NSCS: Jimmie Johnson Leads Final Can-Am Duel Practice at Daytona

With having a pair of practices yesterday evening, there were only seven cars that would take to the track during the final Can-Am Duel practice at Daytona International Speedway.

Continuing to make single car runs, which has become the norm for the No. 48 team, Jimmie Johnson topped the charts with a speed of 193.054 mph.

“With only just a few cars out there, it really allowed us to work through some changes and find some speed,” he said. “Practice well used and I’m excited about giving Chad Knaus an hour to play with a racecar. I’m excited about the race tonight.”

The Richard Petty Motorsports teammates of Brian Scott and Aric Almirola were the only drivers drafting during the session, doing so with each other. Despite that, they couldn’t top the speed laid down by Johnson, both timing in at 47.394 mph.

“We changed some parts and pieces, and we just wanted to go run some laps and run them in, and make sure that we had no leaks before the race tonight,” Almirola said. “It was a good opportunity for Brian and I to go out together, and get some pictures to look at our attitude and practice getting on pit road – just goofing around really.”

“We learned a lot,” Scott sighted. “We’re still trying to get the digital dash for us to work on pit road and to where we can push the boundaries without going over. We’re really happy with our Albertson Ford Fusion. We worked on our mirrors and putting marks on them so we can clear ourselves near the end of the Duel.”

Scott went on to add in another interview, “We feel like it’s important to have your car driving really good when you’re in the midst of three wide and getting pushed late in the going of these Duels so we sacrificed a little speed. Hopefully it will pay off.”

The other four drivers to take to the track were all making final adjustments and trying out their cars after being involved in an incident during Wednesday’s second practice. In the middle of turns one and two just five laps into the practice, Ty Dillon began leaking oil; Reed Sorenson would slip in the oil behind him, with Ryan Newman hitting Sorenson, and then Michael Waltrip hitting Newman, followed by more chain reaction contact.

RELATED: Larson and Waltrip to Back-Up Cars; Scott Tops Practice Chart

Dillon, who timed in fourth quickest on Thursday, suffered no damage in the incident and the team changed the oil filter before returning to the track later that same session and today.

Newman’s team made the decision to repair the right side and front end damage to his car after he made slight contact with the wall in the midst of that wreck. He would time in fifth quickest at 47.444 mph.

“That’s the cleanest the race track has been so we changed a couple things to try some things, but the Caterpillar Chevrolet seems to be back to where it was,” Newman said. “Proud of these guys for all the work that they put in especially with how damaged this car was after the wreck last night.”

Both Kyle Larson and Waltrip’s teams made the decision to go to back-up cars following significant damage, both returning to the track this afternoon.

“It’s a newer car than the car that I raced last year at Talladega so it’s a good car,” Waltrip said. “We just want to make sure that we understand all our heights, and our travels, and to make sure that the splitter is okay. ”

RELATED: Michael Waltrip Looks to Win in One-Off Start

“They were just trying to make sure the ride heights were fine and we weren’t dragging anything,” Larson said of his seven laps during the session. “Got two runs in there and we’re done for the day. The Target Chevrolet should be strong. They said it had the same numbers in the wind tunnel. We’ll just try and stay out of trouble in the Duels as we only have one more back-up car now.”

Front Row Motorsports’ Chris Buescher and David Gilluland also suffered damage in the wreck, but made the decision to make repairs to both cars.