Wild 45 minutes wipes out four trucks in draft test

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Rookies and veterans appeared equally culpable -- and equally ready to point fingers -- after two accidents in the last 45 minutes of Friday's opening Craftsman Truck Series Preseason Thunder test session at Daytona International Speedway sent at least two teams home and damaged no less than six trucks.

At about 4:19 p.m. ET, the session was halted when the Roush Fenway Racing Fords of rookie Colin Braun and sophomore teammate Joey Clanton crashed exiting the tri-oval while involved in a draft with five-to-six trucks, including the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota of Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch's No. 51 team poking fun at Roush Fenway's Joey Clanton.

It was a tragedy for Roush Fenway, as each of its three teams had only one superspeedway truck at the test, which was attended by 32 teams; but those three were atop the morning, single-truck speed chart with third-year driver Erik Darnell the best with a lap of 50.727 seconds (177.420 mph).

Braun's No. 6 Ford was second at 50.908 seconds (176.790) and Clanton's No. 09 third with a lap of 50.989 seconds (176.509), tied with Andy Lally's No. 7 TRG Chevrolet.

Both Ford drivers, who drove their vehicles back to the garage before packing them up, pointed the finger at Busch, who was in a truck at Daytona for the first time testing for Ballew.

But Busch gave a precise explanation of how aerodynamics was the culprit.

"There were about five or six of us, and we were pretty spread out," Busch said. "There were three of them that went by me, and I pulled in line, with two of them coming up behind me in Turns 1 and 2. We made it all the way around to the tri-oval.

"[Braun] was leading it, and [Clanton] was going to pass him on the outside and was doing a side-draft on him, and he got within the 'vee,' the venturi basically of the air that comes off the front of the nose and it looked like it pulled [Clanton] in, further, to [Braun], and when they touched, they both steered up towards the wall."

Busch, whose crew within minutes of his returning to the garage had placed a large yellow "X" in duct tape on his unmarked right rear quarter panel with "Stay Off Clanton" written on it in Sharpie, explained side drafting and how it can catch rookies unaware.

"Clanton was blaming it on me, [saying] that I hit [Braun]," Busch said, "when I was behind Clanton watching this whole deal happen. I saw what happened and I wasn't even close to hitting anybody.

"[Braun], I don't think he was sure exactly what happened -- he just said he felt like he got lifted up -- but what happens is, and he's not used to these things yet, but when somebody gets on the right rear quarter panel like that -- we've seen it happen everywhere we go, we all spin out, the inside trucks do when somebody's going faster on the outside.

"Clanton got on the outside, which got [Braun] a little loose, which made [Braun] feel like he got lifted up from behind. It was just him getting loose."

When both Roush Fenway trucks returned to the garage, Clanton initially went to Braun and appeared to angrily speak to him while waving his hands in the air. Both men eyed their trucks while debriefing with numerous crewmen.

After several minutes the teammates had a calmer exchange and when they spoke to the media, they were united. (Continued)