Tag: Pocono

LaJoie has no regrets after contact with Busch

Corey LaJoie said he would not have done anything differently on the restart where he spun Kyle Busch going into Turn 1 at Pocono Raceway. “You’ve got to take the run,” LaJoie told NASCAR.com. “I’m not the guy that wants to wreck anybody but I think …

Corey LaJoie said he would not have done anything differently on the restart where he spun Kyle Busch going into Turn 1 at Pocono Raceway.

“You’ve got to take the run,” LaJoie told NASCAR.com. “I’m not the guy that wants to wreck anybody but I think if Kyle blocks only once, then we both go around the corner and live to fight another day. But that second block that he thought he had covered and he didn’t, was what did him and did a couple of other guys in.”

LaJoie spun Busch following contact with the left rear of the No. 8 Chevrolet with 40 laps to go. The two were lined up mid-pack on the restart and were the furthest to the left on the track as the field fanned out charging toward Turn 1.

Busch blocked LaJoie to the left down the straightaway. There was no contact on the initial block, but LaJoie then hit Busch in the left rear, which sent him down onto the apron before his car shot back up the racetrack in the corner and collected Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Harrison Burton and AJ Allmendinger.

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“Restarts are so crazy there,” LaJoie said. “If you have any momentum, you have to take it and go to the bottom to stake your ground. I got a big push from [Allmendinger] and it was like four wide, and I went to the left rear of [Busch], and he blocked it once and I stayed straight. I was anticipating our bumpers lining up and then pushing him forward and him taking a lane. But he blocked again when I had more position on him, and [I] spun him out.

“Hate it; took out him and some other guys, but that’s just what you have to do. You have to take momentum when you have it because if you don’t, the guy behind you is going to put you in a worse spot than you’re going to put the guy in front of you. That’s just how the racing is. You have to be super aggressive on restarts and sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.”

Busch didn’t have much to say about the crash. The two-time series champion told reporters it “doesn’t matter” what he thought when asked if LaJoie had been too aggressive.

“Of course you have mirrors and cameras and everything else, so you try to get in front of the run that’s coming,” Busch said. “I was trying to get in front of that run and sometimes some don’t lift. Kamikaze.”

The incident resulted in Busch’s fifth DNF of the season. LaJoie finished 19th.

“I think Kyle and I have been racing around each other long enough, we’re not going to be smashing into each other on purpose,” LaJoie said. “We both are guys that feel like we belong – certainly him – but I’m not going to say sorry. I’m not sorry about it because that was the thing. And if the shoe was on the other foot, the exact same thing would have happened, and I think he would probably say that.”

Bowman left wanting more from final Pocono restart on front row

Alex Bowman knew his shot at Ryan Blaney was on the final restart at Pocono Raceway, but when that didn’t materialize, there was nothing left in the playbook. “It certainly felt like nothing as soon as he got away from me,” Bowman said after …

Alex Bowman knew his shot at Ryan Blaney was on the final restart at Pocono Raceway, but when that didn’t materialize, there was nothing left in the playbook.

“It certainly felt like nothing as soon as he got away from me,” Bowman said after finishing third. “I was like, [expletive], you’re just getting smaller and smaller.”

Sunday’s race restarted for the final time with 23 laps to go. Blaney initially gapped Bowman, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver was able to get within approximately two car lengths with 20 laps to go. A serious challenge never occurred as Blaney worked the air off Turn 3 to extend his lead again and drive away.

“I burnt the right rear off of it on the long run [when] I needed to get him on the restart,” Bowman said. “We kind of debated and went back and forth on which lane to pick, and I could have picked outside the second row and had a more secure spot [holding off track position], but I thought it was hard to turn down the front row.

“We always got away with second, at least, so just need to keep working at it.”

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Bowman restarted on the inside of the front row alongside Blaney. It was no surprise that restarts were critical at Pocono and there was much discussion amongst drivers about where they wanted to position themselves going into Turn 1.

“That’s just Pocono, right?” Bowman said. “The race I won here (in 2021), I think the first three [drivers] took the top, and I took the inside and got the lead on the restart, and that’s how we won the race, aside from Kyle [Larson] blowing a tire.

