RELATED: Practice 1 results | Final practice results
Brad Keselowski zipped atop the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice leaderboard Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, riding a two-car draft to the top of the speed charts.
Defending race winner Keselowski drove the Team Penske No. 2 Ford to a best lap of 196.423 mph early on in the 55-minute session, using aerodynamic assistance from rookie Ryan Blaney, who wound up second on the leaderboard. Blaney’s Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford — which has a technical alliance with the Penske organization — clocked a lap at 196.342 mph.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., a winner in May at the 2.66-mile track, was third-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, the only driver to run 10 consecutive laps in final practice. Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five in preparation for Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM), the sixth of 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.
Speeds were slower and participation lighter in final practice, as only 30 of the 45 drivers entered took to the track in the late-afternoon session. Those that did land track time primarily focused on single-car runs in qualifying trim, ahead of Saturday’s Coors Light Pole Qualifying (4:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick was sixth-fastest, just ahead of Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch. Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon completed the top 10 as Chevrolets swept positions 3-10.
Joey Logano, winner of the last two races, was 19th-fastest in another Team Penske Ford. He remains the only driver without worry of elimination in Sunday’s 500-miler, having already clinched a spot in the eight-driver Eliminator Round, the final three-race series before a champion is crowned Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Biffle busts out atop Talladega’s opening practice
Friday’s first practice session began the highly anticipated Talladega weekend where Chase hopefuls will be fighting for a spot to join Joey Logano, who has already clinched his spot, in the Eliminator Round.
In the first session, most of the field spent the majority of practice drafting, testing the aerodynamics at Talladega Superspeedway.
Greg Biffle topped the leaderboard early on in the opening session and maintained the lead with a fastest lap of 201.189 mph.
Next was Danica Patrick who soared around the 2.66-mile superspeedway in her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet at 200.624 mph.
Rounding out the top three was the No. 51 of Justin Allgaier (200.574 mph).
Clint Bowyer‘s No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota and Kasey Kahne‘s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet were fourth and fifth fastest, respectively.
In a surprise result, the enitre Chase field sat outside the top 10. Here’s how they ranked: Matt Kenseth (13th), Denny Hamlin (15th), Carl Edwards (16th), Jeff Gordon (17th), Kevin Harvick (18th), Brad Keselowski (19th), Joey Logano (21st), Kyle Busch (22nd), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (23rd), Kurt Busch (24th), Martin Truex Jr. (31st) and Ryan Newman (32nd).