Aric Almirola practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2012 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo: Getty Images)
With almost half the field taking the afternoon off, Aric Almirola led Wednesday afternoon’s second Daytona 500 practice with a speed of 199.712 miles per hour.
Almirola was one of 25 drivers who posted speeds during the 90-minute practice. Other teams, satisfied with their cars for Thursday’s 150-mile qualifying races, sat out the session.
Kasey Kahne perhaps wishes he had missed the practice. Early in the session, after contact from Juan Pablo Montoya, Kahne’s car slipped onto the grass adjacent to the frontstretch, and the car’s front end was damaged.
Kahne’s team went to a backup car for what will be his first race with Hendrick Motorsports.
“It’s hard to point fingers at anyone,” Kahne said. “It’s just that everybody is trying to get speed and go. But I didn’t spin out by myself. But it’s not like he (Montoya) was trying. He was trying to push you and get you going. He just hit me in the wrong spot at the wrong time.”
Following Almirola in the top five in speeds Wednesday were David Stremme, Regan Smith, Robert Richardson Jr. and Greg Biffle.
Pole winner Carl Edwards did not practice during the session.
“The car is smooth and fast, and I’m not sure if we are going to run the next practice,” Edwards said after the day’s opening practice. “We learned a little bit in this practice, and I think we might let the car sit until the 150s.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
