Kyle Busch and Toyota lead first Sprint Cup practice at Richmond

Toyota teams swept four of the top five positions in the 55-minute practice session, with Busch’s average lap speed of 120.979 mph edging out last week’s race winner, Martin Truex Jr.

Busch was also fastest among those drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps (119.781 mph), followed by Truex and his JGR teammate, Carl Edwards.

Busch’s JGR teammates, Denny Hamlin (120.552 mph) and Matt Kenseth (120.208 mph) were third and fifth-fastest, respectively.

The only kink in the Toyota armor came from Kasey Kahne, who turned in the fourth-fastest average lap speed (120.439 mph).

Edwards, who won the spring race at Richmond, came in at eighth fastest (119.776 mph).

“This place is so much fun with the tire and the downforce package,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this race. It should be fun.”

Many teams complained the high temperatures – the thermometer was nearly 90 degrees by the end of the session – would prove of little value when the race is run under the lights on Saturday night.

“The track temp is up, that’s the big killer,” said Chad Johnson, crew chief for driver Kyle Larson, late in the session over the team’s radio.

Chase bubble

McMurray ended up ninth-fastest in the session.

The remainder of sixth through 10th: Jeff Gordon (sixth), Joey Logano (seventh) and Kyle Larson (10th).

The man chasing McMurray in the Chase battle, Ryan Newman, ended the session 18th and was searching to find the balance throughout practice, telling the team to "free up the center and tighten up the exit. That last change did not do that."

The practice session got off to a rough start for Clint Bowyer, who has to win Saturday night’s race in order to make the Chase.

A lap-and-a-half into the session, smoke was pouring from Bowyer’s No. 15 Chevrolet and he was forced into the garage. The team later discovered the problem was residual oil inside the car.

The issue was corrected and Bowyer returned to the track. He ended up 31st-fastest.

Cla	#	Driver	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	Mph
1	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	39	22.318			120.979
2	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	28	22.379	0.061	0.061	120.649
3	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	54	22.397	0.079	0.018	120.552
4	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	43	22.418	0.100	0.021	120.439
5	20	Matt Kenseth	Toyota	36	22.461	0.143	0.043	120.208
6	88	Jeff Gordon	Chevrolet	45	22.513	0.195	0.052	119.931
7	22	Joey Logano	Ford	39	22.526	0.208	0.013	119.861
8	19	Carl Edwards	Toyota	33	22.542	0.224	0.016	119.776
9	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	32	22.555	0.237	0.013	119.707
10	42	Kyle Larson	Chevrolet	32	22.586	0.268	0.031	119.543