Stewart-Haas Racing continued showing their strong hand in Friday’s practices for Sunday’s Toyota Save Mart 350. Clint Bowyer, the last driver to win in the Cup series, led first practice while his SHR teammate Kurt Busch led the second session.
Bowyer led the way in the 75-minute session and put his No. 14 on top of the board early. Bowyer turned a 93.590 mph lap in his No. 14. In the second session, Busch turned a 94.061 mph lap, .471 mph faster than his teammate turned in the first session.
Ryan Blaney was second in the first session followed by Jamie McMurray and Daniel Suarez, who rounded out the top-five speeds.
It was a rough session for Kasey Kahne and Paul Menard. Kahne spun 20 minutes into the session while Menard received significant damage to the right fender after making an impact with a tire stack in turn 11.
In the second session, Denny Hamlin finished to second to Busch, while Martin Truex Jr., McMurray, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Truex Jr. also received damage during the second session after running into the rear of rookie Darrell Wallace Jr.
William Byron, the other rookie entered in Sunday’s race, suffered an axle failure early. Kyle Larson also had mechanical issues after light smoke. It was found that after a transmission change, the issue arose. The team was able to get things fixed and get his No. 42 back on track before the conclusion of the session.
Busch Pole qualifying is slated for 2:45 p.m./ET Saturday on FS1.
About the author
His favorite tracks on the circuit include Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, and Bristol Motor Speedway.
During the season, Christian also spends time as a photographer with multiple other outlets shooting Monster Energy AMA Supercross, Minor League & Major League Baseball, and NCAA Football.
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