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Awesome Bill Turns Back Clock In Practice

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By TONY FABRIZIO

afabrizio@tampatrib.com

Published: February 8, 2009

DAYTONA BEACH - Bill Elliott looks like one of the favorites to win the Daytona 500 pole today, and no, you didn't inadvertently pick up a 1988 copy of the Tribune.

The can't-quite-retire 53-year-old icon from the 1980s and '90s posted the fastest speed in both qualifying practice sessions Saturday.

Because there was no winter testing this year, practice speeds are the only thing to go on for predicting the pole. Elliott's top lap of 187.950 mph ruled, even if it was 22-mph slower than his Daytona qualifying record of 210.364 mph set in 1987.

But Elliott, driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford with throwback sponsor Motorcraft, wasn't overly optimistic.

"We thought we were good last year, too," he said, referring to the Wood Brothers failing to qualify for the 500 for the first time since 1962. "You can never tell in this business."

The Woods have cut back to a part-time schedule, and Elliott has signed on for 12 races. His former champion's provisional (1988) could get the car into the 500 if he doesn't make it on speed.

Bobby Labonte, who has moved to the Hall of Fame Racing No. 96 Ford, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also were fast in practice, as were Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Locals David Reutimann and Aric Almirola were in the top 10 in the second practice.

Under the Daytona 500's ridiculously convoluted qualifying format, only the two fastest qualifiers lock up starting positions today. Positions 3 through 39 will be set by Thursday's 150-mile qualifying duels.

Positions 40-42 revert to today's speeds, and a former champion's berth is available for the 43rd spot. Tony Stewart, who has moved to Stewart-Haas Racing, and Terry Labonte would get in ahead of Elliott because their championships are more recent.

The top 35 drivers from last year's owners standings have guaranteed starting spots, but even that requires additional explanation.

Sam Hornish Jr. finished outside the top 35 and Clint Bowyer is driving a new fourth car for Richard Childress Racing, but both got top-35 status after some late wheeling and dealing.

Hornish picked up the points from the No. 22 Toyota when Roger Penske struck a deal with Bill Davis, who scuttled his race team, and Bowyer got the points from Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s defunct No. 01 Chevy.

Marcos Ambrose is assured of being the first Australian to start the 500 because his team, JTG Daugherty Racing, has afflation with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Ambrose picked up the top 35 points from Waltrip's No. 00 car (Reutimann is driving the No. 00 Toyota this year, but he brought the top-35 points he earned with the No. 44 car).

With 57 drivers entered, 14 won't make the race. A.J. Allmendinger, Boris Said and Lakeland's Joe Nemechek are among those trying to get in on speed or through the duels.

ARCA WRECKFEST: James Buescher held off Sprint Cup rookie and fellow 18-year-old Joey Logano to win Saturday's 200-mile ARCA preliminary.

Patrick Sheltra, Bobby Gerhart and Larry Hollenbeck were taken to nearby Halifax Medical Center after crashes. The race took almost three hours because of several wrecks and a red-flag period to clean up debris.

Logano, who has replaced Stewart in Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Toyota and also raced in Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout, rallied from a lap down. He was penalized because one of his crewmen climbed over the wall without a helmet.

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