Practice report

NASCAR Cup Watkins Glen

Larson, Hendrick teammates top Cup practice at Watkins Glen

Hendrick Motorsports drivers dominated the lone practice session for this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.

Nick DeGroot

Edited: Aug 20, 2022, 6:31 PM

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Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet Camaro

Group A

The first group of drivers to tackle The Glen managed to avoid having any incidents during the 20-minute session. There were a couple moments, including a lock-up for Corey LaJoie in Turn 1 and Chase Briscoe missing the Bus Stop entirely at one point. Erik Jones had a great save after taking too much curb on the entry to the Bus Stop, sliding sideways but gathering it up.

Hendrick Motorsports led the way with defending Watkins Glen winner Kyle Larson just ahead of teammate Chase Elliott, lapping the course in 1:11.293s. Former WGI Cup winner A.J. Allmendinger was third with Chris Buescher and Briscoe rounding out the top-five.

Larson also led the way in five and ten-lap averages.

2010 Le Mans 24 overall winner Mike Rockenfeller, making his Cup Series debut, was 1.3s off the leader's pace in 16th on the time sheets.

Group B

There was a red flag halfway through the practice after what appeared to be tungsten ballast fell from one of the cars. If that is indeed what it is, then there will be penalties coming for the team that lost it.

The session wasn't back green for long as Ty Gibbs slid off into the tire barrier at the entrance of the carousel. Christopher Bell also suffered a catastrophic engine failure going up the esses.

"I just got a little bit too loose," explained Gibbs. "These cars are on thin lines so when I landed, my tires slipped on the surface and it was just done after that.

Hendrick Motorsports again led the way with William Byron topping the charts at 1:11.601s. Gibbs, Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top-five.

Former F1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen impressed in his first outing, just four tenths off the fast time and 10th in Group B.

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