William Byron fastest overall in NASCAR Cup practice at COTA
Byron, who won the pole for this race a year ago, was among the last cars to complete laps at the end of 1½ hours of practice and with time already expired registered the fastest average lap speed of the day at 94.415 mph.
Teams were split into two groups and each group given a pair of 20-minute sessions on the track since it’s the first road course race of the season with NASCAR’s new aero package in use.
Byron’s top speed came from Group B, which just eclipsed Ty Gibbs’ fastest lap of 94.681 mph, which came in the second of Group A’s sessions.
Group B
Byron’s late flyer lap in the second of two 20-minute Group B sessions at 94.703 mph easily topped the speed chart.
His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Alex Bowman, ended up second fastest (94.415 mph) and Christopher Bell was third (94.226 mph). Ross Chastain and Kamui Kobayashi rounded out the top five.
In the first Group B session, Chastain spun around once but was able to get back going and a handful of drivers had their lap times disallowed for short cutting the course, including Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon and Josh Berry.
McDowell spun around early in the second Group B session but was able to get back on track without need of a caution. Chastain and Justin Haley had lap times disallowed in the second session for short cutting the course.
Group A
Gibbs set a blistering pace in both Group A sessions, and improved on his time in the second 40-minute practice, leading the way with an average lap speed of 94.681 mph.
Wallace ended up second quick (94.260 mph) Kyle Busch was third. Shane van Gisbergen and Corey LaJoie rounded out the top five.
“Proud of the effort of everyone at 23XI Racing,” Wallace said. “It’s paying off, but some guys were on different tires. Just going through the motions and setting us up for the race tomorrow.”
About 10 minutes into the first Group A session, Tyler Reddick went around off Turn 7 and stalled on the track, which forced NASCAR to bring a brief halt to the action.
Several drivers had their lap times disallowed after short cutting the course in Group A, including LaJoie, Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe.
CLA
DRIVER
#
MANUFACTURER
LAPS
TIME
INTERVAL
MPH
1
W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
24
Chevrolet
14
2’09.626
94.703
2
T. GibbsJOE GIBBS RACING
54
Toyota
16
+0.030
2’09.656
0.030
94.681
3
A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
48
Chevrolet
13
+0.395
2’10.021
0.365
94.416
4
B. Wallace23XI RACING
23
Toyota
13
+0.609
2’10.235
0.214
94.260
5
C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING
20
Toyota
15
+0.656
2’10.282
0.047
94.226
6
K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING
8
Chevrolet
14
+0.787
2’10.413
0.131
94.132
7
R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING
1
Chevrolet
15
+0.791
2’10.417
0.004
94.129
8
K. Kobayashi23XI RACING
50
Toyota
10
+0.941
2’10.567
0.150
94.021
9
K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
5
Chevrolet
14
+0.997
2’10.623
0.056
93.980
10
S. van GisbergenKAULIG RACING
16
Chevrolet
15
+1.043
2’10.669
0.046
93.947
11
C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
7
Chevrolet
14
+1.051
2’10.677
0.008
93.942
12
T. Reddick23XI RACING
45
Toyota
11
+1.262
2’10.888
0.211
93.790
13
A. CindricTEAM PENSKE
2
Ford
13
+1.289
2’10.915
0.027
93.771
14
C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING
14
Ford
15
+1.391
2’11.017
0.102
93.698
15
M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING
19
Toyota
17
+1.443
2’11.069
0.052
93.661
16
R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE
12
Ford
18
+1.450
2’11.076
0.007
93.656
17
A. AllmendingerKAULIG RACING
13
Chevrolet
12
+1.553
2’11.179
0.103
93.582
18
C. BuescherRFK RACING
17
Ford
16
+1.613
2’11.239
0.060
93.539
19
J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE
22
Ford
15
+1.666
2’11.292
0.053
93.502
20
C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
9
Chevrolet
15
+1.668
2’11.294
0.002
93.500
21
J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING
51
Ford
13
+1.701
2’11.327
0.033
93.477
22
R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING
41
Ford
13
+1.716
2’11.342
0.015
93.466
23
N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING
10
Ford
17
+1.727
2’11.353
0.011
93.458
24
D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING
99
Chevrolet
16
+1.784
2’11.410
0.057
93.418
25
A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING
3
Chevrolet
15
+1.818
2’11.444
0.034
93.393
26
M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
34
Ford
16
+1.876
2’11.502
0.058
93.352
27
T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
38
Ford
17
+2.059
2’11.685
0.183
93.222
28
R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING
47
Chevrolet
11
+2.111
2’11.737
0.052
93.186
29
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
77
Chevrolet
15
+2.121
2’11.747
0.010
93.179
30
B. KeselowskiRFK RACING
6
Ford
15
+2.166
2’11.792
0.045
93.147
31
J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB
42
Toyota
17
+2.238
2’11.864
0.072
93.096
32
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
71
Chevrolet
16
+2.297
2’11.923
0.059
93.054
33
D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING
11
Toyota
17
+2.506
2’12.132
0.209
92.907
34
K. GralaRICK WARE RACING
15
Ford
11
+2.511
2’12.137
0.005
92.904
35
H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING
21
Ford
12
+2.562
2’12.188
0.051
92.868
36
J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING
4
Ford
15
+2.864
2’12.490
0.302
92.656
37
E. JonesLEGACY MOTOR CLUB
43
Toyota
12
+3.280
2’12.906
0.416
92.366
38
D. HemricKAULIG RACING
31
Chevrolet
13
+3.330
2’12.956
0.050
92.331
39
T. HillMBM
66
Ford
4
+8.292
2’17.918
4.962
89.009
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