Talladega speeds approach 200 mph

Speeds in Friday's first Nextel Cup practice came very close to that number, as Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and Martin Truex Jr. all exceeded 198 mph and 11 others ran laps in the 197 mph range. That came one day after NASCAR officials ordered Busch Series teams to use restrictor plates with smaller hole sizes because of higher practice speeds.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said he didn't expect a similar ruling for Sunday's Aaron's 499, but officials would be keeping an eye on speeds for the rest of the weekend.

"Right now we don't think it's a problem," Hunter said. "We think the speed is more around the 195 mph range. With the draft and with the guys catching up, the rate of closure is so much better here.

"We'll monitor it in this second practice session and again [Saturday] in qualifying."

Practice 1 speeds

FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW 198.685 48.197 Leader
2 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Spider-Man 3 198.351 48.278 -0.081
3 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 198.035 48.355 -0.158
4 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 197.994 48.365 -0.168
5 7 Robby Gordon Ford MAPEI / Menards 197.847 48.401 -0.204
6 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Sharp AQUOS / 3M Vikuiti 197.439 48.501 -0.304
7 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV 197.415 48.507 -0.310
8 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Waste Management / Ginn Resorts 197.325 48.529 -0.332
9 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge Texaco / Havoline 197.289 48.538 -0.341
10 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 197.256 48.546 -0.349
11 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC 197.187 48.563 -0.366
12 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 197.175 48.566 -0.369
13 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 197.147 48.573 -0.376
14 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's 197.001 48.609 -0.412
15 13 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet CertainTeed 196.883 48.638 -0.441
16 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW 196.851 48.646 -0.449
17 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet FleetPride / Yellow 196.685 48.687 -0.490
18 88 Ricky Rudd Ford Snickers 196.580 48.713 -0.516
19 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 196.552 48.720 -0.523
20 6 David Ragan* Ford AAA Travel 196.475 48.739 -0.542
21 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 196.463 48.742 -0.545
22 40 David Stremme Dodge Wrigley's Winterfresh 196.242 48.797 -0.600
23 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet FedEx Freight 195.973 48.864 -0.667
24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 195.828 48.900 -0.703
25 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 195.760 48.917 -0.720
26 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 195.688 48.935 -0.738
27 45 Kyle Petty Dodge National Tire & Battery 195.066 49.091 -0.894
28 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 195.050 49.095 -0.898
29 01 Regan Smith Chevrolet U.S. Army 194.856 49.144 -0.947
30 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 194.709 49.181 -0.984
31 109 Mike Wallace Chevrolet Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 194.153 49.322 -1.125
32 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Kodak Gallery 194.117 49.331 -1.134
33 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 194.054 49.347 -1.150
34 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 193.486 49.492 -1.295
35 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's Dark 193.466 49.497 -1.300
36 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 192.486 49.749 -1.552
37 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Stanley Tools / Valvoline 190.242 50.336 -2.139
38 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet National Day of Prayer / Furniture Row 189.936 50.417 -2.220
39 21 Ken Schrader Ford Little Debbie 189.384 50.564 -2.367
40 15 Paul Menard* Chevrolet Turtle Wax / Menards 189.305 50.585 -2.388
41 00 David Reutimann* Toyota Domino's Pizza 189.290 50.589 -2.392
42 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 360 OTC 189.223 50.607 -2.410
43 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 189.006 50.665 -2.468
44 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 188.939 50.683 -2.486
45 160 Boris Said Ford SOBE – No Fear 188.574 50.781 -2.584
46 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota Red Bull 188.571 50.782 -2.585
47 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 188.285 50.859 -2.662
48 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet State Water Heaters 187.364 51.109 -2.912
49 34 Kevin Lepage Dodge Taco Bell 187.071 51.189 -2.992
50 49 Mike Bliss Dodge PVA.org 186.849 51.250 -3.053
51 37 John Andretti Dodge Huddle House 186.420 51.368 -3.171
52 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS / 133rd Kentucky Derby 184.776 51.825 -3.628