“It’s tough here. If you get guys that go three wide, it just kills the whole inside line, so the outside line doesn’t have a choice – they have to push each other and that’s why they get going so well. It was worth taking a shot at it and it didn’t work out.”

The result was still a top-five finish for Bowman, a week after his victory at Chicago. A spark is back within Bowman’s team, although he joked that it must be a fluke.

“I think that’s what everybody says on the interwebs,” he said. “I think it’s great to be pointed in the right direction and continue to have a good, solid result after last week’s win. Obviously, we want more; restarting on the front row, you want to get a win, but just needed a little bit more.”

Hamlin breaks recent slump, but Pocono is still one that got away

Denny Hamlin had a good day finishing second at Pocono Raceway, but felt it was a race that got away given the strength of his Toyota. “It’s hard,” Hamlin said Sunday. “If you blindly said, ‘OK, we’re not going to go race at Pocono, and you’re going …

Denny Hamlin had a good day finishing second at Pocono Raceway, but felt it was a race that got away given the strength of his Toyota.

“It’s hard,” Hamlin said Sunday. “If you blindly said, ‘OK, we’re not going to go race at Pocono, and you’re going to finish first, second, second, are you all right with that?’ I would probably take it.”

It was a needed day for Hamlin and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team. He described the last month of Cup Series racing as a “terrible slump” on the results sheet for his group, as they had not finished inside the top 10 since St. Louis (June 2).

Hamlin led 31 laps at Pocono Raceway and won the second stage, but he needed to have a better restart with 23 laps to go to have challenged Ryan Blaney for an eighth victory at the facility. Instead, Hamlin lined up fourth – second on the outside row – and couldn’t get around Alex Bowman.

It wasn’t until there were seven laps to go that Hamlin finally overtook Bowman. By that point, Blaney had driven away by over one second.

“I knew that was the critical part of the end of the race — try to come out of the restart second — and I just didn’t do a good job of trying to clear Alex, and he did a great job clearing me,” Hamlin said. “I knew I was sitting there at that point, waiting on the tires to wear out so I could make a move. You get so aero tight at this racetrack that I need those long runs for the field to start spreading out to make moves, and it was just too late.”

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The restarts were critical to success. Hamlin wanted to be on the front row whenever the opportunity was presented, but if that option disappeared, the easy choice became restarting from the preferred outside lane.

Hamlin and Bowman didn’t give an inch on the final restart. The two stayed side-by-side around Pocono for a full lap before Bowman cleared Hamlin. When the No. 48 burned his right rear off trying to chase down Blaney, it put him back in the clutches of Hamlin to take one more position before the end of the race.

“I thought that he did a great job holding his line and I held mine, and that was just a pivotal point,” Hamlin said. “He knew how important it was for him; I knew how important it was for me, and he got the best of us.”

Indianapolis is next, another racetrack with long straightaways that reward fast cars. Hamlin is optimistic his team can carry those variables into next weekend where he chases another crown jewel missing from his resume.

“I’m going to be really confident going into next week,” Hamlin said. “We had a great test there, and I feel like we’ve got the speed. That track is going to be a very, very track position-sensitive race, so it’s going to be up to myself and the team to execute on a high level.”

Blaney continues summer hot streak with win at Pocono

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney returned to the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series win and pulled away from the field in the closing laps of Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 at a sold-out Pocono (Pa.) Raceway to …

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney returned to the site of his first career NASCAR Cup Series win and pulled away from the field in the closing laps of Sunday’s The Great American Getaway 400 at a sold-out Pocono (Pa.) Raceway to deliver a strong reminder to the competition that he’s primed to contend for another season trophy.

Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford held off the track’s all-time winningest driver Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota by 1.312s to give Blaney his second victory of the season – both coming in just the last month — and the 12th win of the 30-year old’s career.

“Hell yeah boys, let’s go!” an elated Blaney screamed to his team as he crossed the historic Pocono finish line.

With the victory, Blaney moves up to fifth place in the championship standings and thanks to his first win of the year at Iowa Speedway in June, he’s one of only five drivers with multiple victories on the season.

