Daytona test times, Day 5

Dario Franchitti, one of the open-wheel stars who is making his debut in NASCAR this year, said he was ready to retire from open-wheel racing. About midway through last year's Indy Racing League season, after winning the Indianapolis 500 and on his way to winning his first IRL championship, Franchitti was ready to move on.

Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

“It wasn’t one thing. It was a combination of factors," said Franchitti, driver of the No. 40 Dodge for Chip Ganassi Racing. "I was ready to retire from open wheel racing. I always ask myself the question: ‘Do I want to do this?’ About half way through the IRL season I asked myself that question. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this in ’08."
Franchitti was among the top-10 fastest drivers in testing at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday. Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving a Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, was tops in the morning session. Ryan Newman, in a Dodge for Penske Racing, was fastest in the afternoon session.
Franchitti was Ganassi's only driver in the test session this week. Ganassi has a three-car Cup team with Juan Pablo Montoya, another open-wheel star making the transition to NASCAR, and Reed Sorenson as drivers. They tested last week at Daytona.
“I was very interested in coming over to the NASCAR side," said Franchitti, who raced for Andretti Green Racing in the IRL and American Le Mans Series last year. "Chip and I talked about me doing it. He called me in August about this idea, to come drive for (him) next year. It was just good timing. “
Franchitti has a full plate of racing head of him in 2008. In addition to racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he plans on entering some Nationwide Series events and the Grand-Am Sports Car Rolex Series race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, for Ganassi's team.
"I’m going to drive some Nationwide races too, in the Fastenal car," Franchitti said. "Quite a few of those I think. It is going to be interesting to see how the new regulations work with the COT (Car of Tomorrow) and the Nationwide car. I’m [also] doing the Rolex 24.”

Here's a look at the times and speeds from Daytona on Tuesday.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.434, 185.820
2. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.555, 185.357
3. 83A, Brian Vickers Toyota, 48.744, 184.638
4. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.754, 184.600
5. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.758, 184.585
6. 55M, Michael Waltrip Toyota, 48.823, 184.339
7. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.843, 184.264
8. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.854, 184.222
9. .44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.866, 184.177
10. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.893, 184.075
11. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.919, 183.978
12. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.018, 183.606
13. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 49.099, 183.303
14. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 49.123, 183.214
15. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.138, 183.158
16. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.140, 183.150
17. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 49.142, 183.143
18. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 49.160, 183.076
19. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 49.194, 182.949
20. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.196, 182.942
21. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford, 49.249, 182.745
22. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.253, 182.730
23. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 49.340, 182.408
24. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.355, 182.352
25. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.367, 182.308
26. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.373, 182.286
27. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.374, 182.282
28. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.403, 182.175
29. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.408, 182.157
30. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.409, 182.153
31. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.419, 182.116
32. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.423, 182.101
33. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.428, 182.083
34. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.430, 182.076
35. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.469, 181.932
36. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.472, 181.921
37. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.486, 181.870
38. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.541, 181.668
39. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.546, 181.649
40. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.577, 181.536
41. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.580, 181.525
42. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.596, 181.466
43. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.627, 181.353
44. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.661, 181.229
45. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.702, 181.079
46. 09B, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.758, 180.875
47. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 50.013, 179.953
48. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 50.013 179.953
49. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 50.053, 179.809
50. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 50.069, 179.752
51. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 50.410, 178.536
52. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 51.400, 175.097

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Afternoon testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 47.869, 188.013
2. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 47.968, 187.625
3. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 47.976, 187.594
4. 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 47.992, 187.531
5. 40A, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.038, 187.352
6. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 48.043, 187.332
7. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.046, 187.320
8. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 48.093, 187.137
9. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.099, 187.114
10. 88A, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.109, 187.075
11. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 48.136, 186.970
12. 10B, Patrick Carpentie,r Dodge, 48.170, 186.838
13. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.227, 186.617
14. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.248, 186.536
15. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 48.253, 186.517
16. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 48.255, 186.509
17. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 48.275, 186.432
18. 21B, Bill Elliott, Ford, 48.288, 186.382
19. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 48.337, 186.193
20. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 48.345, 186.162
21. 34A, Eric McClure, Dodge, 48.434, 185.820
22. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.442, 185.789
23. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.523, 185.479
24. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.601, 185.181
25. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 48.606, 185.162
26. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.724, 184.714
27. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.757, 184.589
28. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.780, 184.502
29. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.856, 184.215
30. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 48.858, 184.207
31. 38A, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.925, 183.955
32. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.952, 183.854
33. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 48.969, 183.790
34. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 49.055, 183.468
35. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 49.062, 183.441
36. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.092, 183.329
37. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 49.111, 183.258
38. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 49.120, 183.225
39. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.122, 183.217
40. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 49.150, 183.113
41. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 49.186, 182.979
42. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.233, 182.804
43. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.242, 182.771
44. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.345, 182.389
45. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.396, 182.201
46. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 49.471, 181.925
47. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge 49.473, 181.917
48. 31, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.514, 181.767
49. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 49.541, 181.668
50. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.576, 181.539
51. 09B, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.797, 180.734
52. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.954 180.166
53. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 50.192, 179.311
54. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 50.466, 178.338