DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Denny Hamlin led a trio of Toyota drivers — the manufacturer claimed five of the top six spots — in Wednesday’s opening practice for the Daytona 500.
The 50-minute morning session was the only scheduled on-track time before qualifying Wednesday night, when the front row will be set for “The Great American Race.”
Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, paced Bubba Wallace, who drives a 23XI entry co-owned by Hamlin and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Ty Gibbs, Hamlin’s teammate at JGR, was third.
Chandler Smith, in a Ford for Front Row Motorsports, was fourth. 23XI and Front Row have joined together on a federal antitrust case against NASCAR, accusing the sanctioning body of being a monopoly.
John Hunter Nemechek, in a Toyota for the Jimmie Johnson-owned Legacy Motor Club, was fifth. Riley Herbst, the new driver at 23XI, was sixth in Toyota’s practice romp.
Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing was the fastest Chevrolet in seventh. Helio Castroneves, who at 49 will be making his NASCAR debut Sunday, was 12th as the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner is racing for Trackhouse.
Former Cup series champions Martin Truex Jr. and Johnson were 31st and 32nd, respectively. Both drivers need to qualify their way into the race. Nine drivers are vying for the final four spots in the field.
Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner. Truex has never won the 500 in 20 starts but is the 2017 Cup champion. Both are in Toyotas.