There will be a lot of NASCAR flavor baked into the starting fields for the companion events to this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Cup Series races at North Wilkesboro Speedway, as NASCAR drivers are trying to get as many laps on the 0.625-mile short track, which has been off the NASCAR schedule since 1996.
Daniel Suárez has to be feeling confident about things as he paced ASA STARS National Tour final practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and he beat out fellow NASCAR Cup Series racers Chase Elliott (-0.044 sec.) and William Byron (-0.109 sec.).
Suárez turned an 18.934 sec. lap around the iconic short track, which equates to a 118.834 mph average speed.
Behind the NASCAR trio of Suárez, Elliott, and Byron was Bubba Pollard, regarded as one of the best short-track racers in the country, and Matt Craig rounded out the top-five fastest in the session.
Other NASCAR drivers were sprinkled throughout the results sheet in practice.
Carson Hocevar was sixth, Conner Jones was seventh, Noah Gragson was eighth, Sammy Smith was 17th, Derek Kraus was 18th, Erik Jones ranked 25th, Grant Enfinger clocked in 27th, Johnny Sauter was 29th, Ty Majeski was 40th, and Chandler Smith ranked 46th in the 52-car final practice session.
Full Results From ASA STARS National Tour Final Practice at North Wilkesboro
Pos | No. | Driver | Lap time | Diff | Speed | Laps | Best Lap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | 18.934 | -- | 118.834 | 25 | 2 |
2 | 9e | Chase Elliott | 18.978 | 0.044 | 118.558 | 19 | 19 |
3 | 24b | William Byron | 19.043 | 0.109 | 118.154 | 11 | 10 |
4 | 26p | Bubba Pollard | 19.083 | 0.149 | 117.906 | 20 | 20 |
5 | 54 | Matt Craig | 19.089 | 0.155 | 117.869 | 11 | 10 |
6 | 14h | Carson Hocevar | 19.103 | 0.169 | 117.783 | 19 | 18 |
7 | 44j | Conner Jones | 19.103 | 0.169 | 117.783 | 10 | 9 |
8 | 30 | Noah Gragson | 19.107 | 0.173 | 117.758 | 23 | 22 |
9 | 35 | Kaden Kvapil | 19.115 | 0.181 | 117.709 | 12 | 10 |
10 | 51f | Jake Finch | 19.120 | 0.186 | 117.678 | 20 | 20 |
11 | 2s | William Sawalich | 19.124 | 0.190 | 117.653 | 17 | 15 |
12 | 7t | Derek Thorn | 19.144 | 0.210 | 117.530 | 28 | 16 |
13 | 7c | Justin Crider | 19.183 | 0.249 | 117.291 | 18 | 13 |
14 | 12 | Derek Griffith | 19.201 | 0.267 | 117.181 | 6 | 2 |
15 | 33f | Albert Francis | 19.208 | 0.274 | 117.139 | 2 | 2 |
16 | 44d | Jeremy Doss | 19.214 | 0.280 | 117.102 | 22 | 3 |
17 | 22s | Sammy Smith | 19.217 | 0.283 | 117.084 | 15 | 2 |
18 | 9k | Derek Kraus | 19.230 | 0.296 | 117.005 | 7 | 4 |
19 | 51n | Stephen Nasse | 19.231 | 0.297 | 116.999 | 15 | 4 |
20 | 20s | Anthony Sergi | 19.236 | 0.302 | 116.968 | 17 | 15 |
21 | 9h | Hudson Halder | 19.240 | 0.306 | 116.944 | 7 | 5 |
22 | 65 | Tyler Tanner | 19.254 | 0.320 | 116.859 | 12 | 2 |
23 | 58c | Rich Clouser | 19.256 | 0.322 | 116.847 | 22 | 3 |
24 | 45 | Kodie Conner | 19.256 | 0.322 | 116.847 | 15 | 14 |
25 | 4 | Erik Jones | 19.270 | 0.336 | 116.762 | 13 | 5 |
26 | 23 | Billy VanMeter | 19.280 | 0.346 | 116.701 | 16 | 9 |
27 | 32 | Grant Enfinger | 19.282 | 0.348 | 116.689 | 17 | 16 |
28 | 28b | Cole Butcher | 19.298 | 0.364 | 116.592 | 14 | 14 |
29 | 5 | Johnny Sauter | 19.317 | 0.383 | 116.478 | 17 | 17 |
30 | 98 | Blaine Rocha | 19.321 | 0.387 | 116.454 | 23 | 5 |
31 | 69 | Michael Hinde | 19.323 | 0.389 | 116.436 | 8 | 1 |
32 | 50 | Jett Noland | 19.324 | 0.390 | 116.411 | 17 | 17 |
33 | 74 | Ryan Moore | 19.328 | 0.394 | 116.351 | 18 | 1 |
34 | 22r | Giovanni Ruggiero | 19.338 | 0.404 | 116.351 | 20 | 20 |
35 | 112 | Augie Grill | 19.348 | 0.414 | 116.291 | 38 | 3 |
36 | 24d | Mason Diaz | 19.365 | 0.431 | 116.189 | 10 | 3 |
37 | 47 | Dakota Stroup | 19.390 | 0.456 | 116.039 | 16 | 3 |
38 | 2j | John Bolen | 19.391 | 0.457 | 116.033 | 20 | 17 |
39 | 33s | Dustin Smith | 19.414 | 0.480 | 115.869 | 11 | 5 |
40 | 91 | Ty Majeski | 19.465 | 0.531 | 115.592 | 18 | 1 |
41 | 14n | Austin Nason | 19.472 | 0.538 | 115.551 | 20 | 19 |
42 | 2m | Michael Bilderback | 19.487 | 0.553 | 115.462 | -- | 1 |
43 | 90 | Ryan Strimka | 19.539 | 0.605 | 115.154 | -- | 3 |
44 | 28w | Dusty Williams | 19.547 | 0.613 | 115.107 | -- | 4 |
45 | 18h | Hunter Robbins | 19.583 | 0.649 | 114.896 | -- | 17 |
46 | 26s | Chandler Smith | 19.635 | 0.701 | 114.591 | -- | 28 |
47 | 18c | Casey Roderick | 19.670 | 0.736 | 114.387 | -- | 2 |
48 | 8 | Tony Elrod | 19.696 | 0.762 | 114.236 | -- | 5 |
49 | 24c | Dylan Caldwell | 19.712 | 0.778 | 114.144 | -- | 26 |
50 | 97 | Dylan Garner | 19.792 | 0.858 | 113.682 | -- | 11 |
51 | 20h | Harrison Halder | 19.815 | 0.881 | 113.550 | -- | 3 |
52 | 58j | John Coffman | 20.187 | 1.253 | 111.458 | -- | 2 |