23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst topped the leaderboard in Friday evening’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Chicagoland Speedway, as the premier series hit the 1.5-mile Joliet track for the first time since 2019.
The driver of the No. 35 Toyota posted the fastest lap at 178.065 mph in the closing minutes of practice, leading a 23XI 1-2 with teammate Bubba Wallace second-fastest (177.930 mph). All four 23XI Toyotas were inside the top eight.
RELATED: Practice results | At-track photos: Chicagoland
Kyle Larson (177.877 mph), Denny Hamlin (177.877 mph) and Ty Gibbs (177.754 mph) rounded out the top five.
Naval Base Coronado winner Corey Heim (177.719 mph), Austin Cindric (177.643 mph), Tyler Reddick (177.526 mph), Carson Hocevar (177.223 mph) and Chris Buescher (177.189 mph) completed the top 10.
Cindric led the way in five-lap average speed, but Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota was quickest in the 10-, 15-, 20- and 25-lap averages.
MORE: Watch Reddick navigate Chicagoland in Cup practice
Qualifying is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on truTV, followed by Sunday’s eero 400 (6 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).