RELATED: Full results from Practice 2 | Chase-clinching scenarios for Richmond
Three-time Richmond International Raceway winner Kevin Harvick led the final Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 regular-season finale (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
Harvick, the defending series champion, knocked a fellow three-time RIR winner off the top of the leaderboard in Dale Earnhardt Jr. late in the session with a best speed of 125.430 mph, accompished on a mock qualifying run.
Several others then pushed the Hendrick Motorsports driver down the board with runs of their own, as Kyle Busch (125.348 mph), Jimmie Johnson (125.273 mph), Kasey Kahne (125.226 mph) and Kurt Busch (124.942 mph) rounded out the top five.
Defending race-winner Brad Keselowski struggled to find speed through most of the session, with his best lap time of 21.659 seconds (124.677 mph) not coming until the tail end of his 67 laps. It was a solid lap, however, placing him ninth overall.
Kyle Larson led the opening session with a best speed of 125.535 mph, but dropped off significantly, not running a lap better than 124.229 mph in his second-session-high 68 laps to place 17th.
Coors Light Pole Qualifying is set to start at 5:45 p.m. ET (NBCSN).
RELATED: Full results from Practice 1
Knowing his only way into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup can come by way of a win in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, Larson got a good start to his weekend by topping opening Sprint Cup Series practice at Richmond International Raceway on Friday.
Larson, currently 19th in points and on the outside of the Chase looking in, topped the leaderboard with a best speed of 125.535 mph. If Larson winds up in Victory Lane at the Virginia track, it’ll not only be his first Cup win — it’ll give him an automatic berth to the sport’s playoffs.
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Casey Mears was second on the board at 125.412 mph, followed by Keselowski (125.058 mph), Harvick (124.815 mph) and Kyle Busch (124.694 mph), to round out the top five.
Denny Hamlin, battling a torn ACL in his right knee after an accident while playing basketball earlier in the week, was 18th at 123.598 mph. The Virginia native has two wins at the short track.
RELATED: Hamlin suffers knee injury playing basketball
Hoping to make his first career Sprint Cup Series start, Jeffrey Earnhardt was 43rd on the chart at 120.187 mph.