Brad Keselowski goes fastest in final Roval practice, then wrecks
Brad Keselowski topped the final practice session on the Roval course at Charlotte Motor Speedway but it will likely do him little good.
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Fusion Alliance Truck Parts
Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Keselowski topped the final 50-minute NASCAR Cup Series practice session Saturday with an average lap speed of 105.596 mph.
However, about 40 minutes into the session, Keselowski jumped the curb on the exit of the frontstretch chicane and he slammed head-on into the oval track wall in the area, doing extensive damage to his No. 2 Ford.
Keselowski will move to a backup car and have to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.
“Sorry man, hit the ‘turtle’ (curbs),” Keselowski said over his team radio. “Really sorry man.”
After leaving the care center, Keselowski said, “Just got in too hot. Didnt want to hit those dumb turtles (curbs). I should have skipped the corner and been more cool but I wanted to see what we had (in the car).”
Rookie William Byron ended up second (105.072 mph) and Kyle Larson was third (104.995 mph). Paul Menard was fourth and Martin Truex Jr. completed the top-five.
Rounding out the Top 10 were pole-winner Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger, Michael McDowell, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney.
Before the start of practice, NASCAR adjusted the angle of the backstretch chicane tire barrier wall to allow more room for cars to exit. Before the change the barrier jutted out from the oval Turn 3 wall in a perpendicular angle past the blue curbing.
The exact position for barrier in Sunday’s race will be determined following practice.
There were no incidents with cars hitting the tire barrier during the session.
Cla | # | Driver | 4506 | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | Mph |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 10 | 1'17.730 | 105.596 | ||
2 | 24 | William Byron | Chevrolet | 19 | 1'18.118 | 0.388 | 0.388 | 105.072 |
3 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 13 | 1'18.175 | 0.445 | 0.057 | 104.995 |
4 | 21 | Paul Menard | Ford | 16 | 1'18.185 | 0.455 | 0.010 | 104.982 |
5 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 15 | 1'18.264 | 0.534 | 0.079 | 104.876 |
6 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 18 | 1'18.331 | 0.601 | 0.067 | 104.786 |
7 | 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 14 | 1'18.357 | 0.627 | 0.026 | 104.751 |
8 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 19 | 1'18.409 | 0.679 | 0.052 | 104.682 |
9 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 10 | 1'18.531 | 0.801 | 0.122 | 104.519 |
10 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 14 | 1'18.535 | 0.805 | 0.004 | 104.514 |
11 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 13 | 1'18.634 | 0.904 | 0.099 | 104.382 |
12 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 12 | 1'18.696 | 0.966 | 0.062 | 104.300 |
13 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Ford | 14 | 1'18.737 | 1.007 | 0.041 | 104.246 |
14 | 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | 16 | 1'18.778 | 1.048 | 0.041 | 104.192 |
15 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet | 10 | 1'18.883 | 1.153 | 0.105 | 104.053 |
16 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 13 | 1'18.959 | 1.229 | 0.076 | 103.953 |
17 | 37 | Chris Buescher | Chevrolet | 17 | 1'18.961 | 1.231 | 0.002 | 103.950 |
18 | 19 | Daniel Suarez | Toyota | 14 | 1'18.963 | 1.233 | 0.002 | 103.947 |
19 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 4 | 1'19.087 | 1.357 | 0.124 | 103.784 |
20 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 15 | 1'19.147 | 1.417 | 0.060 | 103.706 |
21 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 13 | 1'19.209 | 1.479 | 0.062 | 103.625 |
22 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | Chevrolet | 12 | 1'19.233 | 1.503 | 0.024 | 103.593 |
23 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 17 | 1'19.239 | 1.509 | 0.006 | 103.585 |
24 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Chevrolet | 15 | 1'19.441 | 1.711 | 0.202 | 103.322 |
25 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 12 | 1'19.461 | 1.731 | 0.020 | 103.296 |
26 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 19 | 1'19.481 | 1.751 | 0.020 | 103.270 |
27 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 16 | 1'19.599 | 1.869 | 0.118 | 103.117 |
28 | 38 | David Ragan | Ford | 16 | 1'19.656 | 1.926 | 0.057 | 103.043 |
29 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 21 | 1'20.015 | 2.285 | 0.359 | 102.581 |
30 | 15 | Justin Marks | Chevrolet | 10 | 1'20.095 | 2.365 | 0.080 | 102.478 |
31 | 72 | Cole Whitt | Chevrolet | 9 | 1'20.558 | 2.828 | 0.463 | 101.889 |
32 | 23 | J.J. Yeley | Toyota | 5 | 1'20.970 | 3.240 | 0.412 | 101.371 |
33 | 96 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Toyota | 9 | 1'21.186 | 3.456 | 0.216 | 101.101 |
34 | 95 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 3 | 1'21.990 | 4.260 | 0.804 | 100.110 |
35 | 00 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 1 | 1'26.190 | 8.460 | 4.200 | 95.231 |
Take a virtual lap around the Charlotte Roval with the No. 78 Toyota Camry of Martin Truex Jr., courtesy of NASCAR Heat 3, which you can order now:
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