Truex tops second practice session in New Hampshire

Kyle Larson was second followed by Jimmie Johnson, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, rookie Erik Jones, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.

NASCAR applied additional PJ1 on the lower lane prior to the start of second practice on Saturday. 

Elliott established a fast time followed by Kenseth, Larson, Johnson, Jones, Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Daniel Suarez.  Once Larson got up to speed, however, he jumped to the top of the speed chart with a lap of 131.33mph after his first 14-lap run.

Fifteen minutes into the session, Larson remained on top followed by Elliott (131.162mph), Brad Keselowski (131.071mph), Jones (131.008), Kenseth (130.689mph), Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Johnson and Hamlin.

Larson made a second 10-lap run in the next 15-minutes and held the top speed 30 minutes into practice. Truex moved up to third on the speed chart with a lap of 131.107mph. The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team — among others — remarked that rolling the center was where Truex picked up all of his speed.  

On Truex’s third run, the No. 78 car leap-frogged over Larson with a speed of 131.338mph after 23 laps. With 10 minutes remaining in the 55-minute session, Larson held onto second followed by Johnson, Elliott, Keselowski, Jones, Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Hamlin and Bowyer. 

"It's just a little bit tight through the center,” Hamlin said. "Not too bad everywhere else.”

Johnson’s 60 laps were the most completed at the end of second practice. 

Cla	#	Driver	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	Mph
1	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	35	29.000			131.338
2	42	Kyle Larson	Chevrolet	53	29.001	0.001	0.001	131.333
3	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	60	29.034	0.034	0.033	131.184
4	24	Chase Elliott	Chevrolet	34	29.039	0.039	0.005	131.162
5	2	Brad Keselowski	Ford	32	29.059	0.059	0.020	131.071
6	77	Erik Jones	Toyota	30	29.073	0.073	0.014	131.008
7	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	43	29.092	0.092	0.019	130.923
8	20	Matt Kenseth	Toyota	42	29.114	0.114	0.022	130.824
9	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	26	29.149	0.149	0.035	130.667
10	14	Clint Bowyer	Ford	33	29.178	0.178	0.029	130.537
11	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	34	29.201	0.201	0.023	130.434
12	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	34	29.215	0.215	0.014	130.371
13	41	Kurt Busch	Ford	48	29.217	0.217	0.002	130.362
14	6	Trevor Bayne	Ford	19	29.218	0.218	0.001	130.358
15	19	Daniel Suarez	Toyota	35	29.227	0.227	0.009	130.318
16	4	Kevin Harvick	Ford	35	29.243	0.243	0.016	130.247
17	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	37	29.246	0.246	0.003	130.233
18	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	28	29.252	0.252	0.006	130.206
19	21	Ryan Blaney	Ford	29	29.266	0.266	0.014	130.144
20	22	Joey Logano	Ford	31	29.299	0.299	0.033	129.998
21	47	A.J. Allmendinger	Chevrolet	29	29.383	0.383	0.084	129.626
22	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	27	29.395	0.395	0.012	129.573
23	31	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	28	29.448	0.448	0.053	129.340
24	37	Chris Buescher	Chevrolet	35	29.550	0.550	0.102	128.893
25	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	31	29.554	0.554	0.004	128.876
26	3	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet	32	29.565	0.565	0.011	128.828
27	10	Danica Patrick	Ford	29	29.605	0.605	0.040	128.654
28	32	Matt DiBenedetto	Ford	35	29.621	0.621	0.016	128.584
29	95	Michael McDowell	Chevrolet	31	29.681	0.681	0.060	128.325
30	13	Ty Dillon	Chevrolet	30	29.713	0.713	0.032	128.186
31	23	Corey Lajoie	Toyota	18	29.728	0.728	0.015	128.122
32	72	Cole Whitt	Chevrolet	21	29.738	0.738	0.010	128.079
33	38	David Ragan	Ford	33	29.758	0.758	0.020	127.992
34	34	Landon Cassill	Ford	28	29.784	0.784	0.026	127.881
35	55	Gray Gaulding	Toyota	21	29.936	0.936	0.152	127.231
36	15	Reed Sorenson	Chevrolet	12	30.162	1.162	0.226	126.278
37	33	Jeffrey Earnhardt	Chevrolet	26	30.319	1.319	0.157	125.624
38	51	Josh Bilicki	Chevrolet	17	30.556	1.556	0.237	124.650