Kyle Busch tops incident-filled Roval practice at Charlotte
Kyle Busch led the way in an eventful first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session Friday on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch was also among the many victims of a penalty during the 50-minute session for driving through the frontstretch or backstretch chicanes. Each driver that did so had that lap time disallowed and had to make a pass-thru penalty on pit road.
Still, Busch went out again late in the session and set the fastest average lap speed of 106.397 mph, topping his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Erik Jones (106.382 mph). Joey Logano was third-fastest (106.122 mph).
Daniel Hemric, entered as a third team this weekend by Richard Childress Racing, was fourth-fastest and Clint Bowyer completed the top-five.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray and Trevor Bayne.
Early into the session, Darrell Wallace Jr. went for a spin in the infield course but continued on. Wallace ended up spinning at least three times in the session.
Aric Almirola went off-course in Turn 3 early in the session and hit the tire barrier, doing some damage to his No. 10 Ford.
Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota also suffered some damage after he ran over the blue “turtle” curbs designed to keep drivers on the course in the chicanes.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also spun and hit the tire barrier in Turn 3, doing damage to his No. 17 Ford.
Austin Dillon’s No. 3 suffered a lot of left-front damage after he slammed into the tire barrier exiting the backstretch chicane.
Take a virtual lap around the Charlotte Roval with the No. 78 Toyota Camry of Martin Truex Jr., courtesy of NASCAR Heat 3, which you can order now:
| Cla | # | Driver | 4506 | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | Mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 |  Kyle Busch | Toyota | 6 | 1'17.145 | 106.397 | ||
| 2 | 20 |  Erik Jones | Toyota | 5 | 1'17.156 | 0.011 | 0.011 | 106.382 |
| 3 | 22 |  Joey Logano | Ford | 11 | 1'17.345 | 0.200 | 0.189 | 106.122 |
| 4 | 8 | Daniel Hemric | Chevrolet | 9 | 1'17.375 | 0.230 | 0.030 | 106.081 |
| 5 | 14 |  Clint Bowyer | Ford | 10 | 1'17.425 | 0.280 | 0.050 | 106.012 |
| 6 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 8 | 1'17.430 | 0.285 | 0.005 | 106.005 |
| 7 | 48 |  Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 10 | 1'17.467 | 0.322 | 0.037 | 105.955 |
| 8 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 12 | 1'17.679 | 0.534 | 0.212 | 105.666 |
| 9 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 7 | 1'17.859 | 0.714 | 0.180 | 105.421 |
| 10 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 8 | 1'17.882 | 0.737 | 0.023 | 105.390 |
| 11 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 8 | 1'17.917 | 0.772 | 0.035 | 105.343 |
| 12 | 37 | Chris Buescher | Chevrolet | 6 | 1'17.922 | 0.777 | 0.005 | 105.336 |
| 13 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Ford | 9 | 1'17.924 | 0.779 | 0.002 | 105.333 |
| 14 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet | 11 | 1'18.191 | 1.046 | 0.267 | 104.974 |
| 15 | 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | Chevrolet | 10 | 1'18.283 | 1.138 | 0.092 | 104.850 |
| 16 | 34 |  Michael McDowell | Ford | 5 | 1'18.332 | 1.187 | 0.049 | 104.785 |
| 17 | 78 |  Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | 5 | 1'18.339 | 1.194 | 0.007 | 104.775 |
| 18 | 19 |  Daniel Suarez | Toyota | 9 | 1'18.459 | 1.314 | 0.120 | 104.615 |
| 19 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 9 | 1'18.521 | 1.376 | 0.062 | 104.533 |
| 20 | 21 | Paul Menard | Ford | 10 | 1'18.589 | 1.444 | 0.068 | 104.442 |
| 21 | 38 |  David Ragan | Ford | 11 | 1'19.292 | 2.147 | 0.703 | 103.516 |
| 22 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 4 | 1'19.365 | 2.220 | 0.073 | 103.421 |
| 23 | 12 |  Ryan Blaney | Ford | 8 | 1'19.503 | 2.358 | 0.138 | 103.241 |
| 24 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 9 | 1'19.507 | 2.362 | 0.004 | 103.236 |
| 25 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 16 | 1'19.805 | 2.660 | 0.298 | 102.851 |
| 26 | 15 | Justin Marks | Chevrolet | 11 | 1'20.163 | 3.018 | 0.358 | 102.391 |
| 27 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 15 | 1'20.286 | 3.141 | 0.123 | 102.235 |
| 28 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Chevrolet | 8 | 1'20.527 | 3.382 | 0.241 | 101.929 |
| 29 | 95 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | 14 | 1'20.629 | 3.484 | 0.102 | 101.800 |
| 30 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 6 | 1'20.633 | 3.488 | 0.004 | 101.795 |
| 31 | 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 12 | 1'20.969 | 3.824 | 0.336 | 101.372 |
| 32 | 24 | William Byron | Chevrolet | 5 | 1'21.194 | 4.049 | 0.225 | 101.091 |
| 33 | 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr. | Chevrolet | 16 | 1'21.290 | 4.145 | 0.096 | 100.972 |
| 34 | 72 | Cole Whitt | Chevrolet | 5 | 1'21.565 | 4.420 | 0.275 | 100.631 |
| 35 | 7 | Ross Chastain | Chevrolet | 2 | 1'22.297 | 5.152 | 0.732 | 99.736 |
| 36 | 66 | Timmy Hill | Toyota | 3 | 1'23.053 | 5.908 | 0.756 | 98.828 |
| 37 | 23 | J.J. Yeley | Toyota | 6 | 1'23.307 | 6.162 | 0.254 | 98.527 |
| 38 | 96 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | Toyota | 12 | 1'23.348 | 6.203 | 0.041 | 98.479 |
| 39 | 51 | Stanton Barrett | Ford | 10 | 1'24.835 | 7.690 | 1.487 | 96.753 |
| 40 | 00 | Landon Cassill | Chevrolet | 6 | 1'24.843 | 7.698 | 0.008 | 96.743 |
Previous article
Ryan Preece to step up to Cup with JTG Daugherty Racing in 2019
Next article
Daniel Hemric to replace Newman at RCR in 2019
About this article
| Series | NASCAR Cup |
| Event | Charlotte II |
| Author | Jim Utter |
From the archive: Dale Earnhardt’s final Autosport interview
The death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. At the Daytona 24 Hours, two weeks before his fatal accident, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM, in an article first published in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine. Little did we know then what tragedy would unfold…
The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardt’s death
On February 18, 2001, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt – the fearless ‘Intimidator’ – was in his element at Daytona International Speedway. While his own DEI team’s cars ran 1-2 towards the finish line, his famed #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was playing rear gunner to block any late runs from the chasing pack. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strongarm tactics that encapsulated his persona… but his actions in those moments sadly proved to be his last.
Inspired by Pitbull, the “revolution” sweeping through NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series is changing. Whether it be the gradual morphing out the seasoned drivers of yesterday as the next generation step up, a radical calendar shake-up featuring more road courses than ever before and the prospect of an all-new car on the horizon, stock car racing’s highest level is nearing the end of a huge facelift.
The NASCAR storylines to watch out for in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season…
Why Kyle Larson can't blow his big shot at redemption
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a chance of redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Effectively replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith...
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future…
Why Kyle Larson deserves his second chance in a cancel culture
“You can’t hear me? Hey n*****” Those fateful words uttered by Kyle Larson, spoken into his esports headset on April 12, were directed at his sim racing spotter – but instead they quickly became amplified around the world via social media, including his own Twitch stream.