“Feel like we’ve gotten to a great pace and speed the last couple months. Honestly thought we let a couple races slip away from us I thought we should have won,’’ Blaney said, adding, “It’s just so cool to win here again. Won here seven years ago for my first Cup win, so awesome to be back.’’

Although he ran among the top 10 for much of the race, Blaney ultimately took the lead on a restart with 44 laps remaining and never relinquished it despite two more restarts and a highly-motivated Hamlin lining up either alongside him or directly behind him on each of those green flags.

Last week’s race winner, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, filled Blaney’s mirrors for much of the closing laps until getting passed by Hamlin with seven laps remaining. Bowman finished third with his Hendrick teammate William Byron and Blaney’s Team Penske teammate Joey Logano rounding out the top five.

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“Track position was just such a big thing and when that No. 12 [Blaney] jumped on that stage we won, that put them in front of us and certainly were going to be hard to pass,’’ said Hamlin, a seven-time Pocono race winner who won Sunday’s second stage.

“Just not enough laps of green there at the end, but hats off to them, great run. He kept up great pace at there at the front and hard for me to even get up there close enough to try to reel him in.’’

23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Brad Keselowski, JGR’s Martin Truex Jr. (the opening stage winner), Hendrick’s Chase Elliott and 23XI’s Bubba Wallace rounded out the top 10. Both Elliott’s and Wallace’s finishes, in particular, were impactful on the championship standings.

The 2020 series champion Elliott took over the championship lead from his teammate, 2021 series champ Kyle Larson and takes a slim three-point advantage atop the regular season standings with only five races remaining before the Playoffs. The regular season champion receives a valuable 15 extra Playoff points to carry with him through the 10-race Playoff run.

Wallace’s top 10 was also important in his quest to become championship eligible for the second consecutive year. He is now ranked 17th, only 27 points behind 16th place Ross Chastain with the top 16 drivers following the Sept. 1 race at Darlington, S.C. eligible for the championship.

Chastain, one of four drivers inside the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field without a win but based on points, finished 36th on Sunday. His No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet slammed the Turn 1 wall on lap 53 and the team had to retire the car.

 

Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch was involved in a multi-car accident with 39 laps remaining and finished 32nd Sunday. He’s now finished 27th or worse in four of the last five races and is ranked 19th in the standings, 102 points behind 16th place Chastain. The two-time series champion is not only trying to make the Playoffs but extend a career winning streak to 19 seasons.

The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the famed 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Brickyard 400 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell won last year’s Indy race, but it was on the road course. The last driver to win a race on the 2.5-mile speedway is recently retired driver Kevin Harvick in 2020.

RESULTS

Larson ‘absolutely’ eyeing tightening Cup Series points battle

Kyle Larson is keeping a close eye on the NASCAR Cup Series point standings as more rivals enter the picture for the regular-season championship. “Absolutely, I pay attention to it every week, and I would imagine everybody probably does – even the …

Kyle Larson is keeping a close eye on the NASCAR Cup Series point standings as more rivals enter the picture for the regular-season championship.

“Absolutely, I pay attention to it every week, and I would imagine everybody probably does — even the guys that say they don’t,” Larson said at Pocono Raceway. “I pay attention to it a lot.”

Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team lead the championship standings. He has an 11-point advantage on teammate Chase Elliott going into Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, USA), and this is despite Larson having competed in one less race than the competition because he did not start and earn points in the Coca-Cola 600.

There are seven drivers less than 100 points behind him in the point standings. Christopher Bell is eighth, 85 points back.

A driver can earn a maximum of 60 points in a race. There are six races left in the regular season before NASCAR awards 15 playoff points to the regular-season champion.

“I feel like all of us probably feel like we’ve missed out on opportunities to either gain points…especially here lately for us,” Larson continued. “Iowa and then Chicago — if I could have those two races back and be a little bit more conservative, I would probably have a 60-point lead right now.

“That’s frustrating on my end, but we have six races left, so we just have to get back to those consistent runs and hopefully that’s enough to get those 15 bonus points.”

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The ever-changing landscape in the point standings doesn’t surprise him. He, like many of his peers, has found that competition in the Next Gen era is more inconsistent than in years past. In other words, it’s far easier now to see teams be hot one week, cold the next, and back and forth.

