The top three overall speeds came from the first 20-minute session, with Chastain’s average lap speed of 184.268 mph leading the way.
Chastain’s Trackhouse teammate, Daniel Suarez, picked up his first win of the season at Atlanta, coming out on top in a three-way side-by-side photo finish.
Noah Gragson was second quick overall (183.660 mph) in a Ford while Ty Gibbs was third (182.858 mph) in a Toyota.
Chase Briscoe, Gragson’s teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing, was fastest in Group B, but seventh quick overall.
Saturday’s session was plagued by windy conditions, with gusts expected to top 60 mph or more during the afternoon.
Among those drivers who ran at least 10 consecutive laps, Kyle Larson had the fastest average lap speed (180.385 mph) followed by William Byron and Tyler Reddick.
Group B
Briscoe topped the second 20-minute session with an average lap speed of 182.438 mph.
Daytona 500 winner Byron was second (182.346 mph) while his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, was third (182.327 mph).
Fellow HMS drivers Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
Todd Gilliland had trouble getting his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford to start and missed much of the session.
Group A
Chastain led the way in the first 20-minnute session with an average lap speed of 184. 268 mph.
Gragson ended up second quick (183.660 mph) and Gibbs was third (182.858 mph).
Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin completed the top five.
On just his fourth lap on track, Ryan Preece spun in Turn 2 and backed into the wall, doing extensive damage to his No. 41 Ford.
.@RyanPreece_ goes for a spin early in this practice session. pic.twitter.com/fil88zFw2Y
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 2, 2024
“I don’t know if it bottomed out or what, but it lost all the grip in (Turns) 1 and 2,” Preece said. “Pretty unexpected.”
| CLA | DRIVER | # | MANUFACTURER | LAPS | TIME | INTERVAL | MPH | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R. ChastainTRACKHOUSE RACING | 1 | Chevrolet | 22 |
29.305 |
184.269 | ||
| 2 | N. GragsonSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 10 | Ford | 21 |
+0.097 29.402 |
0.097 | 183.661 | |
| 3 |
T. GibbsJOE GIBBS RACING
|
54 | Toyota | 26 |
+0.226 29.531 |
0.129 | 182.859 | |
| 4 | T. Reddick23XI RACING | 45 | Toyota | 22 |
+0.228 29.533 |
0.002 | 182.846 | |
| 5 | D. HamlinJOE GIBBS RACING | 11 | Toyota | 28 |
+0.248 29.553 |
0.020 | 182.723 | |
| 6 | B. Wallace23XI RACING | 23 | Toyota | 21 |
+0.256 29.561 |
0.008 | 182.673 | |
| 7 | C. BriscoeSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 14 | Ford | 16 |
+0.294 29.599 |
0.038 | 182.439 | |
| 8 | W. ByronHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 24 | Chevrolet | 29 |
+0.309 29.614 |
0.015 | 182.346 | |
| 9 | K. LarsonHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 5 | Chevrolet | 25 |
+0.312 29.617 |
0.003 | 182.328 | |
| 10 | C. BuescherRFK RACING | 17 | Ford | 17 |
+0.350 29.655 |
0.038 | 182.094 | |
| 11 | M. McDowellFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS | 34 | Ford | 20 |
+0.351 29.656 |
0.001 | 182.088 | |
| 12 | A. BowmanHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 48 | Chevrolet | 22 |
+0.358 29.663 |
0.007 | 182.045 | |
| 13 |
C. HocevarSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
77 | Chevrolet | 20 |
+0.394 29.699 |
0.036 | 181.824 | |
| 14 | C. ElliottHENDRICK MOTORSPORTS | 9 | Chevrolet | 22 |
+0.402 29.707 |
0.008 | 181.775 | |
| 15 | C. LajoieSPIRE MOTORSPORTS | 7 | Chevrolet | 16 |
+0.433 29.738 |
0.031 | 181.586 | |
| 16 | R. Stenhouse JrJTG DAUGHERTY RACING | 47 | Chevrolet | 25 |
+0.446 29.751 |
0.013 | 181.507 | |
| 17 | K. BuschRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING | 8 | Chevrolet | 25 |
+0.460 29.765 |
0.014 | 181.421 | |
| 18 | J. LoganoTEAM PENSKE | 22 | Ford | 23 |
+0.480 29.785 |
0.020 | 181.299 | |
| 19 | C. BellJOE GIBBS RACING | 20 | Toyota | 24 |
+0.493 29.798 |
0.013 | 181.220 | |
| 20 | D. HemricKAULIG RACING | 31 | Chevrolet | 17 |
+0.495 29.800 |
0.002 | 181.208 | |
| 21 | R. BlaneyTEAM PENSKE | 12 | Ford | 24 |
+0.506 29.811 |
0.011 | 181.141 | |
| 22 |
Z. SmithSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
71 | Chevrolet | 25 |
+0.522 29.827 |
0.016 | 181.044 | |
| 23 | D. SuarezTRACKHOUSE RACING | 99 | Chevrolet | 24 |
+0.544 29.849 |
0.022 | 180.911 | |
| 24 | R. PreeceSTEWART-HAAS RACING | 41 | Ford | 3 |
+0.602 29.907 |
0.058 | 180.560 | |
| 25 | A. CindricTEAM PENSKE | 2 | Ford | 24 |
+0.609 29.914 |
0.007 | 180.517 | |
| 26 | J. BerrySTEWART-HAAS RACING | 4 | Ford | 23 |
+0.620 29.925 |
0.011 | 180.451 | |
| 27 | M. Truex JrJOE GIBBS RACING | 19 | Toyota | 27 |
+0.634 29.939 |
0.014 | 180.367 | |
| 28 | B. KeselowskiRFK RACING | 6 | Ford | 16 |
+0.653 29.958 |
0.019 | 180.252 | |
| 29 | A. DillonRICHARD CHILDRESS RACING | 3 | Chevrolet | 20 |
+0.725 30.030 |
0.072 | 179.820 | |
| 30 | J. HaleyRICK WARE RACING | 51 | Ford | 11 |
+0.815 30.120 |
0.090 | 179.283 | |
| 31 | J. NemechekLEGACY MOTOR CLUB | 42 | Toyota | 25 |
+0.892 30.197 |
0.077 | 178.826 | |
| 32 | K. GralaRICK WARE RACING | 15 | Ford | 16 |
+1.005 30.310 |
0.113 | 178.159 | |
| 33 | E. JonesLEGACY MOTOR CLUB | 43 | Toyota | 15 |
+1.115 30.420 |
0.110 | 177.515 | |
| 34 | D. KrausKAULIG RACING | 16 | Chevrolet | 23 |
+1.153 30.458 |
0.038 | 177.293 | |
| 35 | T. GillilandFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS | 38 | Ford | 12 |
+1.282 30.587 |
0.129 | 176.546 | |
| 36 | H. BurtonWOOD BROTHERS RACING | 21 | Ford | 17 |
+1.401 30.706 |
0.119 | 175.861 | |
| 37 | J. YeleyNY RACING TEAM | 44 | Chevrolet | 2 |
+3.424 32.729 |
2.023 | 164.991 |
