Preece Power: RFK Racing Dominates Final Practice Ahead Of The Great American Race

Final practice for the Daytona 500 rarely draws attention, but it always matters. Teams use the session to confirm balance, evaluate how their cars behave in the draft, and ensure no late‑breaking issues surface before the biggest race of the year. Most organizations approach it cautiously, knowing a single mistake can undo weeks of preparation.

RFK Racing didn’t take that route. Ryan Preece and the entire group treated the session as a final opportunity to validate their superspeedway package, and they left the track looking like one of the most prepared operations in the garage. The session carried a quiet intensity. With the 500 only a day away, teams weren’t chasing headlines or trying to top the charts.

They were focused on predicting how the car loads in corners, how it responds to a push, and how it behaves when the air becomes turbulent. Daytona rewards stability more than raw speed, and Saturday’s runs were about confirming that stability. RFK’s approach stood out because it wasn’t tentative. Their cars ran together, drafted together, and executed with the kind of precision that suggests a clear plan for Sunday.

Another layer to this session is the timing. Final practice takes place in conditions that often mirror the early portion of the 500: late-afternoon sun, a cooling track, and shifting winds. Teams that ran the session gained a real‑time feel for how the surface is evolving. RFK’s willingness to run meaningful laps gave them information that could matter when the field settles into its first long green‑flag stretch on Sunday.

Ford Performance Flexes Muscle in Final Session

If Saturday’s numbers are any indication, Ford enters the Daytona 500 with momentum. Ryan Preece led the session with a lap of 192.819 mph (46.68 seconds), and the speed was backed up by the structure behind him. Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski followed in lockstep, posting 46.69 and 46.74 seconds, giving RFK Racing a sweep of the top three spots.

The RFK trio spent much of the session running in formation, maintaining tight spacing and clean execution. Their drafting work looked rehearsed, not improvised. That matters at Daytona, where the ability to stay connected and manage energy in the pack often determines who controls the race in the final 20 laps.

Team Penske mirrored that discipline. Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounded out the top five, giving Ford a clean sweep of the fastest speeds. When two Ford organizations demonstrate this level of coordination in final practice, it usually reflects a shared strategy not just for the opening laps, but also for how they intend to shape the race as the field settles into long green‑flag stretches.

Ford’s superspeedway strength isn’t new, but the level of organization on display Saturday was notable. These weren’t isolated fast laps. They were structured, intentional runs that looked like a manufacturer preparing to race as a unified front. Their cars looked planted, predictable, and able to maintain momentum even when the pack compressed — the kind of behavior that wins Daytona 500s.

Strategies Split the Garage

Only 19 drivers turned laps in the session, a clear sign of how teams weighed risk versus reward. Final practice at Daytona is always a balancing act. Teams want information, but they also want to protect their equipment. More than half the field chose to stay parked, opting to rely on simulation data and earlier track time rather than risk an incident in a non‑competitive session.

The decision to run or sit out often reflects a team’s confidence level. If a car has been stable all week, there’s little incentive to put it in harm’s way. If a team still has questions—about balance, how the car behaves in the draft, or how it handles pushesfinal practice becomes valuable. Saturday’s participation list told a story about who still wanted answers.

There’s also a strategic element to consider. Teams that sit out final practice often do so because they’re confident in their setups and want to avoid unnecessary risk. But they also forgo the chance to feel how the track is changing. Daytona’s surface evolves quickly — rubber builds up, the sun shifts, and the wind direction can alter how the cars handle. Teams that ran on Saturday gained firsthand knowledge of those changes.

Hendrick Motorsports Chooses Track Time

Hendrick Motorsports elected to run, and they did so with purpose. Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman all logged laps, focusing on how their cars behaved in multi‑car drafts. Elliott posted the fastest Chevrolet time at 192.184 mph (46.83 seconds), while Byron and Bowman worked deeper in the pack.

Their runs weren’t about chasing the top of the board. They were about understanding how the new Camaro body handles in traffic. Superspeedway racing is heavily influenced by how a car reacts when receiving a push or closing a gap, and Hendrick’s approach suggested they were still fine‑tuning those details.

Another factor is the new Camaro nose. Chevrolet teams have spent the offseason learning how it behaves in the wake of other cars. Hendrick’s willingness to run final practice suggests they’re still building trust in how the car handles pushes and how it transfers energy through the draft. That’s not a weakness; it’s a sign of a team making sure they understand every detail before the green flag.

Toyota Stays Quiet

Toyota took a more conservative approach. Only Jimmie Johnson turned a lap, recording 47.36 seconds in the Legacy Motor Club Camry. The rest of the Toyota camp, Joe Gibbs Racing, and 23XI Racing remained in the garage.

This isn’t unusual for Toyota. They often rely heavily on simulation and earlier track time, choosing to protect their equipment rather than risk a late‑session incident. But the tradeoff is information. Daytona’s track conditions can shift quickly, and skipping the session means entering the 500 without a feel for how the surface evolved late in the afternoon.

Toyota’s decision creates uncertainty. Their cars will be fresh, but they’ll also be untested in the final conditions before the race. Whether that helps or hurts them will become clear early in the 500, especially in the first long green‑flag run.

Final Practice Results (With Lap Times)

Here is the complete rundown of the drivers who participated in the final shakedown: The lap‑time spread of less than a second from first to eighteenth reinforces how tight the field is heading into Sunday.

• Ryan Preece – 192.819 mph (46.68 sec)
• Chris Buescher – 192.786 mph (46.69 sec)
• Brad Keselowski – 192.583 mph (46.74 sec)
• Ryan Blaney – 192.480 mph (46.76 sec)
• Joey Logano – 192.472 mph (46.76 sec)
• Ross Chastain – 192.345 mph (46.79 sec)
• Chase Elliott – 192.184 mph (46.83 sec)
• AJ Allmendinger – 190.917 mph (47.14 sec)
• BJ McLeod – 190.880 mph (47.15 sec)
• Cody Ware – 190.739 mph (47.18 sec)
• Cole Custer – 190.700 mph (47.19 sec)
• Ty Dillon – 190.584 mph (47.22 sec)
• William Byron – 190.550 mph (47.23 sec)
• Josh Berry – 190.498 mph (47.24 sec)
• Austin Cindric – 190.411 mph (47.26 sec)
• Alex Bowman – 190.387 mph (47.29 sec)
• Casey Mears – 190.102 mph (47.36 sec)
• Jimmie Johnson – 189.981 mph (47.36 sec)
• Noah Gragson – No speed recorded

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• RFK Racing sweeps the top three spots, showing the strongest manufacturer organization in the field.
• Ford locks out the top five, reinforcing their superspeedway strength.
• Only 19 drivers participate, signaling widespread caution across the garage.
• Hendrick Motorsports runs meaningful group laps, indicating ongoing refinement of the new Camaro body.
• Toyota largely sits out, creating uncertainty about its race‑day balance.
• Lap‑time spread under one second, underscoring how tight the field is entering Sunday.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Ford is the best-prepared manufacturer heading into the 500. Their drafting discipline, speed, and coordination were unmatched in final practice.
• Chevrolet has speed but is still adjusting. Hendrick’s decision to run the session suggests they’re still fine‑tuning how the new Camaro behaves in traffic.
• Toyota is the biggest unknown. Skipping the session protects equipment but sacrifices real‑time data.
• The field is extremely tight, and drafting alliances, not raw speed, will determine who moves forward.
• Final practice confirmed trends, not surprises, showing that teams that have been strong all week stayed strong. Teams with questions still have them.

WHAT THIS MEANS

Saturday’s session didn’t reveal a favorite, but it clarified the competitive landscape. It showed which teams are confident, which are still searching, and which manufacturers have the clearest plan heading into the year’s most unpredictable race. It also highlighted how differently organizations approach risk management. Some teams wanted data. Others wanted safety. And a few, like RFK, wanted to send a message.

Final practice rarely changes the Daytona 500, but it often confirms what the week has already hinted at. Ford looks organized. Chevrolet looks close, but is still refining. Toyota looks like a question mark. And the field looks tight enough that execution, not horsepower, will determine who gets to Victory Lane.

HOW THIS IMPACTS SUNDAY’S DAYTONA 500

Ford enters the Daytona 500 as the manufacturer to beat, with RFK Racing and Team Penske demonstrating not only speed but also the structure, discipline, and cooperation that define a unified superspeedway effort. If the Ford camp can form organized lines early, they’ll control lanes, dictate the tempo, and force the rest of the field to react to them.

Chevrolet has the speed to compete, but Hendrick and the rest of the Chevy groups will need tighter internal coordination to match Ford’s organization. Toyota’s race, meanwhile, will be shaped almost immediately; skipping final practice means their first long green‑flag run will reveal everything about balance, stability, and how well their cars handle the pack.

With the field this tight, manufacturer alliances are likely to influence the race more than usual, and track position will carry added weight as clean air and lane control become critical. The opening 40 laps will set the tone, rewarding teams that can organize early and punishing those that fall out of line before the race finds its rhythm.

What’s Next

Final practice didn’t crown a favorite, but it clarified the landscape. RFK Racing and Ford leave Saturday looking the most prepared, organized, and confident. Chevrolet has the speed to challenge them, but they’ll need cooperation to match Ford’s structure. Toyota remains the biggest unknown: a team with talent and speed, but without the final‑session data that could matter as the race settles into its rhythm.

The Daytona 500 rewards execution, patience, and timing. Saturday showed who is ready to execute, who is still refining, and who is entering Sunday with unanswered questions. The preparation is complete. The next laps will decide everything.