The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series concluded a two-day test, all in
preparation for the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday, Feb.
21, part of Budweiser Speedweeks 2014.
Testing earlier during Preseason Thunder were the stars of the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Next up at the “World Center of
Racing” will be the Rolex 24 At Daytona Weekend on Jan. 22-26.
On Monday’s first day of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series testing, Turner
Scott Motorsports driver Jeb Burton, son of 2002 Daytona 500 champion Ward
Burton, posted the top speed of 191.144 mph in the No. 4 Chevrolet. Ben
Kennedy, great-grandson of NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway founder William
H.G. “Big Bill” France, was second fastest at 190.925 followed by John Wes
Townley (190.917), Matt Crafton (190.634) and Darrell Wallace (190.634).
“There’s so much history behind Daytona and it would be really cool to get
a trophy here,” Burton said. “It’s only my second time here. Last year we
finished fifth and we always have a lot of speed at restrictor plate tracks so
I’m excited for 2014.”
On Tuesday, showers delayed the start of testing until early afternoon and
only a handful of teams remained to participate on the second day with Johnny
Sauter being the fastest at 183.921 mph.
The two-day test was a moment that Kennedy had been dreaming about for many
years. Entering his first full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
driving for Turner Scott Motorsports, Kennedy is the son of ISC Chief Executive
Officer Lesa France Kennedy and grandson to Bill France Jr.
He was practically raised at the “World Center of Racing” and turning his
first laps around the 2.5-mile tri-oval put a big smile on the rookie driver’s
face.
“The first two laps or so I was grinning from ear to ear,” Kennedy said.
“It was really awesome to do that. From always being around this racetrack and
always watching races here and working here and doing pretty much everything
here, I was sort of born and raised here. Being able to go around the track was
something special, and being able to race here on the same weekend as the
Daytona 500 is something awesome.”
Kennedy is campaigning for top rookie honors in the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series after competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East since 2010.
Kennedy began his racing career on the short tracks of Central Florida. He
has Pro-Truck championship titles at both Orlando Speedworld and New Smyrna
Speedway, which he earned in 2009, followed by the Super Late Model
championship at Orlando Speedworld in 2010.
While he has competed at Daytona on the backstretch in last year’s UNOH
Battle At The Beach, he had never turned laps on the 2.5-mile tri-oval and had
never participated in any kind of drafting sessions until this week.
“I’ve experienced a little bit of drafting, but not to that magnitude,”
Kennedy said. “It’s a little bit different from what I expected. The side
draft, and all of that different stuff, it was a unique experience.”
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