NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Biffle, Ambrose Put Fords At Top Of Practice Sheet
Greg Biffle and Marcos Ambrose top 193 mph as practice opens for the Daytona 500…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted February 18, 2012   Daytona Beach, FL
Greg Biffle led Saturday's opening Daytona 500 practice with a lap of 193.395 mph. (Photo: Getty Images)
Ford drivers Greg Biffle and Marcos Ambrose had the fastest practice speeds Saturday as Sprint Cup teams began on-track preparations for Sunday qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Biffle had a fast lap of 193.395 mph to lead the session as drivers ran single-car runs in practice. Ambrose was second at 193.349.

Speeds topped 200 mph in Budweiser Shootout practice Friday, but those numbers were clocked in drafting. Drivers did not draft in Saturday’s practice.

Completing the top five in the practice session were Jeff Gordon, Trevor Bayne and Paul Menard. Bayne, who won the Daytona 500 last year, is among those drivers who don’t have automatic starting positions on the 500 grid.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was sixth fastest in the practice, and Danica Patrick, who will be racing in a Sprint Cup event for the first time, was 17th.

A second practice is scheduled from 2 to 3:45 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast by SPEED.

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.
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