With forecasts predicting rain throughout Saturday, Friday’s 50-minute session emerged as a crucial window for teams to hit the track ahead of Sunday’s 500-mile race. The looming possibility of a weather delay extending into Monday added pressure to maximize Friday’s practice time.
Toyota teams, fresh off victories in Thursday night’s 150-mile qualifying races, asserted their dominance in Friday’s practice session. Denny Hamlin led the charge, clocking the fastest lap at 197.476 mph, setting the pace for the field.
Behind Hamlin, Erik Jones (197.468 mph) and Christopher Bell (197.429 mph) showcased Toyota’s strength, securing the second and third spots on the speed chart, respectively. Toyotas occupied the top eight positions in terms of speed, illustrating their early advantage.
Ty Gibbs impressed with a fourth-place finish in terms of speed, followed closely by John Hunter Nemechek in fifth. Notable performances in the top 10 included Tyler Reddick, Jimmie Johnson, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, and Austin Cindric.
Among the manufacturers, McDowell stood out as the top-performing Ford driver, while Austin Dillon posted the fastest lap for Chevrolet, securing the 15th position overall.
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing skipped Friday’s practice session to be with his wife, Emma, who was expecting their second child. In his absence, David Ragan, driving a third entry for RFK, logged laps in Buescher’s No. 17 Ford alongside his own No. 60 Ford. Buescher is anticipated to return to the track on Sunday morning.
Notably, Anthony Alfredo, piloting the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports, opted not to participate in practice, making him the sole driver to skip the session.
In terms of sustained performance over multiple laps, Ryan Blaney emerged as the leader with the fastest average lap speed (192.030 mph), followed by Cindric and Harrison Burton, showcasing consistency over longer runs.
