SHR driver paces session with best speed of 202.094 mph
RELATED: Live weather updates from Michigan | Practice 1 results
Rain halted the opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice at Michigan International Speedway twice on Friday afternoon, but Kevin Harvick had already established a formidable speed atop the leaderboard that stuck through the remainder of the session.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver paced the field with a best speed of 202.492 mph, achieved in just five laps in prep for Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 (1 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
Joey Logano was second in the session at 201.607 mph, followed by last week’s winner Martin Truex Jr. (201.157 mph), Denny Hamlin (200.921 mph) and Jeff Gordon (200.781 mph).
Clint Bowyer struggled in the session with his new crew chief, Billy Scott, as the No. 15 Toyota came in 27th on the leaderboard at 197.055 mph.
With 25 minutes left in the session, Kurt Busch lost control of his No. 41 Chevrolet, sending it into the outside wall.
“Went down in there and was a little twitchier when it turned in and then it went full on left,” Busch radioed to his team after the hit. “Sorry … it’s pretty much ruined.”
Crew chief Tony Gibson decided to switch to a backup car, which the 2004 Cup champion will test run during Coors Light Pole Qualifying at 4:15 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2.