FINAL PRACTICE: Full results | Best 10-lap averages
Kyle Larson‘s 96.088 mph-lap around Martinsville Speedway sent his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet to the top of the speed charts during Saturday’s final Sprint Cup Series practice. Larson’s CGR teammate Jamie McMurray led practice earlier today in the No. 1 Chevrolet.
Three-time Martinsville winner Tony Stewart came up second, his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet turning a fast lap of 96.019 mph. Richard Childress Racing‘s Paul Menard (95.845 mph) in the No. 27 Chevrolet was third-fastest, completing a trio of top-three Chevrolets, while David Ragan took the fourth spot in the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota (95.781 mph).
Kyle Busch, the only Chase driver in the top five, finished fifth with a fast lap of 95.748 mph from his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. In contrast, Carl Edwards was the slowest Chase driver, his No. 19 JGR Toyota coming up 27th on the leaderboard.
Reigning race winner and nine-time Martinsville victor Jeff Gordon turned the 14th-quickest lap. Gordon will be making his final start this season in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Sunday.
The Sprint Cup Series returns to the track Sunday for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at 1 p.m. ET (NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
PRACTICE 2: Full results | Best 10-lap averages
Jamie McMurray‘s No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevrolet took the No. 1 spot during Sprint Cup Series second practice at Martinsville Speedway, pacing the field at 96.780 mph.
Team Penske‘s Joey Logano was second-quickest in the 55-minute session, serving a best lap of 96.736 mph. He was also the first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup wheelman on the board and the only contender inside the top five.
David Ragan, in the No. 23 BK Racing Toyota, Martin Truex Jr., in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota and AJ Allmendinger, in the JTG Daugherty Chevrolet, completed the top five.
Here’s how the rest of the Chase field fared: Matt Kenseth (sixth), Carl Edwards (seventh), Jimmie Johnson (10th), Denny Hamlin (11th), Kurt Busch (12th), Kevin Harvick (13th) and Kyle Busch (16th).
Defending race winner Jeff Gordon is back in the saddle for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500, filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Gordon, a nine-time Martinsville victor, finished practice 20th (95.985 mph).