Brian Vickers and crew chief Doug Richert are trying to get their Toyota entry up to speed. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Notes: Toyota's speeds no cause for alarm (yet)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- As Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder testing opened at Daytona International Speedway, the new Toyota Camrys wheeled by Dale Jarrett, Dave Blaney and Brian Vickers showed enough speed to be in the ballpark.

At least Jarrett and Blaney did. Vickers' best position on any of the first three speed charts was 34th, on Monday morning. But no one was speaking of any "Toyota terror."

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"I think over time [Toyota] will become a threat without a doubt," defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said. "I think NASCAR does a great job in creating the sandbox that we all need to play in and they do a great job regulating the rules.

"I think it's going to take those teams some time. A lot of them are start-up teams [and] to build up the resources, to get the right personnel in place, to really succeed and compete against the big teams in the sport [takes time].

"I definitely feel that they are going to be up there, fighting for wins and a championship, but it just might take them a little time is all."

Scott Riggs, who missed last year's Daytona 500 but rebounded to finish in the top 20 in the standings, said Toyota was the least of his worries.

"Toyota doesn't scare me, and the Car of Tomorrow doesn't scare me," Riggs said. "Nothing really scares us. The good thing about this team is having everybody back. I just don't want us to get in the same worried, tense, lack of confidence kind of mode like we were last year.

"No matter how we start out I want us to keep that confidence and that positive attitude everybody's got right now. Everybody is relaxed and smiling and having a good time and I want us to keep that through the whole year."

NASCAR to sports cars

The official entry list for season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona Grand-Am Rolex Series event includes eight drivers that will compete less than two weeks later when NASCAR Speedweeks 2007 opens at Daytona International Speedway.

Defending Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson; former Cup champions Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte; 2007 Cup rookies Juan Montoya and A.J. Allmendinger; sports car crossover Boris Said; and Truck Series driver Bill Lester will all drive cars in the lead class, Daytona Prototypes.

Johnson confirmed Tuesday during Nextel Cup testing at Daytona that the recovery of his broken left wrist, which he injured on Dec. 8, won't keep him from doing the 24-hour race, which begins on Jan. 27.

"I'm wearing a splint here at the racetrack just to be smart and make sure that I don't injure it or do any damage," Johnson said. "But when I get back [home] Friday, I should go right into strengthening my wrist and all of the things I need to do to get ready for the 24 hours at Daytona, and I think we go to Vegas [to test] and we're just right back in the middle of it."

Lucky Gordon

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Nextel Cup owner/driver Robby Gordon, who skipped this week's debut of his team's Ford Fusion to race a Hummer in the Dakar Rally, has been lucky over the event's first four special stages.

He's been lucky the event, which takes two weeks to complete, from Portugal to Senegal, is that long.

On the opening stage, Gordon fell eight minutes behind the leader, in 13th overall, when he got stuck in a sand pit when he swerved to avoid some spectators.

After three stages, he had fallen just outside the top 20, with a 13-minute penalty knocking him outside the top 15 and about 58 minutes behind the leader.

But in stage four, "contaminated fuel" put Gordon so far off the pace he fell more than three-and-a-half hours behind the leader. But he still expressed optimism.

"Our goal was to come here and win," Gordon said Tuesday evening. "We have been plagued with bad luck, but won't let it get us down (because) this is a long rally and we must keep moving forward."

Meanwhile, in Daytona, his Cup team was in the top 20 on the first day's time sheet with P.J. Jones behind the wheel.

Speedweeks 2007 schedule familiar

The tentative Speedweeks 2007 schedule looks very similar to last year's, with the exception of losing everything connected to the International Race of Champions, which is on hiatus while organizers try to find a primary sponsor.

Nextel Cup cars enter the garage on Feb. 8, with the day devoted solely to inspecting the 20-some entries for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout. Daytona 500 inspection fills Friday, along with two Shootout practices.

Stock car Speedweeks' first Sunday is relatively quiet, with only Bud Pole Qualifying that locks-in the top-two starting positions for the "Great American Race" on the track.

Monday and Tuesday have no on-track activity, devoted solely to Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series entries getting unloaded and inspected.

Wednesday through Sunday are virtual carbon copies of a year ago, with practice, qualifying, Busch and Truck rookie practice, the two Gatorade Duel qualifying races for the 500 on Thursday followed by three days of main events: Trucks on Friday, Busch on Saturday and the 49th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday.