Kasey Kahne tops Saturday morning Cup practice

Richard Childress Racing's Ryan Newman topped the charts early on. The No. 31 team played around with the shocks throughout the session. Crew Chief Luke Lambert first opted to change a left rear shock before trying out a different set of front shocks to "see where they're at."

Newman commented, "It brakes a lot straighter today." He still needed the car to roll better in the center, though.

He was displaced by Kasey Kahne with just over half an hour remaining, posting a fast lap of 96.073mph (19.710secs).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a lot to say during practice, ending it sixth on the time sheets. Early, he complained about being on the splitter, saying on the following run regarding a change, ""It helped that last half of the corner, helped wrap around it."

His car improved as the team continued to tweak it, I"t's on the free side, it's free but it's ok, right now," radioed Earnhardt. "We'll see where the track goes. It's a freer in than off. The center rolls pretty decent."

"We definitely changed the car completely about how it corners -- I think for the good."

Trailing Kahne and Newman was Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers and Paul Menard.

Casey Mears and Clint Bowyer both showed strength, clocking in seventh and tenth. Mears said that the car turns well, but they're still having to work on the drive off. in the single-car says car is turning really well, but still working on the drive off.

"There's a lot of them that look like (crap) on entry, like out of (freaking) control" No. 15 spotter Brett Griffin commented over the radio.

A few sprinkles of rain served as the only red flag. 

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