As such, when Larson looks at the standings as much as he does, some drivers stand out. One, lately, has been Tyler Reddick, who now sits third.

“He has surprised me where he’s at currently because I feel like he’s just been quiet, which is odd for Tyler Reddick…” Larson said. “I was surprised [because] before Chicago, I looked and was like, ‘Man, he’s actually within range.’ I’ve just been so focused the last four or five weeks on the No. 9 (Elliott) and the No. 11 (Denny), and then it was like, ‘Wow, he could easily steal this thing.’

“I think you’ve seen some inconsistent runs from myself, the No. 11, the No. 9 here lately with different issues at the end of the races where Tyler has been kind of quietly up there and finished [well] the last couple of weeks. Runs like that really help. We just have to continue getting good stage points, which we’ve done a really good job at, but then get back to finishing races.”

Larson leads the points and the series in laps led (754) and is tied with Reddick for the most top-five finishes in the series (eight). Reddick leads the series in top 10 finishes (13).

Bell leads the series in playoff points (24). Elliott leads the series in average finish (10.6).

Custer finally breaks through for first Xfinity win of 2024 at Pocono

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series …

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer claimed his first win of the 2024 season Saturday beating his closest championship challenger Justin Allgaier to the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 checkered flag and giving Ford its first series win of the year.

Custer’s No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang took the lead from Allgaier on a restart with nine laps remaining and then held off the JR Motorsports Chevy by 0.670s to secure his 14th career victory in a thrilling finish at Pocono Raceway. He becomes first driver to win multiple NASCAR Xfinity Series races at the historic 2.5-mile track – answering his 2019 win.

“You just try to manage it the best you can but it’s kind of the luck of the draw who gets the best push,’’ a smiling Custer said of having to hold off perennial championship contender Allgaier and third place finisher NASCAR Cup Series regular William Byron in the closing laps.

“That was some Doug Yates horsepower right there. We definitely had it on the straightaways and man, I just can’t say enough about these guys. They’ve worked so hard this whole year and just haven’t had that final result. To finally get it, is so awesome.’’

 

Allgaier led a race best 30 laps of the 90-lap race with the 25-year old Californian Custer out front for 25 laps – the two drivers each winning a stage. For Allgaier, his Stage 1 victory was a series best 11th but a pit road penalty during the ensuing pit stop forced him to work his way back up through the field.

And even with all the impressive race statistics and compelling comeback storyline Saturday, it was missing out on the trophy after such a strong showing that stuck with Allgaier when he climbed out of his Chevrolet.

“Really proud of everyone at Junior Motorsports; just really stinks to come out of here second,’’ Allgaier said. “Led so many laps here and feel like same result every time, just not able to go to Victory Lane. … just came up a little short and it’s going to sting for a little while.’’

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This year’s Daytona 500 winner and the 2017 Xfinity Series champion Byron was making his third Xfinity Series start of the season and kept the field honest leading 17 laps.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray rounded out the Pocono top five. Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill, Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman and JR Motorsports teammates Sammy Smith and Sam Mayer rounded out the top 10.

Custer extended his lead atop the Xfinity Series championship and now holds a 51-point advantage on Allgaier. With seven races remaining to set the 12-driver Playoff field, Smith holds a 23-point edge over Ryan Sieg for that 12th position.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Pennzoil 250 (3:30 p.m. ET, USA Network, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ty Gibbs won the race last year on the Indianapolis road course. Kyle Busch won the last NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the famed 2.5-mile oval in 2019.

RESULTS

Chicago fine was ‘the best thing that happened to me’ – Wallace

Bubba Wallace confirmed he will not be appealing the fine NASCAR handed down this week, instead describing it as “the best thing that happened to me.” Wallace was fined $50,000 for hitting Alex Bowman’s car during the cooldown lap last weekend in …

Bubba Wallace confirmed he will not be appealing the fine NASCAR handed down this week, instead describing it as “the best thing that happened to me.”

