It's official, the 2009 NASCAR season has begun. The cars hit the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway Friday afternoon in a forty-five minute practice session for Saturday night's Budweiser Shootout.

Showing he will once again be a force to be reckoned with, Kyle Busch set his No. 18 M&M's Toyota Camry atop the speed charts. The 23-year-old hot shoe posted a fast lap of 47.009 seconds at a speed of 191.453 mph.

Not to be outdone, three-time defending Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson ran the second fastest time with a lap of 47.082 seconds at a speed of 191.156 mph.

Matt Kenseth, Reed Sorenson and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top-5. Defending race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran the sixth fastest lap in his No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet.

Budweiser Shootout pole sitter Paul Menard was twenty-seventh fastest out of twenty-eight cars that will start Saturday night's race.

The final sixty minute practice session for the Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for 6:30pm E.T.  Be sure to check back to HardcoreRaceFans.com for all of the latest news and results LIVE from the Daytona International Speedway.