Ross Chastain Tops Las Vegas Cup Practice with Dominant Speed
Ross Chastain dominated NASCAR Cup Series practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, setting the fastest lap at 187.846mph (28.747s) during his second run. The Trackhouse Racing driver was the sole competitor to exceed 187mph during the session.
Top practice speeds:
- Bubba Wallace: 186.290mph
- William Byron: 186.175mph
- Kyle Larson: 185.982mph (defending race winner)
- Austin Dillon: 185.695mph
Notable performances:
- Noah Gragson: 6th (185.459mph)
- Chase Elliott: 7th (185.433mph)
- Christopher Bell: 8th (185.350mph, seeking fourth consecutive Cup Series win)
- Michael McDowell: 9th (185.236mph)
- Chris Buescher: 10th (185.008mph)
NASCAR race cars compete on track
Most drivers set their fastest laps within their first six attempts, with Ryan Blaney being the exception, posting his best time on lap 11. However, Blaney's practice ended early after a right rear tire failure in Turn 2 caused him to spin and make contact with the wall. His team will attempt to repair the primary car for Sunday's race, but he will not participate in qualifying.
Chastain also led the best 10 consecutive lap average, followed by Byron, Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Alex Bowman. The event features 36 chartered teams, with Cup Series qualifying scheduled for 11:40 a.m. local time.