Notebook: Practice sees different drivers near top

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The first weekend with the combined DEI/RCR engine program on display had a car using one of those engines in the top three of each Nextel Cup practice held on Thursday -- with six different drivers ranking among the six fastest.

In the opening 50-minute practice, Joe Gibbs Racing driver J.J. Yeley posted the fastest speed in a drafting formation, 190.014 mph. Greg Biffle in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford was second, and Clint Bowyer in a Richard Childress Racing Chevy was third.

In the 65-minute Happy Hour final practice, the resurgent Robby Gordon placed his own Ford at the top of the chart with a lap in 188.731 mph. Hendrick Motorsports Chevy driver Kyle Busch was second and Bowyer's teammate Jeff Burton was third.

Defending race winner Tony Stewart's JGR Chevy was 15th in the first practice and seventh in the second.

Dave Blaney, the leader of the non-top 35 cars who must qualify for the race on their speed, established a comfortable baseline speed in the first practice, when he was fifth of the 18 go-or-go-home cars. Then he spurted to eighth overall in Happy Hour in his Bill Davis Racing Toyota.

Edwards going back
Busch Series points leader Carl Edwards, who practiced eighth fastest in the series' final practice behind leader Jason Leffler, will start at the back of the 43-car field no matter where he qualifies, due to changing an engine.

Edwards told his PR rep the oil pan of his car was dented "like something was trying to get out of there." The broke parts that didn't make an escape necessitated the No. 60 Ford team making a change.

Great escapes for Leffler, Busch
Leffler set his best time early in final practice, before he bounced his Toyota off the Turn 4 wall in a draft that resulted in Kyle Busch spinning his No. 5 Chevrolet harmlessly down to the pit entrance.

Leffler's best lap ended up being 186.197 mph, a couple miles per hour off fast man Reed Sorenson's lap of 188.620 mph in the opening practice. Leffler's team had its right-rear fender basically repaired and repainted shortly after the end of practice.

Busch changed tires and ended up fifth on the sheet with a lap run much later in practice.