Little stays atop Daytona test list

By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
January 22, 2002
6:47 PM EST (2347 GMT)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Chad Little kept his No. 74 Pontiac atop the Busch Series speed chart on Tuesday as the first two-day test at Daytona International Speedway ended.

Chad Little tested fastest at Tuesday's morning session.

Even numbered finishers in the 2001 Busch Series owner points will test Thursday and Friday. Among the teams joining that group will be Team Rensi Motorsports, which is switching to Ford Tauruses for 2002 and has been allowed to come to the second test despite finishing 29th in 2001.

Little, one of four drivers testing Pontiacs back-to-back with Chevrolets at Daytona in preparation for the season opening EAS/GNC Live Well 300, had a best lap of 48.936 seconds, an average speed of 183.914 mph.

Tuesday's test speeds  Cumulative test speeds

He concentrated on his Grand Prix in the afternoon and was the only one who was quicker in the Pontiac over the Chevrolet.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Hendrick moved up to second on the chart in the afternoon with a 183.640 mph run in the No. 5 Chevrolet. Teammate Jack Sprague, who like Hendrick compared Chevrolets and Pontiacs at this test, was faster in the Grand Prix in the morning but ended the day third best in the No. 24 Chevrolet at 183.221.

Rounding out the top five speeds on the day was a tie between first day fast man Stacy Compton in the No. 59 Chevrolet and Tim Sauter in the No. 19 Chevrolet. Both ran 182.737 mph.

Sprague had the fastest second car, as his Pontiac was sixth at 182.641 mph. Little’s Chevrolet ended up 12th on Tuesday’s list and Hendrick’s Pontiac was 15th.

Tim Sauter blazed a lap at 182.737 mph.

Larry Foyt, whose team was the fourth to try both makes, did not run his Pontiac Tuesday and moved his Chevrolet to eighth by the end of the day.

Jay Sauter, who actually tested the No. 3 Chevrolet at Talladega earlier this month, rather than Dale Earnhardt Jr., replaced the car's scheduled Speedweeks driver for Tuesday's runs.

He and brother/teammate Johnny Sauter were virtually the only drivers to draft and their best laps in that mode were only eighth and ninth fastest on the day.