Roush Fenway Racing drivers Erik Darnell, Colin Braun and Joey Clanton led the pace Friday morning on the first day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway, but the opening day did not go gently into that good night.

In the final hour of the first of three days of testing there were two multiple accidents, including one that brought out some finger-pointing between Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Ballew Motorsports Toyota, and Clanton, driver of the No. 09 Zaxby's Ford.

The first incident came through the tri-oval when Roush Fenway Racing teammates Braun and Clanton got together and ended up in the outside wall. Clanton's ride sustained severe left-rear and right side damage, while Braun's Ford endured left-front, right-rear and right-front damage.

"It's a veteran out there taking advantage of a rookie.  It's the same old thing we hear all the time. It's Friday, the first day of practice and you don't bump draft, especially a rookie that's never done it before,'' said Clanton. "(Busch) got into Colin and got him upset through the tri-oval and that ain't the place to do it. He shoved him up the race track and we got together."

Busch, here earlier this weekend testing his No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, claimed he didn't touch either of them and that he was behind Clanton.

Busch tried to make light of the situation by putting a neon "X' on the right-rear quarter-panel of his No. 51 Toyota that read, "Stay Off, Clanton,'' which a NASCAR official made the team remove at the end of the day.

"He decided to show up in his diapers and I'm wearing pull-ups today. He did a little crying saying I wrecked him and his teammate out there and I wasn't close to him. He's been side-drafting everybody in testing all day and we're not even in race practice yet, let alone the race,'' said Busch. "He went to side-draft the 6 truck and when he got close to him he got into the V coming off the nose and pulled him in and they got together and both shot up into the fence. I don't have a mark on my truck. I wasn't anywhere near them. I saw it all happen. He's being a cry-baby for some reason like he always has been even from the ASA days so whatever."

Erik Darnell paced the morning session with fellow Roush drivers in tow on opening day of truck testing at Daytona. (DaytonaInternationalSpeeway.com Photo)

Darnell led the morning session with a lap of 177.420 mph and the entire Roush Fenway conglomerate posted the top-3 spots of the morning test. Right behind Darnell's No. 99 Ford was the No. 6 Ford of Braun (176.790 mph) followed by Clanton (176.509 mph).

"It sure felt like somebody got in the back of me and that truck just took off like crazy. I felt bad it was Joey up there because I knew we were coming up high,'' said Braun. "It's too bad it was my teammate, but it took off like the rear-end was up in the air or something. It was crazy."           

Busch's ride showed no signs of damage, but that couldn't be said for the two main trucks involved in an accident just minutes later.

Brendan Gaughan, driving the No. 10 Ford of Circle Bar Racing, got into the back of the No. 11 Toyota of David Starr, who shot across the track and collected the No. 59 Toyota of Ted Musgrave, who was helping out HT Motorsports for the test.

"My truck was great. It drove well and balanced well, but a lot of these guys are really out of control right now and somebody just lost it out there and caught a few trucks. We're going to access the damage here, it's just cosmetic. If anybody has a spare nose I think we can work on this thing,'' said Musgrave. "People don't know they're out of control when they are. It's unfortunate because our truck was good. Handling is all we were worried about. Some of these guys are trying to impress people. It's not my stuff, they just asked me to come down and test for them and when you get hit by somebody it doesn't look good."

Starr was treated and released at the infield care center and when leaving was approached by Gaughan, who apologized to Starr and took responsibility for the incident.

Musgrave, out of the No. 9 truck this season, said he had been in discussions about driving this season for either the No. 59 or the No. 46 of David Dollar, whose truck was being tested by Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Eric Crocker.

"It doesn't much matter. They're both good teams and they're both capable of being really good runners,'' said Musgrave. "That wasn't a real good showing being in the wrong spot, but it wasn't my fault."

In the afternoon drafting session Gaughan led the speed charts with a top speed of 184.638 mph and just behind him was the No. 7 Chevrolet of Andy Lally. Clanton, Starr and Todd Bodine closed out the top-5.  Friday Test Times:  AM Session • PM Session