Denny Hamlin led the sole Daytona 500 practice session with a top speed of 187.480 mph (48.005 seconds) over 19 laps, setting the pace ahead of qualifying.

Top 10 Practice Speeds:

• Denny Hamlin: 187.480 mph
• Bubba Wallace: 186.916 mph
• Ty Gibbs: 186.370 mph
• Chandler Smith: 186.177 mph
• John Hunter Nemechek: 186.100 mph
• Riley Herbst: 186.097 mph
• Daniel Suarez: 184.642 mph
• Noah Gragson: 184.294 mph
• Erik Jones: 184.188 mph
• Kyle Busch: 183.707 mph

Notable Performances:

• Helio Castroneves: 12th fastest in his Trackhouse Racing debut
• Shane van Gisbergen: 17th fastest in rookie run
• William Byron (defending champion): 22nd fastest
• Martin Truex Jr.: 31st fastest
• Jimmie Johnson: 32nd fastest
• Justin Allgaier: 36th fastest

Key Session Details:

• 43 of 45 entered cars participated
• Ty Gibbs completed most laps (24)
• 23 drivers made fewer than 10 laps
• Brad Keselowski experienced steering issues causing smoke
• Michael McDowell and Justin Haley did not practice
• Session primarily featured single-car runs with limited drafting

Nine drivers, including Chandler Smith, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Justin Allgaier, must qualify for the Daytona 500 field. The qualifying session is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.

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