Through Qualifying

DriverPrac to QualQualMO Avg. StartMO Avg. Fin.Qual to L5 Avg. Fin.Comb. PracPrac 2 10-lapPrac 2Prac 1 10-lapPrac 1
Denny Hamlin-8111.73.5-3.6961623
Chase Elliott-6210.212.5-13.3846 14
Martin Truex Jr-438.87.7-8.2772062
Aric Almirola-9410.020.8-12.21321238
Michael McDowell-16520.328.3-15.72123101827
Ryan Blaney4612.310.7-9.7211257
Clint Bowyer3712.28.7-13.441914
Erik Jones-4814.321.8-18.01238811
Daniel Suarez-6917.812.0-3.0151019109
Joey Logano7109.710.0-5.2351891
DriverPrac to QualQualMO Avg. StartMO Avg. Fin.Qual to L5 Avg. Fin.Comb. PracPrac 2 10-lapPrac 2Prac 1 10-lapPrac 1
William Byron-31119.518.0-28.0141671223
Matt DiBenedetto-121214.712.8-22.32415251418
Kyle Busch31311.84.37.81091545
Kyle Larson-41410.319.8-13.41812211713
Brad Keselowski14156.37.20.21191 21
Ricky Stenhouse Jr-141616.326.3-8.63025232030
David Ragan-111720.827.3-6.62828291319
Daniel Hemric131821.525.0 52242315
Alex Bowman21918.217.7-3.71721131116
Chris Buescher12020.221.3-0.3191726296
DriverPrac to QualQualMO Avg. StartMO Avg. Fin.Qual to L5 Avg. Fin.Comb. PracPrac 2 10-lapPrac 2Prac 1 10-lapPrac 1
Ryan Preece102122.221.7-21.0111852426
Kevin Harvick6227.011.76.816817712
Austin Dillon-42317.819.85.027 302717
Jimmie Johnson42417.517.510.22013221610
Kurt Busch192510.711.71.061431520
Bubba Wallace12626.518.7-8.02520242625
Ryan Newman12719.010.717.42626272124
Corey LaJoie52828.228.2-5.02324142829
Ty Dillon72923.518.56.52229111928
Paul Menard13016.315.710.82927282222
DriverPrac to QualQualMO Avg. StartMO Avg. Fin.Qual to L5 Avg. Fin.Comb. PracPrac 2 10-lapPrac 2Prac 1 10-lapPrac 1
Landon Cassill-33230.028.07.23531323035
Reed Sorenson134  -1.033   33
JJ Yeley-23537.030.52.037 34 38
Ross Chastain43633.030.07.032   32
Timmy Hill33735.035.0-1.734  3134

Final Practice For First Data 500

Martinsville Speedway

Saturday, October 26 12:00 pm ET

50 minutes in length

Weather

Just over 60 degrees and sunny with light winds.

Penalized Drivers

No drivers were penalized in this session

Top-20 Speeds (Single Lap)

PosCarDriverMakeDeltaLapsLast LapBest TimeBest SpeedBest Lap
12Brad KeselowskiFord--6692.13719.66796.2833
212Ryan Blaney (P)Ford0.1078891.82919.77495.7622
31Kurt BuschChevy0.1197691.26219.78695.7042
48Daniel Hemric #Chevy0.1425791.0619.80995.5933
547Ryan Preece #Chevy0.1667291.52719.83395.4773
69Chase Elliott (P)Chevy0.1685891.50519.83595.46830
724William ByronChevy0.2586691.10919.92595.0364
820Erik JonesToyota0.2996191.52219.96694.8415
914Clint BowyerFord0.3017191.80219.96894.8326
1034Michael McDowellFord0.3295091.47819.99694.69929
1113Ty DillonChevy0.3383991.1320.00594.6562
1210Aric AlmirolaFord0.3478891.67820.01494.6146
1388Alex BowmanChevy0.3574510.12820.02494.56744
1432Corey LaJoieFord0.3673191.96720.03494.5192
1518Kyle Busch (P)Toyota0.3697391.13920.03694.516
1611Denny Hamlin (P)Toyota0.3735711.11520.0494.49112
174Kevin Harvick (P)Ford0.3756691.73520.04294.4825
1822Joey Logano (P)Ford0.3798391.05220.04694.4636
1941Daniel SuarezFord0.3818491.48720.04894.45311
2019Martin Truex Jr (P)Toyota0.397291.33720.05794.4118

Best Lap Averages

Items of Note:

