Matt Kenseth was the fastest among the new Ford Fusion drivers at Preseason Thunder in Daytona. Credit: Brian Cleary/Motorsports Images and Archives

Gordon paces Cup field during first test session

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Preseason Thunder began Monday morning at Daytona International Speedway, with Jeremy Mayfield the first driver to hit the track as the countdown to the 48th Daytona 500 officially began.

Twenty drivers in 37 cars took laps during the morning test. Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet topped the speed charts at 187.029 mph, narrowly beating teammate Jimmie Johnson.

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The rest of the top-five speeds were posted by two-time Daytona 500 winner Bill Elliott, who is driving the No. 36 for MB2 Motorsports, Matt Kenseth and Elliott Sadler.

In a strange twist, MB2 hired Elliott from Evernham Motorsports, which last year announced it had signed former MB2 driver Scott Riggs for 2006.

Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the only drivers to put two cars in the top 10 of the speed chart, while Kenseth was the fastest among Ford drivers in the new-for-'06 Fusion.

"We had two cars here [Monday], obviously," Earnhardt said, "one of them was a lot better on acceleration. I'm really pleased with what I feel underneath the hood. It's only a tenth-faster, but it has a little more acceleration."

Sadler, who was second-fastest among the Ford drivers, said the Fusion has gotten off to a racy start.

"I've been very happy with the way my car feels in the racetrack," he said. "I like the Fusion body, the nose on it. ... I can't wait to get it into some drafting practice."

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Defending Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is not testing the No. 20 car this week. Subbing for Stewart is Mike McLaughlin, who was sixth-fastest at 185.927 mph.

Three rookies also are getting their first taste of preseason Cup testing. Reed Sorenson was 20th on the chart at 184.456. Two-time defending Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. was 26th and David Stremme 33rd.

Ryan Newman, who opted to run an Intrepid nose on the No. 12 Dodge in last season's finale at Homestead, returned to Daytona with a full-bodied Charger. He was 17th-fastest in Monday's morning test.

"There were times and places where the Charger was good last year, and there were times and places it wasn't," Newman said of the frustration with the first-year model. "Honestly, we're still working on how we're goint to apprach and do somethings we were struggling on last year.

"We ran really well with the Charger at the restrictor-plate tracks," he said, "[and] we look forward to starting Daytona as strong as ever. ... We'll see how it works out."

The first Nextel Cup Series testing period runs through Wednesday, with two sessions each day. This week's testing features drivers who were in odd-numbered positions (as of July 13, 2005). Even-numbered owners'-points drivers are scheduled for Jan. 16-18.

Earnhardt had a somewhat tongue-in-cheek response to the grind of three days of testing. "Three days is a long of time to be here testing. It really gives those guys who are cheating a lot of time to get things figured out.

"I think two days is plenty, if you're running under the rule book -- at least the one they give us."

Truck Series drivers will be at the track Jan. 13-15, and the Busch Series will wrap Preseason Thunder on Jan. 20-22.