Practice 2 speeds

FIN CAR DRIVER MAKE SPONSOR SPEED TIME BEHIND
1 7 Robby Gordon Ford MAPEI / Menards 197.423 48.505 Leader
2 70 Johnny Sauter Chevrolet FleetPride / Yellow 197.256 48.546 -0.041
3 12 Ryan Newman Dodge Kodak Gallery 197.240 48.550 -0.045
4 6 David Ragan* Ford AAA Travel 197.232 48.552 -0.047
5 43 Bobby Labonte Dodge Cheerios / Spider-Man 3 197.130 48.577 -0.072
6 66 Jeff Green Chevrolet Best Buy 196.835 48.650 -0.145
7 16 Greg Biffle Ford 3M 196.814 48.655 -0.150
8 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet Bass Pro Shops / Tracker 196.527 48.726 -0.221
9 41 Reed Sorenson Dodge Target 196.520 48.728 -0.223
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 195.162 49.067 -0.562
11 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 195.138 49.073 -0.568
12 18 J.J. Yeley Chevrolet Interstate Batteries 195.011 49.105 -0.600
13 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW 194.876 49.139 -0.634
14 96 Tony Raines Chevrolet DLP HDTV 194.816 49.154 -0.649
15 45 Kyle Petty Dodge National Tire & Battery 194.777 49.164 -0.659
16 99 Carl Edwards Ford Office Depot 194.773 49.165 -0.660
17 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Shell / Pennzoil 194.705 49.182 -0.677
18 07 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Jack Daniel's 194.689 49.186 -0.681
19 42 Juan Montoya* Dodge Texaco / Havoline 194.559 49.219 -0.714
20 17 Matt Kenseth Ford DEWALT 194.551 49.221 -0.716
21 20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 194.377 49.265 -0.760
22 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dodge Dealers / UAW 194.137 49.326 -0.821
23 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 193.932 49.378 -0.873
24 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet CARQUEST / Kellogg's 193.693 49.439 -0.934
25 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet FedEx Freight 193.693 49.439 -0.934
26 2 Kurt Busch Dodge Miller Lite 193.154 49.577 -1.072
27 44 Dale Jarrett Toyota UPS / 133rd Kentucky Derby 192.995 49.618 -1.113
28 21 Ken Schrader Ford Little Debbie 191.325 50.051 -1.546
29 38 David Gilliland Ford M&M's Dark 191.275 50.064 -1.559
30 25 Casey Mears Chevrolet National Guard / GMAC 190.609 50.239 -1.734
31 88 Ricky Rudd Ford Snickers 190.544 50.256 -1.751
32 14 Sterling Marlin Chevrolet Waste Management / Ginn Resorts 190.272 50.328 -1.823
33 78 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet National Day of Prayer / Furniture Row 190.219 50.342 -1.837
34 40 David Stremme Dodge Wrigley's Winterfresh 190.158 50.358 -1.853
35 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Caterpillar 190.090 50.376 -1.871
36 36 Jeremy Mayfield Toyota 360 OTC 189.853 50.439 -1.934
37 00 David Reutimann* Toyota Domino's Pizza 189.650 50.493 -1.988
38 01 Regan Smith Chevrolet U.S. Army 189.613 50.503 -1.998
39 10 Scott Riggs Dodge Stanley Tools / Valvoline 189.609 50.504 -1.999
40 55 Michael Waltrip Toyota NAPA Auto Parts 189.459 50.544 -2.039
41 109 Mike Wallace Chevrolet Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 189.447 50.547 -2.042
42 15 Paul Menard* Chevrolet Turtle Wax / Menards 189.286 50.590 -2.085
43 4 Ward Burton Chevrolet State Water Heaters 189.062 50.650 -2.145
44 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 189.036 50.657 -2.152
45 83 Brian Vickers Toyota Red Bull 188.950 50.680 -2.175
46 160 Boris Said Ford SOBE – No Fear 188.768 50.729 -2.224
47 84 A.J. Allmendinger* Toyota Red Bull 188.537 50.791 -2.286
48 37 John Andretti Dodge Huddle House 187.993 50.938 -2.433
49 13 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet CertainTeed 187.901 50.963 -2.458
50 34 Kevin Lepage Dodge Taco Bell 187.346 51.114 -2.609
51 49 Mike Bliss Dodge PVA.org 186.188 51.432 -2.927