Kyle Larson leads final Cup practice at Richmond

In the final 10 minutes of the 85-minute session, the No. 42 Target Chevy climbed to the top of the speed chart with a lap of 120.235mph after 76 laps. 

"It's kind of hard to believe we're back at Richmond with the regular season set to wrap up,” said Larson who is third in the standings and finished second in this race last year. “Up to now it's been a pretty solid year for our team. We've accomplished some of our goals, but still have a few more to work towards over the coming weeks.

“Unfortunately, the regular season title is out of contention this weekend, but we'll work hard to have a strong run at Richmond with the Target Chevy and try to move back into second in the standings and get as many playoffs points as we can. Our cars have definitely been improving at Richmond, so looking forward to a good race."

Joey Logano was second in final practice followed by Daniel Suarez, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.

Keselowski’s 83 laps were the most completed in the session.

Martin Truex Jr. posted a single-lap speed of 118.224mph after 12 laps in the first five minutes of the session. Suarez was second (118.100mph) followed by Chase Elliott (117.971mph), Brad Keselowski (117.894mph), Kyle Busch (117.837mph), Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Twenty-six cars posted speeds.

The top 10 speeds didn’t change after the first 15 minutes. But Kevin Harvick and Austin Dillon were released from their practice holds after failing pre-race inspection at Darlington. Harvick moved up to 15th quick (116.848mph). Dillon was 21st (116.505mpj) Jamie McMurray, who failed pre-qualifying inspection twice, arrive at the time out lane later. He joined practice about five minutes later and posted the 23rd fastest single lap — 116.274mph.

Thirty minutes into the session, Truex still led the top 10 drivers. Clint Bowyer, who was released from his practice hold jumped up to 11th on the speed chart with a lap of 117.218mph. The No. 14 team failed pre-qualifying inspection three times at Darlington. Matt Kenseth was also released for the same infraction. Kenseth ran 30th-quick with his first run of 116.149mph.

Chris Buescher was 12th fastest after the first half-hour followed by Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Danica Patrick. Kenseth moved up to 15th-quick — 116.868mph after seven laps.

Kyle Larson bumped Stenhouse out of the top 10 with a speed of 117.254mph after 45 laps following the first 45 minutes.

After the first hour, Larson was the only change among the top-10 drivers. Keselowski’s 77 laps were the most completed. 

At the one hour, five minute mark, NASCAR released Erik Jones and Landon Cassill. Jones failed qualifying inspection three times at Darlington. Cassill failed pre-race inspection four times. Cassill was 17th-quick after three laps.

Seven minutes later, Bowyer vaulted up to second with a mock qualifying run of 118.146mph. At the 70-minute mark, Jones jumped up to 10th with a lap of 117.852mph but was knocked out of the top 10 when Kurt Busch topped the chart with a mock qualifying run of 119.147mph. His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Danica Patrick posted the fifth-fastest lap of 118.520mph.

With 10 minutes remaining, Kurt Busch held the top spot followed by Chase Elliott (119.016mph), McMurray (118.890mph), Kyle Busch (118.718mph), Stenhouse (118.671mph), Patrick, Cassill (118.416mph) and Blaney (118.333mph)

Larson cruised up to P1 with a speed of 120.235mph with eight minutes left in final practice. Logano ran second (120.208mph), Suarez third (119.925mph), Kenseth (119.564mph) and Keselowski fifth (119.195mph). Kurt Busch, Elliott, McMurray, Kyle Busch and Stenhouse rounded out the top 10. Johnson, Patrick, Bowyer, Cassill and Blaney completed the top 15.

Truex rolled up to fourth (119.697mph) with less than three minutes on the clock. Hamlin’s lap of 118.922mph held up for ninth with Trevor Bayne in 10th (118.906mph).

Cla	#	Driver	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	Mph
1	42	Kyle Larson	Chevrolet	76	22.456			120.235
2	22	Joey Logano	Ford	66	22.461	0.005	0.005	120.208
3	19	Daniel Suarez	Toyota	66	22.514	0.058	0.053	119.925
4	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	54	22.557	0.101	0.043	119.697
5	20	Matt Kenseth	Toyota	31	22.582	0.126	0.025	119.564
6	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	62	22.627	0.171	0.045	119.326
7	2	Brad Keselowski	Ford	83	22.652	0.196	0.025	119.195
8	41	Kurt Busch	Ford	63	22.661	0.205	0.009	119.147
9	24	Chase Elliott	Chevrolet	74	22.686	0.230	0.025	119.016
10	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	41	22.704	0.248	0.018	118.922
11	6	Trevor Bayne	Ford	63	22.707	0.251	0.003	118.906
12	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	60	22.708	0.252	0.001	118.901
13	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	41	22.710	0.254	0.002	118.890
14	38	David Ragan	Ford	51	22.741	0.285	0.031	118.728
15	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	71	22.743	0.287	0.002	118.718
16	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	51	22.753	0.297	0.010	118.666
17	10	Danica Patrick	Ford	70	22.781	0.325	0.028	118.520
18	31	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	41	22.785	0.329	0.004	118.499
19	14	Clint Bowyer	Ford	31	22.795	0.339	0.010	118.447
20	34	Landon Cassill	Ford	11	22.801	0.345	0.006	118.416
21	21	Ryan Blaney	Ford	57	22.817	0.361	0.016	118.333
22	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	60	22.817	0.361	0.000	118.333
23	13	Ty Dillon	Chevrolet	48	22.826	0.370	0.009	118.286
24	3	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet	59	22.851	0.395	0.025	118.157
25	37	Chris Buescher	Chevrolet	34	22.855	0.399	0.004	118.136
26	77	Erik Jones	Toyota	5	22.886	0.430	0.031	117.976
27	83	Corey Lajoie	Toyota	35	22.910	0.454	0.024	117.852
28	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	54	22.923	0.467	0.013	117.786
29	47	A.J. Allmendinger	Chevrolet	64	22.941	0.485	0.018	117.693
30	32	Matt DiBenedetto	Ford	50	22.993	0.537	0.052	117.427
31	4	Kevin Harvick	Ford	78	23.043	0.587	0.050	117.172
32	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	49	23.049	0.593	0.006	117.142
33	95	Michael McDowell	Chevrolet	24	23.186	0.730	0.137	116.450
34	23	Gray Gaulding	Toyota	49	23.219	0.763	0.033	116.284
35	33	Jeffrey Earnhardt	Chevrolet	49	23.279	0.823	0.060	115.984
36	55	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	3	23.338	0.882	0.059	115.691
37	72	Cole Whitt	Chevrolet	46	23.464	1.008	0.126	115.070
38	15	Derrike Cope	Toyota	17	23.664	1.208	0.200	114.097