William Byron Tops Rain-Shortened Daytona 500 Practice Session
William Byron led a rain-shortened Daytona 500 practice session, posting a top speed of 194.923mph (46.172s) before weather conditions halted the scheduled 50-minute session after just 31 minutes.
Hendrick Motorsports showed strong performance with Chase Elliott securing second place at 194.763mph. The top five was completed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (194.679mph), Kyle Busch (194.393mph), and Austin Dillon (194.032mph).
Race car 24 on racetrack
Other notable performances included:
- Zane Smith: 6th (193.665mph) - Leading Ford driver
- Todd Gilliland: 7th (193.395mph)
- Joey Logano: 8th (193.278mph)
- Kyle Larson: 9th (193.245mph)
- Ryan Blaney: 10th (193.237mph)
Toyota's best showing came from John Hunter Nemechek in 14th position, followed by his Legacy Motor Club teammate Erik Jones in 15th.
Only 30 drivers participated in the session. Several teams, including Kaulig Racing's drivers, Cody Ware, Shane van Gisbergen, Helio Castroneves, and Daniel Suarez, opted not to run due to repairs or backup car preparations following Thursday's duel races.
The session featured varied strategies, with Toyota drivers practicing in small packs while Ford and Chevrolet competitors formed an 11-car draft early on.
The final Cup Series practice for the Daytona 500 is scheduled for Saturday at 3:05 p.m. ET.