of the 40 cars topped 190 miles per hour.

Speeds:

1. 3 Austin Dillon Chv 38 46.128 195.109

2. 33 Brian Scott Chv 57 46.253 194.582

3. 27 Matt Crafton Chv 53 46.310 194.342

4. 43 Aric Almirola Frd 52 46.433 193.828

5. 42 Kyle Larson Chv 73 46.533 193.411

6. 13 Casey Mears Chv 45 46.547 193.353

7. 41 Kurt Busch Chv 44 46.572 193.249

8. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr Chv 67 46.604 193.116

9. 11 Denny Hamlin Tyt 88 46.615 193.071

10. 10 Danica Patrick Chv 56 46.617 193.063

11. 48 Jimmie Johnson Chv 95 46.627 193.021

12. 4 Kevin Harvick Chv 43 46.635 192.988

13. 1 Jamie McMurray Chv 65 46.648 192.934

14. 5 Kasey Kahne Chv 106 46.658 192.893

15. 15 Clint Bowyer Tyt 57 46.709 192.682

16. 26 Cole Whitt Tyt 53 46.758 192.480

17. 31 Ryan Newman Chv 43 46.766 192.448

18. 22 Joey Logano Frd 60 46.826 192.201

19. 20 Matt Kenseth Tyt 42 46.829 192.189

20. 2 Brad Keselowski Frd 44 46.850 192.102

21. 18 Kyle Busch Tyt 33 46.910 191.857

22. 9 Marcos Ambrose Frd 50 46.950 191.693

23. 21 Trevor Bayne Frd 47 46.959 191.657

24. 51 Justin Allgaier Chv 48 46.966 191.628

25. 24 Jeff Gordon Chv 59 47.053 191.274

26. 16 Greg Biffle Frd 55 47.065 191.225

27. 7 Michael Annett Chv 57 47.081 191.160

28. 14 Mark Martin Chv 62 47.108 191.050

29. 52 Bobby Labonte Chv 41 47.163 190.828

30. 55 Michael Waltrip Tyt 59 47.193 190.706

31. 83 Alex Bowman Tyt 78 47.267 190.408

32. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Frd 47 47.351 190.070

33. 30 Parker Kligerman Tyt 48 47.364 190.018

34. 95 Michael McDowell Frd 41 47.402 189.865

35. 77 Dave Blaney Frd 17 47.480 189.553

36. 99 Carl Edwards Frd 39 47.498 189.482

37. 40 Landon Cassill Chv 46 47.771 188.399

38. 93 Ryan Truex Tyt 63 47.876 187.986

39. 32 Reed Sorenson Frd 38 47.942 187.727

40. 87 Joe Nemechek Tyt 42 48.544 185.399