Johnson fast in preparation for run at third Daytona 500 title; Timothy Peters has ample reason to be optimistic; Daniel Suarez content to follow patient career path
Story By: REID SPENCER / NASCAR WIRE SERVICE Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL- Feburary 19,2015- It was a noon practice on the day of the Can-Am Duels at Daytona International Speedway, and there was six-time champion Jimmie Johnson, doing his thing.
The regular routine for Johnson and No. 48 crew chief Chad Knaus is a succession of single-car runs at Daytona, staying out of the draft and out of trouble, looking for speed.
Based on Thursday’s practice, Johnson may be poised to add a third Daytona 500 title to his resume. The six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion was fastest in the practice session—by a lot. Johnson posted a lap at 193.054 mph.
Richard Petty Motorsports teammates Aric Almirola and Brian Scott tied for second on the speed chart at 189.897 mph.
True, only seven cars participated in the practice. Ty Dillon shook down the No. 95 Chevrolet, who suffered a cracked oil cooler in Wednesday’s session. Ryan Newman tried out his repaired No. 31 Chevy, which was damaged in the wreck that followed Dillon’s incident.
And Kyle Larson and Michael Waltrip were on the track dialing in backup cars, because their respective primaries were KO’d in the same accident that forced Newman to the garage for repairs.
But the bottom line is that Johnson found plenty of speed in his No. 48 Chevrolet during 26 laps of practice, the most run by any competitor.
Johnson’s dedication to the Daytona 500 shouldn’t be surprising, given the esteem in which he holds the great American Race. He won Daytona for the first time in 2006, the same year he won the first of his six championships.
“To win my first 500, it was the first time I had a title,” Johnson said. “Way back then, it was rookie or youngster Jimmie Johnson. Then all of a sudden, I would go out to driver intros, it was Daytona 500-winning driver Jimmie Johnson. This race is the only race that bestows a title on its winner.
“For IndyCar, it’s obviously the Indy 500. But it’s very special. Guys that are on their way to at least the Hall of Fame ballot by winning, it’s not really championship related. This race is massive and can completely make a career whole for someone.”
TIMOTHY PETERS HAS AMPLE REASON TO BE OPTIMISTIC
Don’t blame Red Horse Racing driver Timothy Peters for getting excited about the Chase format in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
After all, Peters was the strongest driver in the series over the last eight races of the 2014 season, and the Chase for the Trucks is only seven races long.
The record speaks for itself. Peters finished no worse than sixth in any of the final eight races of 2015 and picked up victories at Talladega and Phoenix on the way to a fifth-place points finish. If he puts together that sort of late-season surge this year, he’s likely to win his first series championship.
The Virginia native looks primed for a solid start, too. On Thursday at Daytona, he was fastest in opening Truck Series practice with a lap at 189.028 mph.
“I love coming to Daytona,” Peters said. “I love this style of racing. I think all the changes, from the points system—from the Chase—to the (caution) clock, it’s going to be great.
“I just hope we can bring that momentum—we won the last superspeedway race—to this one and start off 2016 in Victory Lane.”
DANIEL SUAREZ CONTENT TO FOLLOW PATIENT CAREER PATH
Mexican driver Daniel Suarez isn’t reluctant to admit the prospect of his first foray into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has already been the subject of discussion at Joe Gibbs Racing.
But the 2015 Sunoco rookie of the year in the NASCAR XFINITY Series doesn’t feel the need to force the issue. Suarez will compete for the XFINITY title this year in addition to running 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
If an opportunity to try his hand in the Cup series happens to materialize, so much the better.
“We have had that conversation a little bit here, a little bit there, but at the end of the day, I’m one of those drivers that thinks, if we do our job with what we are doing right now, the future is going to take care of itself.
“Yeah, we’ve had a little bit of those conversations – nothing for sure, really – but I really think the most important deal right now for us is the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”
