Austin Dillon topped the speed charts during an extended Saturday afternoon practice session at the NASCAR Cup Series in Richmond. This practice was particularly important due to NASCAR’s recent introduction of an Option tire, allowing teams to experiment with both regular and softer tire compounds during the session.
Each team was equipped with three sets of the standard tires and one set of the softer Option tires. Dillon, taking an early advantage of the softer option, clocked an unbeatable early lap speed of 118.953 mph, setting a high standard for his rivals.
Despite switching back to regular tires later in the session, none could surpass Dillon’s initial blazing speed.
Following closely were Toyota drivers Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Martin Truex Jr., who placed second, third, and fourth respectively. Rookie Zane Smith from Spire Motorsports also made his mark by rounding out the top five.
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The session wasn’t without its minor drama; Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon’s teammate at Richard Childress Racing, had a close encounter with the wall in his No. 8 Chevrolet. Fortunately, the brush did not cause significant damage, allowing Busch to continue without major setbacks.
Ross Chastain showed formidable consistency during this session, recording the highest average speed of 116.741 mph among drivers who executed at least 10 consecutive laps. Chris Buescher and Daniel Suarez were right on his tail.
A look at the detailed practice times reveals the competitive nature of the session, with times ranging from Dillon’s fastest lap of 22.698 seconds (118.953 mph) to P. Retzlaff’s slower pace of 24.608 seconds (109.720 mph).
The extended session duration, prompted by the new tire options, afforded teams a crucial period to fine-tune their strategies. As teams parse through the data and outcomes from this practice, they’ll be thinking deeply about how this new Option tire could make or break their race.
NASCAR Cup Series Richmond Practice Results
| Position | Driver | Team | Car # | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Interval | Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A. Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Chevrolet | 69 | 22.698 | – | 118.953 |
| 2 | B. Wallace | 23XI Racing | 23 | Toyota | 80 | 22.716 | +0.018 | 118.859 |
| 3 | C. Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | 20 | Toyota | 86 | 22.735 | +0.037 | 118.760 |
| 4 | M. Truex Jr | Joe Gibbs Racing | 19 | Toyota | 83 | 22.745 | +0.047 | 118.707 |
| 5 | Z. Smith | Spire Motorsports | 71 | Chevrolet | 74 | 22.746 | +0.048 | 118.702 |
| 6 | C. Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | 77 | Chevrolet | 73 | 22.779 | +0.081 | 118.530 |
| 7 | C. Buescher | RFK Racing | 17 | Ford | 79 | 22.793 | +0.095 | 118.457 |
| 8 | M. McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | 34 | Ford | 83 | 22.837 | +0.139 | 118.229 |
| 9 | D. Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | 99 | Chevrolet | 86 | 22.842 | +0.144 | 118.203 |
| 10 | T. Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | 54 | Toyota | 85 | 22.873 | +0.175 | 118.043 |
| 11 | D. Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | 11 | Toyota | 86 | 22.884 | +0.186 | 117.986 |
| 12 | C. Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | 14 | Ford | 90 | 22.885 | +0.187 | 117.981 |
| 13 | C. Lajoie | Spire Motorsports | 7 | Chevrolet | 63 | 22.903 | +0.205 | 117.888 |
| 14 | J. Haley | Rick Ware Racing | 51 | Ford | 49 | 22.926 | +0.228 | 117.770 |
| 15 | R. Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | 1 | Chevrolet | 80 | 22.932 | +0.234 | 117.739 |
| 16 | E. Jones | Legacy Motor Club | 43 | Toyota | 53 | 22.948 | +0.250 | 117.657 |
| 17 | T. Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | 38 | Ford | 87 | 23.031 | +0.333 | 117.233 |
| 18 | J. Logano | Team Penske | 22 | Ford | 87 | 23.060 | +0.362 | 117.086 |
| 19 | R. Herbst | Rick Ware Racing | 15 | Ford | 69 | 23.062 | +0.364 | 117.076 |
| 20 | K. Busch | Richard Childress Racing | 8 | Chevrolet | 67 | 23.087 | +0.389 | 116.949 |
| 21 | T. Reddick | 23XI Racing | 45 | Toyota | 74 | 23.094 | +0.396 | 116.913 |
| 22 | J. Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | 42 | Toyota | 84 | 23.096 | +0.398 | 116.903 |
| 23 | N. Gragson | Stewart-Haas Racing | 10 | Ford | 80 | 23.118 | +0.420 | 116.792 |
| 24 | R. Stenhouse Jr | JTG Daugherty Racing | 47 | Chevrolet | 91 | 23.131 | +0.433 | 116.726 |
| 25 | R. Blaney | Team Penske | 12 | Ford | 81 | 23.165 | +0.467 | 116.555 |
| 26 | B. Keselowski | RFK Racing | 6 | Ford | 95 | 23.174 | +0.476 | 116.510 |
| 27 | A. Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | 48 | Chevrolet | 77 | 23.184 | +0.486 | 116.460 |
| 28 | D. Hemric | Kaulig Racing | 31 | Chevrolet | 60 | 23.192 | +0.494 | 116.419 |
| 29 | T. Dillon | Kaulig Racing | 16 | Chevrolet | 59 | 23.215 | +0.517 | 116.304 |
| 30 | H. Burton | Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ford | 79 | 23.215 | +0.517 | 116.304 |
| 31 | A. Cindric | Team Penske | 2 | Ford | 77 | 23.231 | +0.533 | 116.224 |
| 32 | K. Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevrolet | 76 | 23.253 | +0.555 | 116.114 |
| 33 | J. Berry | Stewart-Haas Racing | 4 | Ford | 37 | 23.272 | +0.574 | 116.019 |
| 34 | R. Preece | Stewart-Haas Racing | 41 | Ford | 65 | 23.323 | +0.625 | 115.766 |
| 35 | W. Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | 24 | Chevrolet | 76 | 23.410 | +0.712 | 115.335 |
| 36 | C. Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | 9 | Chevrolet | 65 | 23.506 | +0.808 | 114.864 |
| 37 | P. Retzlaff | MBM | 66 | Ford | 36 | 24.608 | +1.910 | 109.720 |
