RELATED: Johnson tops Friday’s practice
Practice 3 | Full results
Kurt Busch proved Kevin Harvick wasn’t the only Stewart-Haas Racing car favored for the win Sunday, as he swept both Sprint Cup Series practices on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway. Busch’s No. 41 Chevrolet zipped around the Arizona track at 140.029 mph to nab the fastest spot in the final session.
Polesitter Jimmie Johnson made a late run to briefly top the leaderboard in Saturday’s final practice session at Phoenix International Raceway. His No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet’s fast lap of 139.389 mph ultimately earned the second spot.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted the third-fastest speed, his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet flying around the 1-mile oval at 139.130 mph. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ Kyle Larson nabbed the fourth spot with a fast lap of 138.910 from his No. 42 Chevrolet.
Reigning series champion Kevin Harvick, who has won four straight races at Phoenix, rounded the 1-mile oval at 138.905 mph to pick up the fifth-fastest speed.
Erik Jones, who is filling in for Joe Gibbs Racing‘s Matt Kenseth this weekend, showed plenty of speed in the No. 20, as he posted a speed of 138.905 mph to pick up the sixth spot.
Jeff Gordon was the slowest of the eight remaining Chase drivers in the final session, maneuvering his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at 137.905 mph to rank 20th-fastest. With his win at Martinsville two weeks ago, Gordon is the only driver locked into the championship round at Homestead.
The Sprint Cup Series is back on track Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM).
Practice 2 | Full results
Kurt Busch opened the day on a strong note, topping the first of two Sprint Cup Series practice sessions on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.
Busch, who qualified second for Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Live Extra, MRN, SiriusXM), paced the morning run through with a best speed of 139.627 mph.
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver’s fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup competitor, Carl Edwards, was second on the charts at 139.260 mph.
Kyle Larson (139.152 mph), Kevin Harvick (139.147 mph) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (139.028 mph) rounded out the top five. Friday’s practice leader and Coors Light Pole Award winner, Jimmie Johnson, was sixth at 138.878 mph.
The rest of the Chase field placed as follows: Martin Truex Jr. (8th, 138.680 mph); Joey Logano (9th, 138.680 mph); Kyle Busch (13th, 138.265 mph); Brad Keselowski (14th, 138.233 mph) and Jeff Gordon (18th, 138.021 mph).
Sprint Cup cars are back on track for final practice at 2:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN/Live Extra.