The top three average speeds in Saturday’s practice came from the first 20-minute session with LaJoie leading the way at 94.585 mph.
In 12 career starts at the 0.526-mile short track, LaJoie has never started better than 14th or finished better than 18th (twice).
Bubba Wallace was second overall (94.382 mph) and Ryan Preece was third (94.265 mph).
Chase Elliott was fastest in the second session at 93.909 mph but 11th quick overall.
Among those drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps, Preece had the top average lap speed at 93.781 mph. Bubba Wallace and William Byron were second and third, respectively, in that category.
Group B
Elliott topped the second 20-minute session with an average lap speed of 93.909 mph.
Ty Gibbs ended up second fastest (93.826 mph) and Kyle Larson wound up third (93.737 mph).
Last weekend’s race winner, Denny Hamlin, was fourth and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five.
The roof hatch of Josh Berry’s No. 4 Ford briefly came up during one of his practice runs on the track.
Group A
LaJoie led the way in the first 20-minute session with an average lap speed of 94.585 mph.
Wallace was second quick (94.382 mph) and Preece was third (94.265 mph).
Alex Bowman and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five.
Ross Chastain, who ended up 14th fastest in the session, thought he was experiencing a brake issue and returned to pit road several times to allow his team to check over his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
| CLA | DRIVER | # | MANUFACTURER | LAPS | TIME | INTERVAL | MPH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS | 7 | Chevrolet | 44 |
20.020 |
94.585 | ||
| 2 | B. Wallace23XI RACING | 23 | Toyota | 54 |
+0.043 20.063 |
0.043 | 94.383 | |
| 3 | R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 41 | Ford | 37 |
+0.068 20.088 |
0.025 | 94.265 | |
| 4 | A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 48 | Chevrolet | 51 |
+0.083 20.103 |
0.015 | 94.195 | |
| 5 | M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING | 19 | Toyota | 48 |
+0.086 20.106 |
0.003 | 94.181 | |
| 6 | W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 24 | Chevrolet | 52 |
+0.105 20.125 |
0.019 | 94.092 | |
| 7 | T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS | 38 | Ford | 37 |
+0.121 20.141 |
0.016 | 94.017 | |
| 8 | A. CindricTEAM PENSKE | 2 | Ford | 46 |
+0.123 20.143 |
0.002 | 94.008 | |
| 9 | R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE | 12 | Ford | 46 |
+0.126 20.146 |
0.003 | 93.994 | |
| 10 | C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING | 20 | Toyota | 55 |
+0.129 20.149 |
0.003 | 93.980 | |
| 11 | C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 9 | Chevrolet | 49 |
+0.144 20.164 |
0.015 | 93.910 | |
| 12 | C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 14 | Ford | 42 |
+0.153 20.173 |
0.009 | 93.868 | |
| 13 |
T. GibbsJOE GIBBS RACING
|
54 | Toyota | 38 |
+0.162 20.182 |
0.009 | 93.826 | |
| 14 | C. BuescherRFK RACING | 17 | Ford | 37 |
+0.169 20.189 |
0.007 | 93.794 | |
| 15 | N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 10 | Ford | 46 |
+0.175 20.195 |
0.006 | 93.766 | |
| 16 | K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 5 | Chevrolet | 53 |
+0.181 20.201 |
0.006 | 93.738 | |
| 17 | R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING | 1 | Chevrolet | 41 |
+0.185 20.205 |
0.004 | 93.719 | |
| 18 | D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING | 11 | Toyota | 55 |
+0.188 20.208 |
0.003 | 93.705 | |
| 19 |
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
71 | Chevrolet | 38 |
+0.203 20.223 |
0.015 | 93.636 | |
| 20 | A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING | 3 | Chevrolet | 44 |
+0.203 20.223 |
0.000 | 93.636 | |
| 21 | H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING | 21 | Ford | 50 |
+0.226 20.246 |
0.023 | 93.530 | |
| 22 | J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING | 4 | Ford | 38 |
+0.240 20.260 |
0.014 | 93.465 | |
| 23 | T. Reddick23XI RACING | 45 | Toyota | 52 |
+0.247 20.267 |
0.007 | 93.433 | |
| 24 | J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE | 22 | Ford | 55 |
+0.272 20.292 |
0.025 | 93.318 | |
| 25 | D. HemricKAULIG RACING | 31 | Chevrolet | 54 |
+0.305 20.325 |
0.033 | 93.166 | |
| 26 |
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
77 | Chevrolet | 41 |
+0.309 20.329 |
0.004 | 93.148 | |
| 27 | D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING | 99 | Chevrolet | 50 |
+0.313 20.333 |
0.004 | 93.129 | |
| 28 | E. JonesLEGACY MOTOR CLUB | 43 | Toyota | 42 |
+0.328 20.348 |
0.015 | 93.061 | |
| 29 | K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING | 8 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+0.335 20.355 |
0.007 | 93.029 | |
| 30 | M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS | 34 | Ford | 40 |
+0.349 20.369 |
0.014 | 92.965 | |
| 31 | R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING | 47 | Chevrolet | 50 |
+0.368 20.388 |
0.019 | 92.878 | |
| 32 | J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB | 42 | Toyota | 43 |
+0.374 20.394 |
0.006 | 92.851 | |
| 33 | J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING | 51 | Ford | 29 |
+0.382 20.402 |
0.008 | 92.814 | |
| 34 | K. GralaRICK WARE RACING | 15 | Ford | 25 |
+0.383 20.403 |
0.001 | 92.810 | |
| 35 | B. KeselowskiRFK RACING | 6 | Ford | 24 |
+0.391 20.411 |
0.008 | 92.774 | |
| 36 | J. WilliamsKAULIG RACING | 16 | Chevrolet | 33 |
+0.495 20.515 |
0.104 | 92.303 | |
| 37 | D. StarrPOWER SOURCE | 66 | Ford | 35 |
+1.369 21.389 |
0.874 | 88.531 |
