| | ESPN.com news services
INDIANAPOLIS -- Johnny Benson and Joe Nemechek came within fractions of a second of the track record Tuesday as Chevrolet and Pontiac drivers began the first of two days of pre-Brickyard 400 testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Benson was clocked at 179.481 mph in his Tyler Jet Motorsports Pontiac -- just .131 slower than Jeff Gordon's official mark set last year when he won his third Brickyard 400 pole. Nemechek also topped the 179-mph barrier with a speed of 179.345 in his Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet.
Seven other drivers turned times in the 178-mph range in preparation for the seventh annual Brickyard 400 on Aug. 5. Third and fourth on the speed chart, respectively, were Ken Schrader at 178.914 and Geoffrey Bodine at 178.913.
Bobby Labonte, Winston Cup points leader, turned only the 20th fastest overall lap Tuesday at 176.127 mph. Dale Earnhardt, Labonte's closest challenger in points and 1995 Brickyard 400 winner, was fifth fastest at 178.869 mph. Earnhardt, trailing Labonte by 45 points, is bidding to break a tie with legendary Richard Petty and win his eighth Winston Cup championship.
Rounding out the top 10 speeds were: Jerry Nadeau, 178.713; Ward Burton, 178.484; Rick Mast, 178.311; Benson, 178.051 in his primary car, and Kenny Wallace, 177.903.
Gordon, who has won three of six Brickyard poles and two of the races, clocked in at 177.491.
A second day of testing will be conducted Wednesday. Ford drivers, including Dale Jarrett, defending champion of both the Brickyard 400 and the Winston Cup Series, will get their chance to test at the famed 2½-mile oval
next Monday and Tuesday.
Tuesday's testing was done under overcast skies and with a somber mood within the garages.
Immediately following close of the track, many of the drivers attended a viewing held for fellow driver Kenny Irwin, who was killed in a practice crash last Friday at New Hampshire International Speedway. He was an
Indianapolis native, and the viewing took place at a church on the city's
northeast side.
Funeral services for Irwin will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Abundant Life Church in Indianapolis.
The day's testing schedule has been rearranged so NASCAR personnel and drivers can attend. Testing will be held from 8 to 9:30 a.m., then resume at noon.
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