If there was ever such thing as an exciting practice, this was it.
Budweiser Shootout 2011: Lights Go Out At Daytona International Speedway
Not only did 10 cars top 200 mph (Joey Logano led the session at 203.087 mph) in the final Budweiser Shootout practice on Friday night, but the lights suddenly went out halfway through the session.
As Turns 1, 2 and the backstretch fell into darkness, four cars – Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards – were drafting between Turns 1 and 2.
It certainly got everyone’s attention, because the spotters suddenly couldn’t see as the cars hit the backstretch (the lights were out all the way to Turn 3).
After a 15-minute delay, the lights were restored and drivers returned to the track to complete the practice.
Hamlin later said the darkness on the track wasn't as bad as it looked.
"Nah, there was actually a lot of light," he said. "You could see pretty well. Turns 3 and 4 were lit up, so it was kind of reflecting down the backstretch."
"It was...different," he added with a chuckle. "It wasn't anything too crazy. It actually kind of felt like the Rolex (24 hour race)."
Hamlin said he never lifted and would have stayed in the gas if NASCAR hadn't called a caution.
"We could probably drive around here in the dark, it's so easy to drive around here," he said.
Logano’s speed was incredibly high for NASCAR standards, and nine others were in the same range.
Aside from Logano, Kyle Busch (203.082) also topped the 203 mph mark, followed by Michael Waltrip, Bobby Labonte and Greg Biffle.
Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top 10.
Several teams opted to skip the final practice session entirely; only 18 of the 24 Bud Shootout cars hit the track.
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