Wallace was fined $50,000 for hitting Alex Bowman’s car during the cooldown lap last weekend in Chicago. It was frustration that carried over from contact during the race when Bowman spun Wallace off Turn 2 on lap 25. To make matters worse, Bowman went on to win the race and clinch a playoff spot as Wallace remained below the cutline.

“The penalty was probably the best thing that happened to me,” Wallace said Saturday. “I’ve been miserable for years walking around with a persona that I’m not proud of, and I need to apologize to a lot of people, especially that are close to me. [I’ve been] frustrated and trying way too hard and not focused on the right things.”

Despite the incident, Wallace finished 13th. He pointed out that for the critics, it’s hard to understand how much work (or heart and soul as Wallace said) has gone into improving his efforts on the road and street courses. In seven years at the Cup Series level, Wallace has two top-10 finishes on road courses.

The frustration with Bowman, even hours after it happened given the mid-race red flag for rain, stemmed from Wallace believing Chicago was the team’s “best road course ever.” It was wiped out in two corners when the track conditions changed as Bowman said his windshield wiper wasn’t working and he was trying to get his switches right.

“When that’s all ripped away, you feel some type of entitlement to show your frustration,” Wallace said. “Did I time it wrong? Sure, 100 percent. His window net was down, seatbelts were off — not an ideal situation. It’s the guy you’re racing with in the points and then he goes on to win the race, so it’s like icing on the cake, right? It’s just three or four slaps in the face when you’re working your [butt] off to be better for the team, and just ripped way.

“Not that I’m justifying it all, but I’m a passionate guy. I let my frustration get the best of me, but I will say, I got my media training from Kevin Harvick.”

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Wallace was at Charlotte Motor Speedway to run a Legend Cars race when he was informed of the fine. Harvick was also there with his son, Keelan. It turned out to be a fortunate turn of events because Harvick, now a retired Cup Series champion who has gone through his share of controversy and penalties, could be a wise voice in Wallace’s ear.

The first piece of advice from Harvick was to accept the penalty and show up to the next race with a smile on his face. After all, it could be worse, had there been points or a suspension involved. Harvick then told Wallace to get back to being himself.

“He told me a lot of powerful things [like] to show up and be the fun-loving guy that I am throughout the week,” Wallace said. “I think that has been one of the most important things told to me — that people don’t see who I actually am on Sundays, and that broke me. I always preach about being the same person on and off the racetrack, and it’s a pressure cooker being at the Cup level, and the last four years I’ve been miserable just trying to walk around like everything is OK.

“Not from a mental standpoint; I know I’m big on mental health and my mentals have been in check, but just trying to carry this persona of, ‘Hey, don’t bother me right now, I’m too busy,’ and then one thing goes wrong, the whole thing crumbles. I came into this weekend with a smile on my face and wanting to have fun. That’s what I’m focused on.”

Wallace went on to say that Chicago was the most fun he’s had at a racetrack in a long time. He hopes that translates over to other races as proof he can have fun and pass a lot of cars.

There were some lighthearted moments after the fine was issued. Wallace joked with his wife, Amanda, to hold off on doing more in the nursery for the child they are expecting. Amanda was another person Wallace apologized to because he hasn’t been the best husband, making her walk on eggshells after bad races.

“And that’s not what it’s about,” Wallace said. “It’s about going home and getting a fresh reset and being close to the people that are around you, so that’s what I’m looking forward to. I’m happy.”

Gibbs lands second career Cup Series pole at Pocono

Ty Gibbs will start from the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Gibbs – the final driver to qualify – earned the top spot with a lap of 170.039mph (52.929s). It’s his the second career pole in the series. William Byron qualified …

Ty Gibbs will start from the pole in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

Gibbs – the final driver to qualify — earned the top spot with a lap of 170.039mph (52.929s). It’s his the second career pole in the series.

William Byron qualified second with a fastest lap of 169.661mph.

Martin Truex Jr. qualified third (169.221mph); Denny Hamlin, fourth (169.049mph) and Josh Berry, fifth (169.135mph). Hamlin is the defending Pocono race winner.

Alex Bowman qualified sixth (168.723mph); Tyler Reddick, seventh (168.083mph); Ryan Blaney, eighth (168.678mph) and Zane Smith, ninth (167.926mph). For Smith, it was a career-best qualifying effort and the first time he’s advanced to the final round.