  • Kurt Busch started the session with a mock qualifying run in Q trim.
  • Austin Dillon is in Q trim to start as well
  • A few guys are having issues with the car stepping out on them in the corners early in the session.
  • Denny Hamlin says he’s pretty happy early in this practice with the car though it is locking up a bit in the front left in the corners.
  • Alex Bowman said the car is better than it was in the first session but it’s still not where it needs to be.
  • After two laps in Q-trim, Kurt Busch is switching to race trim.
  • Ryan Preece did a mock qualifying run early on in the session as well
  • Ryan Blaney will now have Brad Keselowski’s pit crew going forward since he’s in the playoffs and Keselowski isn’t.
  • Keselowski did a mock qualifying run in the first 10 minutes of the session.
  • In the first 15 minutes of the session, Clint Bowyer is first in five-lap, 10-lap, and 15-lap averages.
  • Matt DiBenedetto said his car is having trouble getting off the corners and he nearly hit the curb as well.
  • Matt Crafton, driving the 36 for Matt Tifft while he’s in the hospital, has gotten loose several times in the corners.
  • Kurt Busch said his car is getting a bit wonky in the corners and he thinks it’s from the bump on entry as you transition from the asphalt to the concrete.
  • Tire fall off is showing to have an effect in this session as William Byron drove passed Ryan Blaney. Byron had 11 laps on the tires and Blaney had 37 laps on them.
  • Denny Hamlin says he’s tight through 1&2 but not as bad in 3&4 and he says he has some break issues with locking up the left front.
  • Martin Truex Jr. just nearly dumped Ryan Blaney just past halfway through the session as Blaney has 50 laps on the tires and Truex has newer tires.
  • Brad Keselowski says when he gets on the brake there is a pretty big clunking coming from the drive train somewhere in the 2-car.
  • Chase Elliott is fourth in 10-lap average and in the top-10 in 15-lap average.
  • Kyle Larson was asking what faster cars were doing in the corners as far as how they were driving them and was focusing on Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.
  • Kevin Harvick isn’t happy with his car this week and he said that sometimes he feels decently comfortable at this track and sometimes it’s like he’s never driven it before.

 

Opening Practice For First Data 500

Martinsville Speedway

Saturday, October 26 9:05 am ET

50 minutes in length

Weather

55 degrees and overcast with winds at 3 mph

Penalized Drivers

Kevin Harvick (30 minutes at the end of the session)

Martin Truex Jr. (15 minutes at end of the session)

Top-20 Speeds (Single Lap)

PosCarDriverMakeDeltaLapsLast LapBest TimeBest SpeedBest Lap
122Joey Logano (P)Ford--3496.65719.59196.65734
219Martin Truex Jr (P)Toyota0.0982796.17619.68996.17627
311Denny Hamlin (P)Toyota0.1413893.89619.73295.96614
414Clint BowyerFord0.1644594.91719.75595.8549
518Kyle Busch (P)Toyota0.1944193.67819.78595.70916
637Chris BuescherFord0.223595.58319.81195.58335
712Ryan Blaney (P)Ford0.2623694.60919.85395.38124
810Aric AlmirolaFord0.2633594.66619.85495.37629
941Daniel SuarezFord0.294292.74219.88195.24728
1048Jimmie JohnsonChevy0.2932495.23219.88495.23224
1120Erik JonesToyota0.3093893.65919.995.1565
124Kevin Harvick (P)Ford0.312594.33619.90195.15121
1342Kyle Larson (P)Chevy0.3172791.59319.90895.11810
149Chase Elliott (P)Chevy0.322594.40619.91395.0944
158Daniel Hemric #Chevy0.3234093.3519.91495.0893
1688Alex BowmanChevy0.3385093.18419.92995.01712
173Austin DillonChevy0.3563194.31719.94794.9329
1895Matt DiBenedettoToyota0.3655893.86319.95694.8898
1938David RaganFord0.3664294.44419.95794.88414
201Kurt BuschChevy0.3665193.02419.95794.88426

Best Lap Averages

Items of Note:

  • The drivers that can conserve rear tires and brakes will do the best over the 500 laps of the race.
  • Chase Elliott had a catastrophic engine failure after five laps on the track. There was fire shooting out from underneath and behind the car and he had to escape with some haste.
  • The speedy dry that’s been laid down goes from the start/finish line to the middle of the backstretch and it’s all in the racing groove.
  • Matt Tifft is not in the car all day today after going to the infield care center and then to the hospital and it’s unclear if he’ll be in the car for the race.
  • They have added 10 minutes to practice due to the 13-minute red flag to clean the track.
  • A lot of drivers are doing shorter runs here than are typical even for a Martinsville practice.
  • Kyle Larson stated on the radio that he doesn’t feel comfortable on the track and his car is too free in the wrong spots.
  • A lot of drivers are having balance issues this session as their car is swinging free to tight and vice versa.
  • There are a few drivers that don’t like how the car is rolling the corner after this session.
  • Chase Elliott’s team was installing the new engine in the backup car towards the end of practice to try and get ready for final practice.
  • Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr had to serve penalties stemming from inspection issues at Kansas last week.