Matt Kenseth Paces Wednesday Practice At Daytona

Matt Kenseth topped the charts overall in Wednesday Sprint Cup practice at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

It was a day of varying strategies and goals on the high banks,  as drivers and teams returned to action at Daytona International Speedway for two practice sessions Wednesday afternoon.

The sessions were the final time on the track for the Sprint Cup drivers prior to Thursday’s Gatorade Duels, the twin 150-mile qualifying races that will help to set the field for Sunday’s 500.

Matt Kenseth topped the speed charts in the first session, and overall for the day, as his Ford toured the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway at a speed of 200.853 mph.  Trevor Bayne was second fastest, followed by Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Marcos Ambrose.

The first non-Ford was piloted by Mark Martin, who turned in a lap at 200.196 in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.  Clint Bowyer, Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top ten.

Tony Raines, David Stremme, Mike Wallace, Kurt Busch, Landon Cassill and David Reuitmann did not take time in the first session.

The second session was led by Aric Almirola, piloting the Richard Petty Motorsports Ford No. 43.  Almirola turned in a lap at 199.712 mph.  The rest of the top five was dotted by various manufacturers, as David Stremme, Regan Smith, Robert Richardson, Jr. and Greg Biffle rounded out the top five.

Only 25 cars took part in the second session, with many drivers and teams choosing to park their cars in anticipation of tomorrow’s qualifying races.

Both sessions mainly saw drivers turning laps in packs, working the draft. There were two incidents that slowed the sessions, beginning with a spin by Brad Keselowski down the backstretch off the front bumper of Clint Bowyer.  Keselowski had slowed to avoid another car, leading to the contact.  Keselowski’s car slid through the backstretch grass, but escaped largely unscathed.

The second incident occurred during the latter session, when Juan Pablo Montoya made contact with the back bumper of Kasey Kahne, sending Kahne’s Chevrolet spinning through the grass in the tri-oval.  The car suffered damage to the nose, leading his Hendrick Motorsports team to go to a back up car for tomorrow’s qualifying race.

The move will mean Kahne will have to start at the rear of his qualifier, but he will not have to move to the back for Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Up next for the Sprint Cup drivers will be Thursday’s Gatorade Duel qualifying races.  Live coverage begins on SPEED at 2 pm.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL
Wednesday Practice – Feb. 22, 2012

First Session
1. Matt Kenseth – 200.853 mph
2. Trevor Bayne – 200.817
3. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 200.673
4. Marcos Ambrose – 200.280
5. Mark Martin – 200.196
6. Clint Bowyer – 200.133
7. Michael McDowell – 199.729
8. Kevin Harvick – 199.636
9. Paul Menard – 199.627
10. Kasey Kahne – 199.464
11. Denny Hamlin – 198.886
12. Tony Stewart – 198.882
13. Elliott Sadler – 198.847
14. Regan Smith – 198.820
15. Michael Waltrip – 198.803
16. Danica Patrick – 198.689
17. Aric Almirola – 198.675
18. Bobby Labonte – 198.627
19. Juan Pablo Montoya – 198.610
20. David Ragan – 198.325
21. Jeff Burton – 198.303
22. Terry Labonte – 198.264
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24. David Gilliland – 198.203
25. Jeff Gordon – 198.059
26. Greg Biffle – 197.937
27. Joe Nemechek – 197.867
28. Jamie McMurray – 197.685
29. Casey Mears – 197.650
30. Kyle Busch – 197.628
31. Joey Logano – 197.347
32. Brad Keselowski – 197.174
33. A.J. Allmendinger – 197.161
34. Dave Blaney – 196.980
35. J.J. Yeley – 196.799
36. Bill Elliott – 196.782
37. Robert Richardson, Jr. – 196.734
38. Robby Gordon – 196.168
39. Martin Truex, Jr. – 196.147
40. Kenny Wallace – 196.014
41. Carl Edwards – 195.376
42. Dale Earnardt, Jr. – 194.999
43. Jimmie Johnson – 193.316

Second Session
1. Aric Almirola – 199.712 mph
2. David Stremme – 199.331
3. Regan Smith – 198.360
4. Robert Richardson, Jr. – 197.972
5. Greg Biffle – 197.654
6. Bobby Labonte – 197.641
7. Joe Nemechek – 197.611
8. Bill Elliott – 197.485
9. Michael Waltrip – 197.195
10. Kasey Kahne – 196.881
11. Ryan Newman – 196.747
12. Elliott Sadler – 196.635
13. Danica Patrick – 196.502
14. Kurt Busch – 196.477
15. Juan Pablo Montoya – 196.220
16. Mike Wallace – 196.211
17. Jamie McMurray – 196.049
18. Jeff Gordon – 193.723
19. Jimmie Johnson – 193.204
20. Tony Raines – 190.299
21. J.J. Yeley – 190.086
22. Kyle Busch – 189.773
23. Robby Gordon – 189.573
24. Landon Cassill – 189.143
25. David Reutimann – 189.036