Kurt Busch has been among the fast Dodges at testing, but in the final session he couldn't catch up. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

Dodges top out in a.m., fizzle in afternoon test

After fast morning, manufacturer's top driver falls to 16th

Kurt Busch became the first driver to top the 190 mph mark during the morning session of Jackson Hewitt Preseason Thunder on Wednesday, then dropped to the bottom in the afternoon with the rest of his Dodge competitors.

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Busch blistered the Daytona International Speedway at 191.188 mph in the day's first session. His chart-topping lap in the COT was run using a 1 1/8th-inch restrictor plate, not the 7/8th-inch plate used by the standard cars.

He was 1.681 seconds ahead of the next-fastest driver, Jeff Gordon, who recorded a speed of 184.596.

But things changed in the afternoon go-round, as Chevrolets and Fords made up most of the top 10 while David Reutimann parked his Toyota in eighth (185.739).

Paul Menard led the session (187.099), followed by fellow Chevrolet driver Kyle Busch (186.765). Ken Schrader put his Ford third, just ahead of Chevrolets driven by Regan Smith and Mike Wallace.

The fastest Dodge in the evening -- Elliott Sadler at 185.429, in 16th.

Driving the Car of Tomorrow in the afternoon sessions Busch fell to 41st and 54th on the list. Penske Racing South teammate Ryan Newman also wheeled the COT in the afternoon test. They were the only drivers to test the next generation car during the Cup Series' seven days of testing.

Other Dodge drivers couldn't duplicate their previous success, as Ganassi's David Stremme and Juan Montoya went from third- and fifth-fastest in the morning to 19th and 28th in the afternoon.