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Truex tops Byron in Cup Series practice on Indy RC

Martin Truex Jr. led the way in Saturday’s lone practice session on the Indy Road Course in advance of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race on the track.

Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Auto-Owners Insurance / MTJF

Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry Auto-Owners Insurance / MTJF

Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images

Truex posted the top single-lap speed of 98.028 mph in the final minute of the session, which was extended by several minutes due to a late caution for Bubba Wallace going off course with a flat tire.

William Byron ended up second-fastest and also posted his fast lap (97.479 mph) in the few additional minutes added to the session.

Truex’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, was third, fellow JGR driver Christopher Bell was fourth and Austin Cindric – making his final Cup start of the 2021 season – rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were last weekend’s winner Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Matt DiBenedetto, Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano.

Turn 1 on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course looked to present a problem for several drivers – Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Anthony Alfredo and Brad Keselowski among them – who locked brakes entering that turn during the course of the session.

 

Several drivers also ran off course during the session, including Hamlin, whose No. 11 Toyota scooped up a large amount of infield grass with the nose of his car.

Wallace ran off course late in the session with a flat tire and his No. 23 Toyota and brought out the only caution of the session. He had to be towed back to the garage.

Read Also:

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Mph
1 19 United States Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 20 1'29.570     98.028
2 24 United States William Byron Chevrolet 17 1'30.075 0.505 0.505 97.479
3 11 United States Denny Hamlin Toyota 17 1'30.324 0.754 0.249 97.210
4 20 United States Christopher Bell Toyota 16 1'30.389 0.819 0.065 97.140
5 33 United States Austin Cindric Ford 10 1'30.392 0.822 0.003 97.137
6 5 United States Kyle Larson Chevrolet 18 1'30.426 0.856 0.034 97.100
7 14 United States Chase Briscoe Ford 10 1'30.492 0.922 0.066 97.030
8 21 United States Matt DiBenedetto Ford 19 1'30.526 0.956 0.034 96.993
9 8 United States Tyler Reddick Chevrolet 20 1'30.529 0.959 0.003 96.990
10 22 United States Joey Logano Ford 15 1'30.531 0.961 0.002 96.988
11 12 United States Ryan Blaney Ford 13 1'30.657 1.087 0.126 96.853
12 3 United States Austin Dillon Chevrolet 16 1'30.707 1.137 0.050 96.800
13 41 United States Cole Custer Ford 16 1'30.708 1.138 0.001 96.799
14 7 United States Corey Lajoie Chevrolet 17 1'30.765 1.195 0.057 96.738
15 34 United States Michael McDowell Ford 16 1'30.770 1.200 0.005 96.732
16 16 United States A.J. Allmendinger Chevrolet 10 1'30.784 1.214 0.014 96.717
17 99 Mexico Daniel Suarez Chevrolet 20 1'30.823 1.253 0.039 96.676
18 42 United States Ross Chastain Chevrolet 18 1'30.884 1.314 0.061 96.611
19 18 United States Kyle Busch Toyota 19 1'30.888 1.318 0.004 96.607
20 4 United States Kevin Harvick Ford 20 1'30.952 1.382 0.064 96.539
21 2 United States Brad Keselowski Ford 15 1'30.956 1.386 0.004 96.535
22 48 United States Alex Bowman Chevrolet 19 1'30.997 1.427 0.041 96.491
23 9 United States Chase Elliott Chevrolet 20 1'31.018 1.448 0.021 96.469
24 17 United States Chris Buescher Ford 15 1'31.076 1.506 0.058 96.407
25 43 United States Erik Jones Chevrolet 13 1'31.106 1.536 0.030 96.376
26 10 United States Aric Almirola Ford 15 1'31.109 1.539 0.003 96.372
27 77 United States Justin Haley Chevrolet 12 1'31.122 1.552 0.013 96.359
28 1 United States Kurt Busch Chevrolet 18 1'31.265 1.695 0.143 96.208
29 23 United States Bubba Wallace Toyota 15 1'31.293 1.723 0.028 96.178
30 52 United States Josh Bilicki Ford 9 1'31.545 1.975 0.252 95.913
31 15 Australia James Davison Chevrolet 11 1'31.574 2.004 0.029 95.883
32 6 United States Ryan Newman Ford 15 1'31.626 2.056 0.052 95.829
33 47 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chevrolet 18 1'31.931 2.361 0.305 95.511
34 78 United States Andy Lally Ford 12 1'32.186 2.616 0.255 95.247
35 38 Anthony Alfredo Ford 17 1'32.237 2.667 0.051 95.194
36 37 United States Ryan Preece Chevrolet 16 1'32.521 2.951 0.284 94.902
37 51 United States Cody Ware Chevrolet 11 1'32.678 3.108 0.157 94.741
38 53 United States Garrett Smithley Ford 13 1'33.621 4.051 0.943 93.787
39 00 United States Quin Houff Chevrolet 10 1'34.942 5.372 1.321 92.482
40 66 United States Timmy Hill Toyota 5 1'35.006 5.436 0.064 92.419

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