Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
At Kansas Speedway on Friday afternoon, the Sprint Cup Series would take to the 1.5-mile oval for a pair of practices. In the end, it’d be Defending Sprint Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick topping the charts in the first session, while rookie Erik Jones topped the charts in the second session.
Harvick led the first session with a lap of 28.306 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy Johns Chevrolet. The defending champion is on a roll so far this year, with only one finish outside of the top eight to go with his two wins so far.
Joey Logano was second quickest, 0.059 seconds behind Harvick, as he continues to show the speed for Team Penske. Carl Edwards was third, continuing to get better with each week that he is with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards made the move to JGR over the off-season after spending most of his career to date with Roush Fenway Racing. Tony Stewart was fourth quickest, hoping for a good run this weekend after a pair of finishes outside of the top 15 over the past two weeks. Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top-five.
Kyle Larson was sixth, followed by Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Jones and Martin Truex Jr.
Jones led the second practice with a lap of 28.227 seconds behind the wheel of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota. Jones is making his Sprint Cup Series debut, as he fills in for the injured Kyle Busch. Jones has a bit of Cup experience, having filled in for Denny Hamlin at Richmond International Raceway last month. That race doesn’t count as his first start, though, as Hamlin started the race, running the first 23 laps. Jones finished that race in the 26th position.
Jeff Gordon was second quickest, 0.018 seconds behind Jones, as he looks to bounce back following a poor showing at Talladega. He ran up front during the day, but a late race pit road speeding penalty put him back in the field, where he was caught up in a late race incident. Logano was third quickest, followed by Truex Jr. and Earnhardt Jr.
Jamie McMurray was sixth, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Keselowski and Aric Almirola.
2015 NSCS SpongeBob SquarePants 400 First Practice Session Speeds
| Pos | Car | Driver | Team | Time | Speed | Lap # | # Laps | -Fastest | -Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet | 28.306 | 190.772 | 28 | 30 | —.— | —.— |
| 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | AAA Insurance Ford | 28.365 | 190.375 | 37 | 37 | -0.059 | -0.059 |
| 3 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Stanley Toyota | 28.381 | 190.268 | 3 | 32 | -0.075 | -0.016 |
| 4 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet | 28.543 | 189.188 | 23 | 23 | -0.237 | -0.162 |
| 5 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Nationwide Chevrolet | 28.779 | 187.637 | 20 | 55 | -0.473 | -0.236 |
| 6 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Target Chevrolet | 28.871 | 187.039 | 18 | 48 | -0.565 | -0.092 |
| 7 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Avaya Ford | 28.89 | 186.916 | 21 | 37 | -0.584 | -0.019 |
| 8 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Dollar General Toyota | 28.902 | 186.838 | 21 | 50 | -0.596 | -0.012 |
| 9 | 18 | Erik Jones(i) | M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota | 28.907 | 186.806 | 17 | 45 | -0.601 | -0.005 |
| 10 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet | 28.929 | 186.664 | 12 | 37 | -0.623 | -0.022 |
| 11 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Great Clips Chevrolet | 28.944 | 186.567 | 21 | 50 | -0.638 | -0.015 |
| 12 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | 5-Hour Energy Toyota | 29.027 | 186.034 | 2 | 33 | -0.721 | -0.083 |
| 13 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Dow Chevrolet | 29.031 | 186.008 | 19 | 42 | -0.725 | -0.004 |
| 14 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Farmland Ford | 29.036 | 185.976 | 10 | 33 | -0.73 | -0.005 |
| 15 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Freight Toyota | 29.046 | 185.912 | 27 | 40 | -0.74 | -0.01 |
| 16 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Haas Automation Chevrolet | 29.086 | 185.656 | 7 | 52 | -0.78 | -0.04 |
