Daytona Testing 2007 - What Have We Learned So Far?

With two days of testing at Daytona down, we've got some speeds to work with and analyze - not of course that they mean that much given the inevitable caveats of differing agendas and sandbagging. So for what it's worth, some pontification -

There's always at least one car that posts a fast lap that will all but disappear when the shooting starts. Count on Tony Raines in that category - fastest on the rain-shortened first day and third in Day Two's drafting session but who hardly set the track aflame in 2006. Boris Said can also be put in that category, as he was 11th on the first day but around 18th in the drafting session and who's never shown much killer instinct even in his primary racing discipline, road racing. Bill Elliott also is unlikely to display any killer instinct come raceday despite being fifth in the drafting session.

Predictably for restrictor plate racing, Chevrolets largely monopolized the speed charts. Dale Junior's Deion Branch to Teresa Earnhardt's Bill Belichick soap opera took up considerable time in press conferences (even though no one seemed to point out that Belichick is a smarter leader than Teresa Earnhardt) and Junior seemed to channel some frustration into the fastest time in the drafting session. The Chevys looking a little suspect are the RCR Monte Carlos, as Kevin Harvick hasn't made any noise in the first two days of testing and testing teammate Scott Wimmer hasn't lit much up, either.

Of the Dodges, the Evernham squad looked pretty good as did Reed Sorenson of Ganassi Racing. Bobby Labonte was slow on the charts in solo runs but the #43 was pretty good in Tuesday's draft, hitting 13th (I'm counting each driver once on the charts).

Of the Fords, Jamie McMurray posted good times but is under the gun because of his lack of success with Roush. The surprise was Ricky Rudd's fast laps in Robert Yates' #88, both solo and in the draft; whether he has enough to sustain anything like that remains to be seen but it's a good start.

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Then of course there is Toyota. Dave Blaney fired a shot with a strong Day One session in Bill Davis' #22 but was less impressive in Day Two solo runs and was way down in the drafting session charts. Dale Jarrett (Michael Waltrip #44) was decent in the drafting and solo sessions and Brian Vickers (Red Bull #83) has been largely MIA on the charts, looking to become the first #83 to win since Lake Speed said Hoosier Mama to the Lady In Black in 1988.

Of course it's all subject to change as Day Three rolls in.