RESULTS: Practice 1 | Final practice
Daniel Suarez zipped to the top of the NASCAR XFINITY Series leaderboard Friday afternoon in a rain-abbreviated final practice at Dover International Speedway.
Suarez drove the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota to a best lap of 156.733 mph on the 1-mile concrete track. He was just .019 seconds ahead of second-fastest Erik Jones, his JGR teammate who clocked a 156.603-mph lap in the No. 20 Toyota.
Matt Tifft closed out a 1-2-3 sweep by Gibbs entries with a 155.932 mph lap in the No. 18 Toyota. Elliott Sadler (155.817 mph) and Joey Logano (155.561) completed the top five in final preparation for Saturday’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM), the 10th of 33 races this season.
The session, scheduled for 85 minutes, was interrupted twice by rain showers and ultimately halted 11 minutes early.
Saturday’s event will be the third segment in the Dash 4 Cash incentive program, which features qualifying heats and promises bonus money to XFINITY Series regulars. Jones (Bristol) and Ty Dillon (Richmond) won $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prizes in the preview two segments.
Coors Light Pole Qualifying for the XFINITY Series is scheduled Saturday at 10:45 a.m. ET (FS1). The first of two 40-lap qualifying heats is set for a 2 p.m. ET start (FOX).
JGR’s Jones atop eventful first practice at Dover
Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Erik Jones topped opening practice at Dover International Speedway in the final moments of the 55-minute session. His No. 20 Toyota propelled around the “Monster Mile” at 158.597 mph.
Ty Dillon, who was leading before Jones’ last-minute surge, had the second-fastest lap in his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (158.527 mph).
A pair of JGR drivers were next with the No. 19 of Daniel Suarez (158.256 mph) and the No. 18 of Matt Tifft (158.110 mph) taking third and fourth, respectively.
Alex Bowman rounded out the top five, soaring around the 1-mile track at 156.114 mph. Bowman is making his 2016 debut in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
Current series points leader — and last week’s winner — Elliott Sadler was sixth-fastest in his No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (155.534 mph).
Darrell Wallace Jr. got into the wall hard early during practice causing significant right side damage to his No. 6 Ford. The Roush Fenway Racing wheelman will resort to a backup car for the rest of the weekend.
Richard Petty Motorsports driver Jeb Burton also had to go to a second car after his No. 43 Ford hit the wall coming off Turn 4.
Shortly after Burton’s accident, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Paul Menard brought out the third caution after making contact with the wall. He, too, will go to a backup.
The field returns to the track at 12:30 p.m. ET for final practice (TV coverage on FS1).