| 17 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Quicken Loans Chevrolet | 29.09 | 185.631 | 19 | 38 | -0.784 | -0.004 |
| 18 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Cheez-It/SpongeBob SquarePants Ford | 29.093 | 185.612 | 8 | 41 | -0.787 | -0.003 |
| 19 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Zest Ford | 29.113 | 185.484 | 21 | 37 | -0.807 | -0.02 |
| 20 | 13 | Casey Mears | Squidward Tentacles Chevrolet | 29.14 | 185.312 | 11 | 36 | -0.834 | -0.027 |
| 21 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | American Red Cross Chevrolet | 29.141 | 185.306 | 2 | 50 | -0.835 | -0.001 |
| 22 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | McDonald’s Chevrolet | 29.149 | 185.255 | 16 | 27 | -0.843 | -0.008 |
| 23 | 55 | David Ragan | SpngeBbSqrePnts/Arn’sDrmMchne Toyota | 29.178 | 185.071 | 7 | 51 | -0.872 | -0.029 |
| 24 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe’s Chevrolet | 29.178 | 185.071 | 11 | 30 | -0.872 | 0 |
| 25 | 27 | Paul Menard | Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet | 29.223 | 184.786 | 43 | 50 | -0.917 | -0.045 |
| 26 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | Dillon’s/Scott Products Chevrolet | 29.245 | 184.647 | 13 | 32 | -0.939 | -0.022 |
| 27 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Medallion Bank Ford | 29.258 | 184.565 | 2 | 26 | -0.952 | -0.013 |
| 28 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet | 29.261 | 184.546 | 19 | 36 | -0.955 | -0.003 |
| 29 | 26 | Jeb Burton # | Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota | 29.305 | 184.269 | 21 | 22 | -0.999 | -0.044 |
| 30 | 10 | Danica Patrick | GoDaddy Chevrolet | 29.312 | 184.225 | 37 | 53 | -1.006 | -0.007 |
| 31 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | AdvoCare Ford | 29.382 | 183.786 | 24 | 33 | -1.076 | -0.07 |
| 32 | 33 | Ty Dillon(i) | Plankton Chevrolet | 29.396 | 183.698 | 24 | 34 | -1.09 | -0.014 |
| 33 | 46 | Michael Annett | Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet | 29.416 | 183.574 | 20 | 30 | -1.11 | -0.02 |
| 34 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto | Burger King Toyota | 29.453 | 183.343 | 16 | 18 | -1.147 | -0.037 |
| 35 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Accell Construction Chevrolet | 29.457 | 183.318 | 32 | 42 | -1.151 | -0.004 |
| 36 | 95 | Michael McDowell | WRL/Larry the Lobster Ford | 29.47 | 183.237 | 6 | 31 | -1.164 | -0.013 |
| 37 | 23 | JJ Yeley(i) | Dr Pepper Toyota | 29.53 | 182.865 | 4 | 20 | -1.224 | -0.06 |
| 38 | 98 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing Ford | 29.552 | 182.729 | 1 | 22 | -1.246 | -0.022 |
| 39 | 34 | Brett Moffitt # | Dockside Logistics Ford | 29.591 | 182.488 | 8 | 33 | -1.285 | -0.039 |
| 40 | 38 | David Gilliland | MDS Ford | 29.684 | 181.916 | 4 | 21 | -1.378 | -0.093 |
| 41 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports Ford | 29.718 | 181.708 | 9 | 22 | -1.412 | -0.034 |
| 42 | 40 | Landon Cassill(i) | CarsforSale.com Chevrolet | 29.724 | 181.671 | 9 | 25 | -1.418 | -0.006 |
| 43 | 32 | Joey Gase(i) | Tri State Tower Ford | 30.02 | 179.88 | 20 | 29 | -1.714 | -0.296 |
| 44 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan(i) | Adam’s Mark Chevrolet | 30.158 | 179.057 | 8 | 8 | -1.852 | -0.138 |
(i) Ineligible for Driver Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
2015 NSCS SpongeBob SquarePants 400 Final Practice Session Speeds
| Pos | Car | Driver | Team | Time | Speed | Lap # | # Laps | -Fastest | -Next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Erik Jones(i) | M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota | 28.227 | 191.306 | 26 | 26 | —.— | —.— |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | American Red Cross Chevrolet | 28.245 | 191.184 | 5 | 5 | -0.018 | -0.018 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | AAA Insurance Ford | 28.312 | 190.732 | 29 | 29 | -0.085 | -0.067 |
| 4 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet | 28.348 | 190.49 | 9 | 9 | -0.121 | -0.036 |
| 5 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Nationwide Chevrolet | 28.362 | 190.396 | 7 | 9 | -0.135 | -0.014 |
| 6 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | McDonald’s Chevrolet | 28.4 | 190.141 | 18 | 18 | -0.173 | -0.038 |
| 7 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe’s Chevrolet | 28.402 | 190.127 | 9 | 9 | -0.175 | -0.002 |
