Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA

Joey Logano tops first Cup practice; Elliott changes engines

Joey Logano topped an eventful first NASCAR Cup Series practice at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

 Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Shell Pennzoil

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ford Mustang Shell Pennzoil

Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Images

Logano bolted to the top of the leaderboard late in the session with an average lap speed of 96.657 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was second (96.176 mph) and last weekend’s race winner, Denny Hamlin, ended up third (95.966 mph).

Clint Bowyer was fourth and Kyle Busch completed the top-five.

Rounding out the top-10 speeds were Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola, Daniel Suarez and Jimmie Johnson.

Prior to the start of the first practice, Matt Tifft, driver of the No. 36 Ford, was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

Read Also:

Truck series driver Matt Crafton practiced Titt’s car and posted the 31st-fastest speed.

Less than five minutes into the session, flames and smoke began pouring out of the back of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet. He immediately brought the car to a stop on the track and got out.

 

Elliott’s car was diagnosed with an engine failure and his team will have to change engines which means he will start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field regardless of where he qualifies on Saturday afternoon.

Truex had to sit out the final 15 minutes of first practice for failing pre-race inspection twice last weekend at Kansas.

Kevin Harvick had to sit out the final 30 minutes of practice for failing inspection three times last weekend.

Cla # Driver Manufacturer Laps Time Gap Interval Mph
1 22 United States Joey Logano  Ford 34 19.591     96.657
2 19 United States Martin Truex Jr.  Toyota 27 19.689 00.098 00.098 96.176
3 11 United States Denny Hamlin  Toyota 38 19.732 00.141 00.043 95.966
4 14 United States Clint Bowyer  Ford 45 19.755 00.164 00.023 95.854
5 18 United States Kyle Busch  Toyota 41 19.785 00.194 00.030 95.709
6 37 United States Chris Buescher  Chevrolet 35 19.811 00.220 00.026 95.583
7 12 United States Ryan Blaney  Ford 36 19.853 00.262 00.042 95.381
8 10 United States Aric Almirola  Ford 35 19.854 00.263 00.001 95.376
9 41 Mexico Daniel Suarez  Ford 42 19.881 00.290 00.027 95.247
10 48 United States Jimmie Johnson  Chevrolet 24 19.884 00.293 00.003 95.232
11 20 United States Erik Jones  Toyota 38 19.900 00.309 00.016 95.156
12 4 United States Kevin Harvick  Ford 25 19.901 00.310 00.001 95.151
13 42 United States Kyle Larson  Chevrolet 27 19.908 00.317 00.007 95.118
14 9 United States Chase Elliott  Chevrolet 5 19.913 00.322 00.005 95.094
15 8 United States Daniel Hemric  Chevrolet 40 19.914 00.323 00.001 95.089
16 88 United States Alex Bowman  Chevrolet 50 19.929 00.338 00.015 95.017
17 3 United States Austin Dillon  Chevrolet 31 19.947 00.356 00.018 94.932
18 95 United States Matt DiBenedetto  Toyota 58 19.956 00.365 00.009 94.889
19 38 United States David Ragan  Ford 42 19.957 00.366 00.001 94.884
20 1 United States Kurt Busch  Chevrolet 51 19.957 00.366 00.000 94.884
21 2 United States Brad Keselowski  Ford 25 19.961 00.370 00.004 94.865
22 21 United States Paul Menard  Ford 33 19.973 00.382 00.012 94.808
23 24 United States William Byron  Chevrolet 49 19.974 00.383 00.001 94.803
24 6 United States Ryan Newman  Ford 35 19.993 00.402 00.019 94.713
25 43 United States Darrell Wallace Jr.  Chevrolet 20 20.004 00.413 00.011 94.661
26 47 United States Ryan Preece  Chevrolet 35 20.013 00.422 00.009 94.618
27 34 United States Michael McDowell  Ford 39 20.028 00.437 00.015 94.548
28 13 United States Ty Dillon  Chevrolet 38 20.040 00.449 00.012 94.491
29 32 United States Corey Lajoie  Ford 28 20.042 00.451 00.002 94.482
30 17 United States Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  Ford 39 20.075 00.484 00.033 94.326
31 36 United States Matt Crafton  Ford 31 20.247 00.656 00.172 93.525
32 15 United States Ross Chastain  Chevrolet 29 20.384 00.793 00.137 92.896
33 27 United States Reed Sorenson  Chevrolet 28 20.651 01.060 00.267 91.695
34 77 United States Timmy Hill  Chevrolet 19 20.702 01.111 00.051 91.469
35 00 United States Landon Cassill  Chevrolet 33 20.716 01.125 00.014 91.408
36 51 United States B.J. McLeod  Chevrolet 11 20.936 01.345 00.220 90.447
37 52 United States Garrett Smithley  Chevrolet 18 21.027 01.436 00.091 90.056
38 53 United States J.J. Yeley  Chevrolet 15 21.042 01.451 00.015 89.991

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Tifft hospitalized prior to first Martinsville practice
Next article Keselowski tops final Cup practice at Martinsville

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA