Trucks test at faster speeds than Cup cars AGAIN.

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Draft Boosts Trucks Past 187

Daytona Beach, Fla., Jan. 20 — Craftsman Truck Series drivers pushed the speed envelope well past 187mph Sunday as the boxy pickups took to the draft on the final day of testing for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway, preliminary to the Daytona 500.

That is is marked contrast to the fastest times run by the Winston Cup teams in the two weeks previous, with Ward Burton, in a Dodge, topping out at 184.961mph, only marginally faster than the cars had shown in solo runs.

As happened last year, the Winston Cup cars likely will be slower than the Trucks, and perhaps even the Busch and ARCA cars, during Speed Weeks.

Fastest Sunday was Matt Crafton, in the No. 88 Chevrolet, who timed at 187.556mph. Crafton, out of the Southwest Series, had been fifth-fastest overall in three days of solo runs.

Also consistent, draft or no draft, through the three-day session were Ford regular Rick Crawford (second-fastest at 187.512) and Joe Ruttman, in the newcoming No. 79 Dodge (fourth at 187.262). Five drivers cracked 187 in Sunday's drafts.

The best loner lap of the three days had been Jon Wood's 184.750 on Saturday. The Trucks therefore picked up nearly 3mph in the draft, whereas the Winston Cup teams gained less than 1mph.

Busch Series teams arrive Monday for the first of two test sessions, arranged much as the Cup teams were. The teams in odd-numbered positions on last year's owner-points list will go first, with the evens due Friday.

Ruttman, 57, who seems always to bounce back, was let out after last season by Bobby Hamilton's teams. He reappeared for the tests in a Dodge fielded by North Carolina short-tracker Rodney Smith, and with power from Robert Yates. The team intends to make Daytona but has no definite sponsorship.

Ruttman won this race last year.

Cumulative solo speeds from three days of testing:

Jon Wood, No. 50 Ford, 184.790mph
Ron Hornaday, No. 24 Chevrolet, 184.676
Travis Kvapil, No. 60 Chevrolet, 184.532
Joe Ruttman, No. 79 Dodge, 184.253
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Chevrolet, 184.249
Bobby Dotter, No. 08 Chevrolet, 183.948
Rick Crawford, No. 14 Ford, 183.857
David Starr, No. 75 Chevfolet, 183.750
Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet, 183.655
Terry Cook, No. 29 Ford, 184.505
Robert Pressley, No. 18 Dodge, 183.423
Coy Gibbs, No. 20 Chevrolet, 183.378
Carlos Contreras, No. 43 Dodge, 183.352
Mike Bliss, No. 16 Chevrolet, 183.344
Steve Portenga, No. 39 Chevrolet, 182.882
Lance Norick, No. 90 Chevrolet, 192.845
Brian Rose, No. 4 Dodge, 182.674
Larry Gunselman, No. 63 Ford, 182.556
Bill Lester, No. 8 Dodge, 182.493
Tim Fedewa, No. 99 Ford, 182.489
Jason Small, No. 07 Chevrolet, 182.485
Trent Owens, No. 15A Ford, 181.848
Randy Briggs, No. 72 Chevrolet, 181.822
Lance Hooper, No. 23 Chevrolet, 181.591
Bryan Reffner, No. 7 Chevrolet, 181.499
Ted Musgrave, No. 1 Dodge, 181.488
Jake Hobgood, No. 31 Ford, 181.138
Michael Ritch, No. 5 Chevrolet, 181.090
Brian Sockwell, No. 54 Chevrolet, 181.050
Morgan Shepherd, No. 93 Chevrolet, 181.017
Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Dodge, 180.752
Kenny Allen, No. 28 Chevrolet, 180.292
Michael Dokken, No. 51 Dodge, 180.036
Tom Powers, No. 55 Dodge, 180.029
Ron Barfield, No. 97 Ford, 179.512
Matt Mullins, No. 37 Ford, 179.122
Butch Miller, No. 61 Chevrolet, 178.635
Mike Cope, No. 15B Ford, 177.929
Ricky Sanders, No. 19 Ford, 177.920
Mike Hamby, No. 37 Ford, 177.711
Jerry Hill, No. 41 dodge, 177.406
Phil Bonifield, No. 23 Chevrolet, 176.222
Randy MacDonald, No. 72 Chevrolet, 95.525 — Ben Blake, Senior Editor, RACER (Photo: Greg Aleck/LAT Photographic)