Kyle Larson Tops Speed Chart In NASCAR All-Star Race Practice at Dover

Considering he’s the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, it feels strange that Kyle Larson hasn’t visited victory lane in the series in over a year. However, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and three-time NASCAR All-Star Race winner will look to get off the shnide this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.

His bid for a record-tying fourth NASCAR All-Star Race win got kicked off with the fastest single-lap speed in Friday’s extended practice session for Sunday’s $1 million showdown.

Practice Results: NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Dover

In the session, which lasted a duration of an hour and a half, Larson turned a fast lap time of 22.792 seconds, which equaled a 157.950 mph average speed around the concrete “Monster Mile”. Larson’s lap time clicked in 0.018 seconds faster than Michael McDowell, the second-fastest driver in the session.

Unlike Larson, McDowell, the driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, is not locked into the final segment of Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race. Instead, McDowell will attempt to lock into the battle for the $1 million payday through the opening two 75-lap segments of the All-Star Race.

Denny Hamlin, who has won the last two NASCAR Cup Series points events at Dover Motor Speedway, was third-fastest in Friday’s practice session, while Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top-five fastest drivers in single-lap speed.

With an uncharacteristically long practice session, by today’s standards in the NASCAR Cup Series, drivers were able to really put their cars through the paces on the long run on Friday afternoon.

While Larson was the fastest driver in single-lap speed, he was not the top driver in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30-lap consecutive averages.

Carson Hocevar, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric, and Connor Zilisch were some of the drivers who impressed on the longer run in practice.

5-Lap Averages

1. 8 – Kyle Busch, 22.96 seconds
2. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.00 seconds
3. 54 – Ty Gibbs, 23.02 seconds
4. 12 – Ryan Blaney, 23.05 seconds
5. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.08 seconds

10-Lap Averages

1. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.06 seconds
2. 8 – Kyle Busch, 23.07 seconds
3. 1 – Ross Chastain, 23.12 seconds
4. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.16 seconds
5. 88 – Connor Zilisch, 23.16 seconds

15-Lap Averages

1. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.17 seconds
2. 88 – Connor Zilisch, 23.21 seconds
3. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.21 seconds
4. 54 – Ty Gibbs, 23.22 seconds
5. 8 – Kyle Busch, 23.26 seconds

20-Lap Averages

1. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.24 seconds
2. 54 – Ty Gibbs, 23.26 seconds
3. 88 – Connor Zilisch, 23.27 seconds
4. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.28 seconds
5. 8 – Kyle Busch, 23.34 seconds

25-Lap Averages

1. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.32 seconds
2. 54 – Ty Gibbs, 23.35 seconds
3. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.38 seconds
4. 8 – Kyle Busch, 23.39 seconds
5. 23 – Bubba Wallace, 23.39 seconds

30-Lap Averages

1. 77 – Carson Hocevar, 23.40 seconds
2. 45 – Tyler Reddick, 23.43 seconds
3. 23 – Bubba Wallace, 23.44 seconds
4. 2 – Austin Cindric, 23.45 seconds
5. 8 – Kyle Busch, 23.45 seconds