Daytona GM testing notes 96-01-18

RaceWeb Home Page RaceWeb Daytona Section http://www.io.org/~raceweb http://www.io.org/~raceweb/news3128.html

If you plan on attending the Daytona 500, visit RaceWeb's Daytona section for all the schedules and events that will take place during Speedweeks '96, as well as the complete archive of testing times and news.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.

Terry Labonte resumed his spot at the top of the pre-season NASCAR Winston Cup stock car testing speed chart Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway as he ran the fastest lap so far in winter testing as teams continue to prepare for the Feb. 18 Daytona 500.

Within a half-hour of the test's closing time, Labonte was timed at 47.830 seconds, an average speed of 188.166 mph. While the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlos of Labonte and Ken Schrader ended the GM session as the only cars to top 188, the big news, however, was the new Pontiac Grand Prix's steady progression up the charts. Johnny Benson posted the fastest Pontiac lap of 186.656 late Wednesday.

GENERAL MOTORS TEST SPEEDS -- January 18, 1996

  NO     DRIVER/CAR                     SPEED
   
   5   Terry Labonte/Chevrolet    188.166 mph
   4   Sterling Marlin/Chevrolet  187.578
  33   Robert Pressley/Chevrolet  187.137
   3   Dale Earnhardt/Chevrolet   186.776
  30   Johnny Benson/Pontiac      186.656
  24   Jeff Gordon/Chevrolet      186.532
  87   Joe Nemechek/Chevrolet     186.474
  44   Jeff Purvis/Chevrolet      186.382
  25   Ken Schrader/Chevrolet     186.047
  17   Darrell Waltrip/Chevrolet  185.391
  43   Bobby Hamilton/Pontiac     185.307
  29   Steve Grissom/Chevrolet    184.354
  18   Bobby Labonte/Chevrolet    184.275
   1   Rick Mast/Pontiac          184.219
  97   Chad Little/Pontiac        184.158
  22   Ward Burton/Pontiac        184.143
  41   Ricky Craven/Chevrolet     183.240
  71   Dave Marcis/Chevrolet      181.785

* Electronic times taken randomly throughout the day.

              
              Copyright RaceWeb 1996   All rights reserved

Send feedback, comments and contributions to raceweb@io.org