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Ryan Blaney fastest in Dover Cup practice; Smith and Grala wreck

The top speeds all came from the second 20-minute session, which also proved the most dramatic.

Blaney’s average lap speed of 159.468 mph topped the overall speed chart, followed by Tyler Reddick (158.982 mph) and Chase Briscoe (158.478 mph) – all from Group B.

William Byron was fastest in the Group A with an average lap speed of 158.954 mph.

Both Zane Smith and Kaz Grala hit the wall hard in separate incidents in the second session.

Among those drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps, Byron had the fastest average lap speed (155.405 mph). Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs were second and third, respectively, in that category.

Group B

Following a nearly 10-minute delay, the Group B session got under way with Blaney leading the way at 159.468 mph.

Reddick was second fastest at 158.982 mph and Briscoe was third (158.478 mph). Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was fourth and Michael McDowell ended up rounding out the top five.

About six minutes into the session, rookie Smith had a right-side tire go down, spun in Turn 2 and backed into wall, doing significant damage to his No. 71 Chevrolet. Smith will move to a backup car and have to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.

In the final minute of the session, Grala got loose off Turn 4, then shot up the track and into slammed into the outside frontstretch wall hard, which brought an ended to the second 20-minute session. Grala will also move to a backup car and have to start Sunday’s race from the rear of the field.

Group A

Byron set a blistering pace in the first session with an average lap speed of 158.954 mph but it may have been at a cost.

After his first long run on the track, Byron corded his right-front tire after his 17 laps and his crew chief, Rudy Fugle, elected not to send the No. 24 Chevrolet back out on the track.

Ross Chastain ended up second quick (158.200 mph) while A.J. Allmendinger was third (158.054 mph). Allmendinger’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing team also reported a corded tire on his last run.

Chris Buescher was fourth fastest and Hamlin rounded out the top five.

Truck Series regular Corey Heim, who is substituing for the injured Erik Jones in Legacy Motor Club’s No. 43 Toyota and making his Cup series debut this weekend, ended up 14th fastest in the session.

“It’s just so much different,” Heim said. “I was just trying to find my limits but in a 20-minute practice, it’s pretty tough. This race for me will be a help to get a real feel for these cars.

“You never know how these cars are gonna drive until you get in one.”

CLA DRIVER # MANUFACTURER LAPS TIME INTERVAL MPH
1 R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE 12 Ford 24

22.575

  159.468
2 T. Reddick23XI RACING 45 Toyota 22

+0.069

22.644

0.069 158.983
3 W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 24 Chevrolet 17

+0.073

22.648

0.004 158.954
4 C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING 14 Ford 22

+0.141

22.716

0.068 158.479
5 J. JohnsonLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 84 Toyota 22

+0.146

22.721

0.005 158.444
6 M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 34 Ford 21

+0.169

22.744

0.023 158.284
7 R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING 1 Chevrolet 20

+0.181

22.756

0.012 158.200
8 C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 9 Chevrolet 22

+0.186

22.761

0.005 158.165
9 A. AllmendingerKAULIG RACING 16 Chevrolet 21

+0.202

22.777

0.016 158.054
10 C. BuescherRFK RACING 17 Ford 21

+0.203

22.778

0.001 158.047
11 D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING 11 Toyota 19

+0.203

22.778

0.000 158.047
12 K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 8 Chevrolet 20

+0.219

22.794

0.016 157.936
13 J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE 22 Ford 19

+0.222

22.797

0.003 157.916
14 J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING 4 Ford 15

+0.227

22.802

0.005 157.881
15 B. KeselowskiRFK RACING 6 Ford 17

+0.227

22.802

0.000 157.881
16 A. CindricTEAM PENSKE 2 Ford 18

+0.237

22.812

0.010 157.812
17 54 Toyota 23

+0.246

22.821

0.009 157.749
18 B. Wallace23XI RACING 23 Toyota 15

+0.247

22.822

0.001 157.743
19 C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING 20 Toyota 24

+0.256

22.831

0.009 157.680
20 R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING 41 Ford 12

+0.264

22.839

0.008 157.625
21 K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 5 Chevrolet 18

+0.283

22.858

0.019 157.494
22 A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS 48 Chevrolet 22

+0.303

22.878

0.020 157.356
23
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
77 Chevrolet 15

+0.319

22.894

0.016 157.246
24
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
71 Chevrolet 10

+0.343

22.918

0.024 157.082
25 M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING 19 Toyota 23

+0.362

22.937

0.019 156.952
26 T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS 38 Ford 16

+0.372

22.947

0.010 156.883
27 A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING 3 Chevrolet 26

+0.434

23.009

0.062 156.461
28 D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING 99 Chevrolet 16

+0.435

23.010

0.001 156.454
29 K. GralaRICK WARE RACING 15 Ford 27

+0.459

23.034

0.024 156.291
30 J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB 42 Toyota 21

+0.460

23.035

0.001 156.284
31
C. HeimLEGACY MOTOR CLUB
43 Toyota 21

+0.470

23.045

0.010 156.216
32 R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING 47 Chevrolet 15

+0.506

23.081

0.036 155.972
33 J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING 51 Ford 18

+0.516

23.091

0.010 155.905
34 N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING 10 Ford 20

+0.516

23.091

0.000 155.905
35 D. HemricKAULIG RACING 31 Chevrolet 26

+0.545

23.120

0.029 155.709
36 H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING 21 Ford 21

+0.714

23.289

0.169 154.579
37 C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS 7 Chevrolet 16

+0.749

23.324

0.035 154.347
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