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