| 8 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | 5-Hour Energy Toyota | 28.436 | 189.9 | 1 | 7 | -0.209 | -0.034 |
| 9 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Avaya Ford | 28.443 | 189.853 | 23 | 25 | -0.216 | -0.007 |
| 10 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Farmland Ford | 28.443 | 189.853 | 15 | 15 | -0.216 | 0 |
| 11 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Cheez-It/SpongeBob SquarePants Ford | 28.476 | 189.633 | 17 | 17 | -0.249 | -0.033 |
| 12 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Dollar General Toyota | 28.476 | 189.633 | 28 | 28 | -0.249 | 0 |
| 13 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Great Clips Chevrolet | 28.503 | 189.454 | 25 | 27 | -0.276 | -0.027 |
| 14 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Dow Chevrolet | 28.515 | 189.374 | 16 | 18 | -0.288 | -0.012 |
| 15 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Quicken Loans Chevrolet | 28.528 | 189.288 | 6 | 8 | -0.301 | -0.013 |
| 16 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Zest Ford | 28.533 | 189.255 | 14 | 16 | -0.306 | -0.005 |
| 17 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Haas Automation Chevrolet | 28.556 | 189.102 | 27 | 27 | -0.329 | -0.023 |
| 18 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Freight Toyota | 28.57 | 189.009 | 15 | 15 | -0.343 | -0.014 |
| 19 | 55 | David Ragan | SpngeBbSqrePnts/Arn’sDrmMchne Toyota | 28.62 | 188.679 | 12 | 12 | -0.393 | -0.05 |
| 20 | 33 | Ty Dillon(i) | Plankton Chevrolet | 28.62 | 188.679 | 12 | 12 | -0.393 | 0 |
| 21 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Target Chevrolet | 28.641 | 188.541 | 8 | 10 | -0.414 | -0.021 |
| 22 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | Dillon’s/Scott Products Chevrolet | 28.656 | 188.442 | 21 | 21 | -0.429 | -0.015 |
| 23 | 26 | Jeb Burton # | Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota | 28.676 | 188.311 | 7 | 7 | -0.449 | -0.02 |
| 24 | 27 | Paul Menard | Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet | 28.681 | 188.278 | 13 | 15 | -0.454 | -0.005 |
| 25 | 13 | Casey Mears | Squidward Tentacles Chevrolet | 28.701 | 188.147 | 18 | 20 | -0.474 | -0.02 |
| 26 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Stanley Toyota | 28.771 | 187.689 | 1 | 29 | -0.544 | -0.07 |
| 27 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet | 28.78 | 187.63 | 17 | 18 | -0.553 | -0.009 |
| 28 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Medallion Bank Ford | 28.808 | 187.448 | 16 | 18 | -0.581 | -0.028 |
| 29 | 10 | Danica Patrick | GoDaddy Chevrolet | 28.831 | 187.298 | 12 | 14 | -0.604 | -0.023 |
| 30 | 95 | Michael McDowell | WRL/Larry the Lobster Ford | 28.889 | 186.922 | 7 | 9 | -0.662 | -0.058 |
| 31 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | AdvoCare Ford | 28.914 | 186.761 | 12 | 12 | -0.687 | -0.025 |
| 32 | 98 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing Ford | 28.971 | 186.393 | 10 | 10 | -0.744 | -0.057 |
| 33 | 38 | David Gilliland | MDS Ford | 29.003 | 186.188 | 19 | 19 | -0.776 | -0.032 |
| 34 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports Ford | 29.095 | 185.599 | 13 | 13 | -0.868 | -0.092 |
| 35 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet | 29.115 | 185.471 | 21 | 33 | -0.888 | -0.02 |
| 36 | 34 | Brett Moffitt # | Dockside Logistics Ford | 29.24 | 184.679 | 7 | 7 | -1.013 | -0.125 |
| 37 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Accell Construction Chevrolet | 29.322 | 184.162 | 17 | 17 | -1.095 | -0.082 |
| 38 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet | 29.326 | 184.137 | 45 | 49 | -1.099 | -0.004 |
| 39 | 23 | JJ Yeley(i) | Dr Pepper Toyota | 29.458 | 183.312 | 12 | 12 | -1.231 | -0.132 |
| 40 | 32 | Joey Gase(i) | Tri State Tower Ford | 29.551 | 182.735 | 14 | 15 | -1.324 | -0.093 |
| 41 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan(i) | Adam’s Mark Chevrolet | 29.566 | 182.642 | 7 | 7 | -1.339 | -0.015 |
| 42 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto | Burger King Toyota | 29.637 | 182.205 | 9 | 10 | -1.41 | -0.071 |
| 43 | 40 | Landon Cassill(i) | CarsforSale.com Chevrolet | 29.96 | 180.24 | 24 | 26 | -1.733 | -0.323 |
| 44 | 46 | Michael Annett | Allstate Peterbilt Group Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(i) Ineligible for Driver Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
