Joey Logano leads Denny Hamlin in NASCAR Cup practice at Phoenix

Jim Utter

Mar 8, 2024, 11:05 PM

Upd:

Mar 9, 2024, 12:59 AM

Logano, in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford, topped the speed chart with an average lap speed of 131.166 mph with Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota just behind him at 131.080 mph.

Fords have won the first three poles of the season with Logano claiming two of them – the Daytona 500 and last weekend at Las Vegas.

Toyota driver Tyler Reddick ended up third quick (131.066 mph) but ended up spinning out with about three minutes left in the session and flat spotting the tires.

John Hunter Nemechek was fourth and Austin Cindric rounded out the top five.

Friday’s practice was the first track time most teams have had with this year’s new aero rules for all road courses and most oval tracks measuring 1.058-mile or less in distance.

Cup cars are utilizing a simplified diffuser as well as 2023 short track/road course splitter stuffers, removal of engine panel strakes, a 3-inch spoiler and simplified diffuser strakes.

Completing the top-10 speeds were Erik Jones, Chase Elliott – the top Chevrolet – Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and Carson Hocevar.

About 21 minutes into the session, Daniel Hemric spun around in Turns 3 and 4 and tagged the wall with his No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. The car did not appear to suffer much damage and Hemric was able to return to the track following repairs.

Around 33 minutes in, NASCAR was forced to halt the session again for debris on the track.

Among those drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps, Toyotas led the way with Bubba Wallace on top with an average speed of 129.374 mph, followed by Bell and Nemechek.