Ryan Blaney posted the fastest overall lap Saturday in NASCAR Cup Series practice at Bristol Motor Speedway and was the only driver to hit 127mph.
Blaney’s topped the chart in his Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse at 127.682mph (15.02s). The reigning series champion has never won at Bristol.
Kyle Busch was second fastest in practice at 126.989mph and Bubba Wallace was third fastest at 126.922mph. Ross Chastain was fourth fastest at 126.905mph and Joey Logano was completed the top five at 126.863mph.
William Byron was sixth fastest at 126.562mph, Michael McDowell was seventh fastest at 126.187mph, and Christopher Bell was eighth fastest at 125.947mph. AJ Allmendinger was ninth fastest at 125.708mph and John Hunter Nemechek was 10th fastest at 125.354mph.
Bell won the spring race at Bristol in 2023. However, it was on the dirt surface.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
Allmendinger is back in the No. 16 for Kaulig Racing this weekend. Sunday will be his second start of the season.
There was one significant incident in practice. Ty Gibbs hit the wall in Turn 2 on his second lap. Gibbs, in the second group of drivers, reported his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota wouldn’t turn, sending him into the outside wall. However, it was just cosmetic damage to the No. 54 car, and the team spent more time diagnosing what suspension pieces were damaged.
Gibbs returned to the track after repairs but again reported something felt wrong. He only completed a total of three laps in practice.
Wallace ran the most laps in practice — 56. Ross Chastain logged the second-most at 50.
Blaney was also fastest in the best 10 consecutive lap average. Blaney topped Chastain, Wallace, Bell, and Byron.
There are 36 drivers entered in the Food City 500.