At a track that breeds surprise winners, it also breeds surprise drivers atop practice.
Friday at Talladega Superspeedway had the first on-track opportunities for the Camping World Truck Series. Cody Coughlin topped the first session while series part-timer Chris Fontaine led the way in session No. 2.
For Coughlin, the Thorsport Racing driver turned a drafting lap of 191. 719 mph, becoming the only driver to dip below the 50-second mark in the first session at 49.948 seconds.
The opening run saw playoff driver John Hunter Nemechek finish second in front of Regan Smith, Las Vegas winner Ben Rhodes and defending Talladega winner Grant Enfinger the top five.
The second session saw Fontaine lead the way in his No. 47 Toyota. Attempting his first start of 2017, the 35-year-old has made seven prior ‘Dega starts, finishing highest of seventh in 2014.
He topped Stewart Friesen, Enfinger, Myatt Snider and Noah Gragson in the final session.
About the author
Growing up in Easton, Pa., Zach Catanzareti has grown his auto racing interest from fandom to professional. Joining Frontstretch in 2015, Zach enjoys nothing more than being at the track, having covered his first half-season of 18 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2017. With experience behind the wheel, behind the camera and in the media center, he thrives on being an all-around reporter.
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