Daniel Suarez might not have any experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but it isn’t slowing him down.
Suarez, a rookie for Joe Gibbs Racing, laid down a 176.810-mph lap around the 2.5-mile Speedway, Indiana circuit to top the final NASCAR Xfinity Series practice session for Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250.
Suarez was joined by JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones inside the top five. Busch, who topped opening practice for the Xfinity Series, ended final practice in second with a speed of 175.466 mph. Jones finished in fourth, averaging 174.842 mph as he seeks his first win at Indianapolis.
Kyle Larson (174.907) ended the session in third to split the JGR drivers, with Brian Scott’s 174.432-mph circuit rounding out the top five. However, Larson’s team will have to repair damage after the recent father made contact with the outside wall.
Paul Menard, Ty Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman and Ryan Sieg finished out the top 10.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return on Saturday for Coors Light Pole Qualifying at 11:35 a.m. ET.
2015 LILLY DIABETES 250 QUALIFYING SPEEDS
Aaron Bearden is a Frontstretch alumnus who’s come back home as the site’s Short Track Editor. When he isn’t working with our grassroots writers, he can be found talking about racing on his Morning Warmup newsletter, pestering his wife/dog or convincing himself the Indiana Pacers can win an NBA title.