Ryan Blaney tops final NASCAR Cup practice at Bristol
Ryan Blaney was fastest in Happy Hour at Bristol Motor Speedway with a lap of 128.544mph.
Photo by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images
The driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford shot to the top of the speed chart in the closing minutes of final practice after completing 46 laps.
Kyle Larson, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Chris Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Erik Jones, AJ Allmendinger and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top 10 single-lap speeds. Aric Almirola’s 87 laps were the most completed during the 85-minute session on Friday.
Blaney jumped to the top of the speed chart in the opening minutes of second practice with a lap of 125.782mph. Kyle Busch bumped Blaney three minutes in with a lap of 126.104mph on his 10th laps. Kenseth ran third followed by Harvick, Stenhouse, Hamlin, Larson, Newman and Bayne.
Kenseth moved up to the top spot 10 laps in despite being uncomfortable with the surface.
“I almost crashed right there,” Kenseth said after the first three laps. “I don’t know if it’s my car or the track.”
Timmy Hill lost control of his car coming out of Turn 4 and slid sideway down the front stretch — just before NASCAR called a caution for rain. Kenseth remained atop the leader board followed by Kyle Busch, Blaney, Harvick Stenhouse, Hamlin, Larson, Keselowski, Suarez and Newman rounded out the top 10.
After 15 minutes, Chase Elliott jumped to third on his seventh lap (125..823mph). Jamie McMurray followed in fourth. Blaney, Harvick, Stenhouse. Hamlin, Larson and Keselowski rounded out the top 10.
NASCAR released the following drivers serving 15-minute practice holds for multiple pre-race inspection failures at Michigan: Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, AJ Allmendinger, Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Busch regained the top speed with a lap of 126.353mph. Thirty minutes in, Busch was P1 followed by Kesneth, Johnson (125.831mph), Elliott, McMurray, Blaney, Harvick, Stenhouse, Hamlin and Larson.
Three minutes later, Hamlin advanced to third on his 55th lap. Blaney (127.963mph) took the top spot with 45 minutes remaining on the clock. Truex climbed to second-quick (126.537mph). Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Hamlin, Johnson, Elliott, McMurray, Harvick and Stenhouse rounded out the top 10.
Reports of mist on the track came with 40 minutes to go. Austin Dillon entered the fifth-fastest speed — 125.963mph. His Richard Childress Racing teammate Ryan Newman (126.378mph) was fourth on his flyer run. McMurray moved to second (127.963mph) followed by Larson (127.182mph). Bowyer and Truex rounded out the top five with 35 minutes to go.
Just before the 50-minute mark, Newman rose to second (127.784mph). Jones was 11th followed by Johnson, Elliott, Chris Buescher, Stenhouse, Harvick, Keselowski, Daniel Suarez and Trevor Bayne.
Larson (128.065mph) vaulted to P1 just before the one-hour mark. Blaney dropped to second followed by Newman, McMurray, Bowyer, Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kenseth and Austin Dillon.
After a brief weather delay, practice resumed with Larson still on top of the speed chart. In the final 10 minutes, Blaney bounced up to second — then posted the fastest lap on his final run.
Cla | # | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | Mph |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 46 | 14.926 | 128.554 | ||
2 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 67 | 14.983 | 0.057 | 0.057 | 128.065 |
3 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 43 | 15.016 | 0.090 | 0.033 | 127.784 |
4 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 47 | 15.051 | 0.125 | 0.035 | 127.487 |
5 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 59 | 15.078 | 0.152 | 0.027 | 127.258 |
6 | 37 | Chris Buescher | Chevrolet | 58 | 15.097 | 0.171 | 0.019 | 127.098 |
7 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 53 | 15.144 | 0.218 | 0.047 | 126.704 |
8 | 77 | Erik Jones | Toyota | 32 | 15.153 | 0.227 | 0.009 | 126.628 |
9 | 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 42 | 15.161 | 0.235 | 0.008 | 126.562 |
10 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Ford | 44 | 15.162 | 0.236 | 0.001 | 126.553 |
11 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 23 | 15.164 | 0.238 | 0.002 | 126.537 |
12 | 24 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 63 | 15.179 | 0.253 | 0.015 | 126.411 |
13 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Toyota | 72 | 15.192 | 0.266 | 0.013 | 126.303 |
14 | 19 | Daniel Suarez | Toyota | 63 | 15.193 | 0.267 | 0.001 | 126.295 |
15 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 66 | 15.199 | 0.273 | 0.006 | 126.245 |
16 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 47 | 15.200 | 0.274 | 0.001 | 126.237 |
17 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 73 | 15.219 | 0.293 | 0.019 | 126.079 |
18 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Ford | 64 | 15.239 | 0.313 | 0.020 | 125.914 |
19 | 38 | David Ragan | Ford | 60 | 15.242 | 0.316 | 0.003 | 125.889 |
20 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | 75 | 15.243 | 0.317 | 0.001 | 125.881 |
21 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 69 | 15.246 | 0.320 | 0.003 | 125.856 |
22 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 65 | 15.249 | 0.323 | 0.003 | 125.831 |
23 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 60 | 15.268 | 0.342 | 0.019 | 125.675 |
24 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 80 | 15.268 | 0.342 | 0.000 | 125.675 |
25 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 59 | 15.329 | 0.403 | 0.061 | 125.175 |
26 | 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | 58 | 15.335 | 0.409 | 0.006 | 125.126 |
27 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 32 | 15.349 | 0.423 | 0.014 | 125.011 |
28 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | 56 | 15.367 | 0.441 | 0.018 | 124.865 |
29 | 34 | Landon Cassill | Ford | 42 | 15.399 | 0.473 | 0.032 | 124.605 |
30 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 87 | 15.411 | 0.485 | 0.012 | 124.508 |
31 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Chevrolet | 55 | 15.417 | 0.491 | 0.006 | 124.460 |
32 | 95 | Michael McDowell | Chevrolet | 60 | 15.456 | 0.530 | 0.039 | 124.146 |
33 | 7 | J.J. Yeley | Chevrolet | 11 | 15.498 | 0.572 | 0.042 | 123.810 |
34 | 55 | Gray Gaulding | Chevrolet | 15 | 15.510 | 0.584 | 0.012 | 123.714 |
35 | 51 | B.J. McLeod | Chevrolet | 8 | 15.577 | 0.651 | 0.067 | 123.182 |
36 | 83 | Corey Lajoie | Toyota | 29 | 15.596 | 0.670 | 0.019 | 123.032 |
37 | 72 | Cole Whitt | Chevrolet | 44 | 15.608 | 0.682 | 0.012 | 122.937 |
38 | 33 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Chevrolet | 50 | 15.646 | 0.720 | 0.038 | 122.638 |
39 | 23 | Joey Gase | Toyota | 65 | 15.831 | 0.905 | 0.185 | 121.205 |
40 | 15 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 14 | 15.852 | 0.926 | 0.021 | 121.045 |
41 | 66 | Timmy Hill | Chevrolet | 16 | 16.021 | 1.095 | 0.169 | 119.768 |
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