Joey Logano completed the top 10 qualifiers. Logano’s lap was 168.092mph.

Cup Series point leader Kyle Larson qualified 12th.

Christopher Bell qualified 13th; Brad Keselowski, 14th and Carson Hocevar, 15th. Chris Buescher, who is on the playoff grid bubble, qualified 18th.

Ross Chastain qualified 19th and Austin Cindric qualified 20th. Kyle Busch qualified 24th.

NEXT: The Great American Getaway 400 at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

RESULTS

Hamlin says appealing Wallace’s Chicago fine is unlikely

Denny Hamlin indicated Saturday that 23XI Racing will not appeal the fine issued to Bubba Wallace this week for his display of frustration after the race last weekend in Chicago. Wallace was fined $50,000 by NASCAR for hitting Alex Bowman on the …

Denny Hamlin indicated Saturday that 23XI Racing will not appeal the fine issued to Bubba Wallace this week for his display of frustration after the race last weekend in Chicago.

Wallace was fined $50,000 by NASCAR for hitting Alex Bowman on the cool-down lap after the Grant Park 165. The team has until Monday to appeal the penalty.

“I think from the team’s standpoint, I don’t believe there will be any appeals,” co-owner Hamlin said at Pocono Raceway. “It’s a learning moment you try not to repeat.”

Wallace and Bowman, who were fighting for the bubble spot on the NASCAR Cup Series playoff grid entering last weekend’s event, made contact during the Chicago race that resulted in Wallace spinning off Bowman’s bumper. The incident happened on lap 25 coming off Turn 2.

During the mid-race red flag for rain, Bowman said he tried to apologize via text and phone call but never got through. Bowman apologized again in his post-race television interview and said he didn’t think Wallace should be penalized for the contact.

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Bowman went on to win the race in Chicago. Wallace finished 13th. Afterward, Wallace ran into the right side of Bowman’s car, which was shown live on the NBC Sports broadcast.

“It’s a judgment call and that’s the explanation that they (NASCAR) gave the team,” Hamlin said. “More than likely, we’ve seen these things happen in other sports where the camera’s on you live, not a cutaway where you’d say, ‘Oh, by the way, this happened after the checkered.’ I think it being live and everyone seeing it probably caused a little more of a social media uproar…then they responded to that.”

Hamlin did not weigh in on the matter with Wallace, which is an incident he said happens every week between drivers, but he reiterated his belief that what made the Wallace/Bowman incident different was being caught on the television broadcast.

Wallace enters Pocono Raceway below the playoff grid cutline by 45 points.

Reddick leads Cup Series practice at Pocono after solo spin

Tyler Reddick spun Saturday during NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway, only to return later and set the fastest time. The 23XI Racing driver had a single-car incident at the exit of Turn 1 early in his practice group, but Reddick kept his …

Tyler Reddick spun Saturday during NASCAR Cup Series practice at Pocono Raceway, only to return later and set the fastest time.

The 23XI Racing driver had a single-car incident at the exit of Turn 1 early in his practice group, but Reddick kept his car off the wall and was able to drive back to his pit stall and the attention of his team.

Reddick’s fastest lap was 168.231mph (53.498s). He topped the board over William Byron’s 167.942mph lap.

Martin Truex Jr. was third fastest (167.942mph), Bubba Wallace was fourth (167.863mph) and Michael McDowell completed the top five (167.773mph).

Ty Gibbs was sixth (167.218mph); Austin Cindric, seventh (167.205mph); Kyle Larson, eighth (167.137mph); Daniel Suarez, ninth (167.016mph) and Carson Hocevar completed the top 10 (166.994mph).

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Larson, the championship point leader, also went for a single-car spin. The Hendrick Motorsports driver spun in Turn 2 and did not hit anything.

Reddick and Larson were the only incidents in practice. Denny Hamlin, the defending race winner, was 24th fastest. He also ran the most laps of any driver (21).

Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the best 10 consecutive lap average. It was Truex over Reddick, Cindric, Gibbs, and Hamlin.

There are 37 drivers entered in the Great American Getaway 400.