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Practice report

Chris Buescher paces Saturday's first Cup practice at Phoenix

Chris Buescher ended up fastest in Saturday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session at ISM Raceway.

Chris Buescher, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Kroger Flavor Fill Up

Chris Buescher, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Kroger Flavor Fill Up

John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images

Chris Buescher, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Kroger Flavor Fill Up
Chris Buescher, JTG Daugherty Racing, Chevrolet Camaro Kroger Flavor Fill Up
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang MoneyLion
Pole Sitter Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Ford Mustang MoneyLion
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Alliance Truck Parts
Brad Keselowski, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Alliance Truck Parts

Buescher’s average lap speed of 137.973 mph was just enough to hold off Ryan Blaney (137.915 mph), the pole winner for Sunday’s race at Phoenix. Blaney’s Penske teammate, Brad Keselowski – who won at Atlanta two weeks ago – ended up third (137.646 mph).

“It’s got pretty good balance,” Buescher said of his No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. “Phoenix has been a tough place for me and I can’t thank the team enough for bringing me a great car this weekend.”

Kyle Larson was fourth-fastest and Kyle Busch completed the top-five.

Rounding out the Top 10 were Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Kurt Busch.

Prior to the practice session, drivers Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell met with NASCAR officials to discuss their brief fight on pit road during Friday’s Cup qualifying session.

Suarez said his relationship McDowell is “not fixed” after the meeting.

“NASCAR just wanted to make sure that we’re not going to go out there on Sunday and wreck each other on the first lap,” Suarez said.

“I just (made) my point clear and why I was mad. He had his point, which I don’t think is as good as mine. We’re not going to go out there and fight each other, but we’re not best buddies either.”
McDowell said he considered Saturday a “fresh start.”

“We got a couple of practices ahead of us, just stay focused on that,” McDowell said.

Read Also:

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Mph
1 37 United States Chris Buescher  Chevrolet 28 26.092     137.973
2 12 United States Ryan Blaney  Ford 40 26.103 0.011 0.011 137.915
3 2 United States Brad Keselowski  Ford 28 26.154 0.062 0.051 137.646
4 42 United States Kyle Larson  Chevrolet 42 26.160 0.068 0.006 137.615
5 18 United States Kyle Busch  Toyota 41 26.164 0.072 0.004 137.594
6 4 United States Kevin Harvick  Ford 42 26.165 0.073 0.001 137.588
7 22 United States Joey Logano  Ford 38 26.198 0.106 0.033 137.415
8 3 United States Austin Dillon  Chevrolet 39 26.202 0.110 0.004 137.394
9 88 United States Alex Bowman  Chevrolet 35 26.213 0.121 0.011 137.336
10 1 United States Kurt Busch  Chevrolet 46 26.224 0.132 0.011 137.279
11 11 United States Denny Hamlin  Toyota 45 26.246 0.154 0.022 137.164
12 20 United States Erik Jones  Toyota 31 26.267 0.175 0.021 137.054
13 48 United States Jimmie Johnson  Chevrolet 41 26.274 0.182 0.007 137.018
14 17 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  Ford 39 26.281 0.189 0.007 136.981
15 10 United States Aric Almirola  Ford 35 26.303 0.211 0.022 136.867
16 19 United States Martin Truex Jr.  Toyota 45 26.306 0.214 0.003 136.851
17 95 United States Matt DiBenedetto  Toyota 27 26.321 0.229 0.015 136.773
18 9 United States Chase Elliott  Chevrolet 44 26.326 0.234 0.005 136.747
19 14 United States Clint Bowyer  Ford 38 26.327 0.235 0.001 136.742
20 21 United States Paul Menard  Ford 46 26.341 0.249 0.014 136.669
21 6 United States Ryan Newman  Ford 34 26.357 0.265 0.016 136.586
22 41 Mexico Daniel Suarez  Ford 44 26.370 0.278 0.013 136.519
23 8 United States Daniel Hemric  Chevrolet 30 26.405 0.313 0.035 136.338
24 24 United States William Byron  Chevrolet 35 26.405 0.313 0.000 136.338
25 36 United States Matt Tifft  Ford 34 26.465 0.373 0.060 136.029
26 43 United States Darrell Wallace Jr.  Chevrolet 30 26.489 0.397 0.024 135.905
27 32 United States Corey Lajoie  Ford 23 26.538 0.446 0.049 135.655
28 38 United States David Ragan  Ford 43 26.606 0.514 0.068 135.308
29 34 United States Michael McDowell  Ford 29 26.625 0.533 0.019 135.211
30 13 United States Ty Dillon  Chevrolet 37 26.667 0.575 0.042 134.998
31 47 United States Ryan Preece  Chevrolet 29 26.680 0.588 0.013 134.933
32 00 United States Landon Cassill  Chevrolet 26 26.807 0.715 0.127 134.293
33 15 United States Ross Chastain  Chevrolet 31 26.828 0.736 0.021 134.188
34 52 Bayley Currey  Ford 24 27.656 1.564 0.828 130.171
35 51 Cody Ware  Chevrolet 24 27.686 1.594 0.030 130.030
36 77 United States Quin Houff  Chevrolet 21 27.766 1.674 0.080 129.655

 

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