Hamlin Leads Opening Day of Daytona 500 Gen-6 Testing
Denny Hamlin set the fastest lap during the first official test for the 2013 Daytona 500, as NASCAR teams got to grips with the new Gen-6 cars.
Denny Hamlin set the pace on the opening day of official 2013 Daytona 500 testing, clocking 195.721 mph in a pack run as teams began working with NASCAR’s new Gen-6 Cup cars. The session marked the first time the Sprint Cup field had tested the new-generation cars at Daytona International Speedway, with the three-day programme opening on Thursday.
Hamlin’s time was set during a short drafting run alongside Joe Gibbs Racing team-mates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch, with Mark Martin’s Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota also in the group. The new Gen-6 cars, designed to bring manufacturer identity back to the series, were being run in anger for the first time ahead of their race debut at the 2013 Daytona 500.
Earlier in the day, Kenseth had been quickest in single-car runs, posting a 192.757 mph average. The morning session focused on solo laps as teams worked to understand the new chassis and aerodynamic package. The afternoon’s brief pack running offered the first look at how the Gen-6 Toyota Camrys behaved in a draft, though NASCAR officials cautioned against reading too much into the results given the limited number of cars involved.
NASCAR’s response to Gen-6 pace
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, said the day had gone smoothly and that the speeds were in line with expectations. He pointed out that the new cars were already running quicker than the first practice sessions at Daytona last year, despite teams still acclimatising to the new platform. Pemberton also downplayed the significance of the Toyotas’ performance in the small pack, noting that real conclusions would only come with larger groups and more varied running.
Test schedule and next steps
The Daytona test was scheduled to run for three days, with Friday’s sessions split into a three-hour morning and a four-hour afternoon stint. Teams were expected to continue experimenting with drafting and single-car setups as they gathered data ahead of Speedweeks and the 2013 Daytona 500. The Gen-6 car’s performance in larger packs and under race conditions remained the key unknown for engineers and drivers alike.
Hamlin’s early pace set a marker for Toyota teams as the Cup field adjusted to the new regulations, but the true picture of Gen-6 competitiveness would only emerge as more cars joined the draft and teams refined their setups through the test.
