RELATED: Practice 1 results | Top 10 consecutive lap averages
Martin Truex Jr. flew to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series leaderboard Friday as soaring speeds dominated opening practice at Michigan International Speedway.
Truex pushed the Furniture Row No. 78 Toyota to a best lap of 201.545 mph on the 2-mile track. He was the fastest of 10 drivers to break the 200-mph barrier. The clocking was well above the 199.557 mph lap that clinched the Coors Light Pole Award for Joey Logano in Michigan qualifying in June.
Jimmie Johnson was second-fastest in opening preparation for Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM), recording a lap of 201.134 mph in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet. Logano (200.966 mph), rookie Ryan Blaney (200.775 mph) and Kyle Larson (200.730 mph) completed the top five.
This weekend marks what is expected to be the final audition for the premier series’ 2017 aerodynamic rules package, which is intended to reduce the effects of downforce and sideforce. The series also used the package in Michigan’s 400-miler in June.
Race officials also took measures to try to widen the racing groove, using a tire-dragging vehicle to build rubber into the asphalt. The “Tire Dragon” truck was used in the days leading up to Friday’s on-track activity.
Jeffrey Earnhardt brought out the practice’s only stoppage with just less than 10 minutes remaining, scraping the outside retaining wall in Turn 2 and causing significant damage to his Go FAS Racing No. 32 Ford. Earnhardt indicated to NBCSN that the team would unload a reserve car before qualifying.
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch was sixth-fastest in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota. Defending race winner Matt Kenseth, his JGR teammate in the No. 20 Toyota, was 18th-fastest in the 85-minute session.
Four drivers were docked 15 minutes of practice time for minor infractions. Those were Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards, Richard Childress Racing driver Paul Menard and BK Racing‘s Matt DiBenedetto.
Coors Light Pole Qualifying is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. ET (NBCSN). Two additional Sprint Cup practices are set Saturday (8:30-9:25 a.m. ET, 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. ET). Both Saturday practices will be televised on CNBC.