Practice To Qualifying
Roval 400 Final Practice
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, September 28th 2:05 pm ET
50 minutes in length
Weather
85 degrees I Feels like 88 degrees I Winds at 3 mph
Penalized Drivers
No drivers were penalized this session
Top-20 Speeds (Single Lap)
Best Lap Averages
Items of Note:
- Martin Truex Jr. blew up the engine with eight minutes gone in the session. There is oil on the track by the backstretch chicane and the spotters are saying that he blew up after missing a shift while going around what would be Turn 1 & 2 normally.
- Drivers are taking it a bit easier in this session to protect the cars for the race.
- There are a few drivers that have mentioned they have nearly done the same shifting error that Martin Truex Jr. did that blew the engine.
- Kurt Busch said his car keeps flipping between tight and loose and says he’s more loose in the infield section of the track.
- Jimmie Johnson slid right off the track in Turn 5 and got in the tire barrier and damaged the right side of his rear and has driven it to the garage to be checked out.
- They are going for longer runs this session since it’s close to the race time and race temps they will have on Sunday.
- Martin Truex Jr. confirmed that he did in fact, blow his engine shifting to first gear in what is normally Turn 1 and that blew the engine. They will replace the engine and have to start in the rear (but won’t lose their qualifying spot of P8).
- Erik Jones is the only JGR car that hasn’t had an issue so far this weekend to this point.
- Kyle Larson says his car is getting better this time as well but still wants a bit more drive off of the corners.
- William Byron wasn’t it to be a bit tighter in the right hand turns and more drive off heading down the backstretch and also noticed that his car is getting looser in the sunny spots of the track.
- Denny Hamlin has missed the backstretch chicane two laps in a row and has wheel hopped it both times indicating he’s either down shifting too quickly or the brake setup is wrong.
- Austin Dillon slid off in the grass in Turn 5 but didn’t hit anything and he should be fine for Sunday.
- Kyle Bush hopped the car off first set of turtles in the backstretch chicane but made it through without damage.
- With 35 seconds Alex Bowman put the car in the Tire barrier in Turn 4 and appears to have damaged the car enough to force a move to a backup car with damage to the right front and the right rear quarter panel and a two major tire rubs.
- At the end of the coverage on NBC they showed the 88-car team wheeling the backup car from the hauler to the garage which means he will have to start in the rear and not forfeit qualifying spot.
Roval 400 Second Practice
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Saturday, September 28th 11:05 am ET
50 minutes in length
Weather
82 degrees I Feels like 86 degrees I Winds at 9 mph
Penalized Drivers
No drivers were penalized in this session
Top-20 Speeds (Single Lap)
Best Lap Averages
Items of Note:
- Kyle Busch had a problem with a rear quarter panel and a tire rub or bumping something and so he brought it to the garage for adjustments.
- Brad Keselowski wheel hopped into the Chicane on the backstretch but didn’t go over any of the turtles so the car appeared to be fine.
- Alex Bowman hopped off the turtles on entry to the backstretch chicane and had to correct to avoid hitting the wall.
- Clint Bowyer made one run but said something under the car was dragging on the track in normal turns 1 and 2 badly and brought it in for adjustments and is now back on the track with 36 minutes left in the session.
- Most drivers are doing longer runs in this session to get a feel for more race conditions.
- Kyle Larson says the car is a bit better than it was yesterday but the drive off still needs work.
- The Hendrick cars appear to be smoking the left front tire quite a bit in the braking zones on the front and back stretch.
- Ryan Newman blew the backstretch chicane but came to a stop in the runoff area just like he’ll need to in the race.
- Daniel Suarez missed both chicanes in the same lap with 25 minutes to go.
- Some of the cars are heavier and sturdier for this road course and the abuse the track gives to the cars but some cars are lighter but less sturdy.
- Matt Tifft spun out in Turn 3 and got into the tire barrier and had some damage to the right side of his car.
- The track went and added two more braking zone signs last night so there are 8 signs for the backstretch chicane, typically there are three or four.
- Several drivers are doing pit road speed tests later in the session
- It took nearly 20 minutes to fix the damaged quarter panel on the 18-car after he got into the curbing earlier in the session.
Roval 400 Opening Practice
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Friday, September 27 12:05 pm ET
50 minutes in length
Weather
85 degrees I Feels like 88 degrees I Winds at 5 mph
Penalized Drivers
No drivers were penalized this session
Top-20 Speeds (Single Lap)
Best Lap Averages
Only four drivers ran five consecutive laps this session
Items of Note:
- There is a new chicane layout on the backstretch that will force a big time braking zone and a potential passing zone as well.
- There is a lot of comments from the drivers about the challenge that is the new backstretch chicane and how hard the second part of it.
- Kevin Harvick on a ride on view got to 159 on the backstretch and slowed to 61 entering the second turn of the Chicane.
- Ryan Blaney ran over the blue curbing in the chicane and nearly wound up in the safer barrier on the exit.
- Martin Truex Jr is concerned with how little rubber there is on the infield portion of the track early in the session and how dirty the track is.
- Alex Bowman said he’s loose on entry but fine when the car loads up.
- Chase Elliott didn’t handle the entrance to the backstretch chicane well and didn’t like the handling so he took the car back to the garage for adjustments
- Denny Hamlin was doing pit road practice tests since the entry and exit have different looks this week.
- Parker Kligerman missed Turn 1 and drove right into the SAFR barrier when entering the infield section.
- Kyle Busch locked up the tires in the front stretch chicane and missed the exit. During a race they’d have to pull off to the side out of the racing line and sit for a several seconds.
- Denny Hamlin said over the radio the backstretch chicane will be a game changer this weekend.
- Austin Cindric is practicing the 34-car right now because Michael McDowell is at a local hospital with lower abdominal pain that’s either a Kidney Stone or Appendicitis.
- Denny Hamlin crashed off Turn 5 and Turn 6 into the barriers and he will need to bring out a backup car after crushing the rear end of the 11-car. He got loose into Turn 5.
- The Joe Nemechek in the 27-car got into the wall in the inside of the chicane with 17 minutes to go in the session after going completely airborne on entry.
- Bubba Wallace has slid into the Tire barriers in Turn 5 but has relatively little damage on the car.
- Kurt Busch ran over the blue turtles in the front stretch chicane and sustained damaged to the front right underside of the car.
- Every run on the track by the drivers were one or two lap runs in qualifying trim