Carl Edwards turned in a fourth-best lap of 188.945 mph Wednesday morning. Credit: Autostock

Ford Fusions fly around drafty Daytona track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Cars got into the draft Wednesday morning at Daytona International Speedway as Dale Jarrett posted the best lap of the week.

Ford, Dodge and Chevy all cracked the top three in the session, but the new Fusion took four of the top six speeds.

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The new Ford hadn't been able to lead any of the first four sessions this week, but in the draft, the car seemed to excel.

"I ran in a couple of pretty good-sized packs," said Carl Edwards, who was fourth Wednesday morning. "To me, my car is handling so great that I never felt like I got loose or anything.

"The Fusion was working on the draft better than by itself, so I am pretty excited about that. To me, it was really nice to get out there and draft. More fun than single-car runs."

Clint Bowyer was second-fastest in a Chevy as the Richard Childress Racing machines continued to do well.

Mike Wallace was third in a Dodge. Wallace finished ninth in the 2003 Daytona 500 while driving James Finch's No. 09 Dodge, and he is trying to do it again this year. He will have to make the Daytona 500 on speed.

There were no incidents in the session, but the large packs of cars made for some tense moments in Daytona's narrow tri-oval.

Like Edwards, rookie J.J. Yeley said he was glad to see the single-car, two-lap runs come to an end.

"I pulled out there and got to lead the pack for 10 laps or so," said Yeley, who has just one career restrictor plate start in the Nextel Cup Series. "[I] caught a slower car to move around him and go by, and no one went with me, unfortunately.

"I am already feeling the effects of being a rookie at Daytona," he laughed.

Wednesday morning session