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Practice report

Busch brothers top final Sprint Cup practice at Pocono

It was the battle of the Busch’s in the closing laps of Happy Hour at Pocono Raceway on Saturday.

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Action Sports Photography

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota

In the final 15 minutes of practice, Kurt Busch knocked his younger brother from the top of the speed chart with a 50.905-second lap (175.155 mph). Kyle Busch had set the pace of practice with a lap of 51.197-seconds (175.186 mph) in his first four-lap run. Kyle Busch then returned to the track and bumped his brother with a 50.876-second run.

“Oh that shock change really woke it up,” Busch said. He described the balance of his car as “positive” — maybe too positive for a slick track.

“Tighter at the three-quarter mark,” Kurt Busch said after his final run. The elder Busch has two victories at Pocono -- in 2005 and 2007.

The defending Cup series champion is still looking for his first win on the 2.5-mile track. 

"With the way our cars at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) have been overall, I’m very optimistic that we could score a victory there this weekend or, if not, when we come back later in the summer with our M&M’S 75th Anniversary Camry,” Kyle Busch said.

Last weekend’s winner Martin Truex Jr. jumped to second in the final 10 minutes — until Kyle Busch knocked his fellow Toyota teammate down to third, then Jimmie Johnson (50.931) pushed the No. 78 car to fourth.

“I get looser as I get on and off (the corner,” Truex told his crew after posting a lap of 51.052-seconds.

Kevin Harvick (51.100) was fifth, followed by Sunday’s pole sitter Brad Keselowski (51.197), Joey Logano (51.249), Matt Kenseth (51. 261), rookie Ryan Blaney (51.290) and AJ Allmendinger (51.292).

Harvick’s 34 laps were the most run by any of the four drivers.

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