Denny Hamlin Leads Daytona 500 Practice with Top Speed of 187.480 mph
Denny Hamlin led the pack during the sole Daytona 500 practice session, clocking in at 187.480 mph (48.005 seconds) over 19 laps.
Race car 11 on speedway track
Top 5 Practice Speeds:
- Denny Hamlin: 187.480 mph
- Bubba Wallace: 186.916 mph
- Ty Gibbs: 186.370 mph
- Chandler Smith: 186.177 mph
- John Hunter Nemechek: 186.100 mph
Notable Performances:
- Helio Castroneves: 12th fastest in his Trackhouse Racing debut
- Shane van Gisbergen: 17th fastest in rookie showing
- William Byron (defending champion): 22nd fastest
- Ty Gibbs completed most laps (24)
Key Session Highlights:
- 43 of 45 entered drivers participated
- Most drivers focused on single-car runs
- Small draft formations emerged near session's end
- Brad Keselowski experienced steering issues with smoke from his Ford Mustang
- Michael McDowell and Justin Haley opted not to practice
Nine drivers, including Chandler Smith, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Justin Allgaier, must still qualify for the Daytona 500 field. The 50-minute practice session proved valuable for teams identifying and addressing mechanical issues before qualifying.
Daytona 500 qualifying begins at 8:15 p.m. ET.