Joey Logano topped Saturday’s final practice session for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series prior to Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Michigan International Speedway. The two-time Michigan winner put down a fast lap of 197.580 mph in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford to pace the 65-minute session.
Kyle Busch (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) came home second in practice with a fast lap of 197.520 mph while Alex Bowman (No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) took third with a speed of 197.320 mph. Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 197.212 mph) and Kyle Larson (No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, 197.179 mph) rounded out the top five. Harvick was the runner-up at Michigan in June, while Larson has won three of the past four races at the 2-mile track.
RELATED: Full practice results | 10-lap averages | Schedule for Michigan race weekend
Martin Truex Jr. was the only member of the “Big 3” to finish practice outside the top five as he posted the 17th-fastest speed.
Chase Elliott, who was last weekend’s winner at Watkins Glen, went for a spin off of Turn 4 in the opening minutes of practice. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has three runner-up finishes at Michigan in five starts there. He finished the session 18th-fastest.
WATCH: Elliott goes for a spin
The No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford of Michael McDowell served a 15-minute practice hold in final practice for failing pre-qualifying inspection twice at Michigan.
Practice was moved up 15 minutes to give drivers extra track time after the day’s first practice was only 15 minutes because of heavy fog in the area this morning.
Erik Jones leads Saturday’s early practice
Erik Jones topped Saturday’s fog-shortened, early morning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Michigan International Speedway. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led the way with a fast lap of 200.150 mph around the 2-mile track ahead of Sunday’s Consumers Energy 400 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet) came in second with a speed of 199.678 mph followed by Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Team Penske Ford) in third with a speed of 199.358 mph. June Michigan winner Clint Bowyer (No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, 199.242 mph) and Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford, 198.999 mph) rounded out the top five.
The morning fog delayed the start of practice by 40 minutes. The session was initially scheduled to start at 8:35 a.m. ET.
RELATED: Full practice results | 10-lap averages | See every car for Sunday’s field
Pole sitter Denny Hamlin came in ninth in the session, while defending race winner Kyle Larson placed 12th.
Several teams were assessed 15-minute practice holds for this practice, but the fog delay gave the teams the option to serve the penalty in either of Saturday’s sessions. The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota team of Martin Truex Jr. (late to pre-race inspection at Watkins Glen), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team of Kyle Busch (didn’t come to complete stop at the inner loop in practice at Watkins Glen), the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team of Daniel Suarez (didn’t come to complete stop at the inner loop in practice at Watkins Glen) and the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team of Ryan Newman (didn’t come to complete stop at the inner loop in practice at Watkins Glen) were all assessed holds.
Both the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet team of Bubba Wallace and the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford team of B.J. McLeod were also assessed 15-minute practice penalties for being late to pre-qualifying inspection at Michigan. All teams elected to serve their penalties in this session.
Suarez hit the wall in qualifying — not recording a lap and he will start 40th in Sunday’s field — and the team has worked to repair the primary car.
RELATED: Suarez gets into the wall in first round of qualifying