A cool Michigan Friday night produced a fair amount of fog Saturday morning. Enough to delay the schedule at Michigan International Speedway for the better part of an hour.
First to hit the track, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series cars for practice session Number 2. Erik Jones(20) posted the fastest lap at 200.150 mph, the only car to exceed 200 mph. William Byron(24), Brad Keselowski(2), Clint Bowyer(14), and Joey Logano(22) rounded out the top 5.
Jones also had the best 10 consecutive lap average at 198.132. The Fords of Bowyer (197.506) and Aric Almirola(10) (197.330) put together consistent laps to average speeds only slightly slower. The faster laps were all run early, as the sun was still working to burn off the low fog clouds.
Daniel Suarez(19) smacked the wall during qualifying yesterday. His crew repaired the vehicle but did not have enough time to apply paint and decals. Suarez run among the leaders in both of Saturday’s practice sessions.
In the final practice session, run closer to noon, the sun was bright and the track temperature up significantly. Thus, speeds were slower. Logano put up the fastest lap, 197.580. Just edging out Kyle Busch(18) by 11/1,000’s of a second. Alex Bowman(88), Kevin Harvick(4), and Kyle Larson(42) made up the rest of the top 5.
However, looking at the best 10 consecutive lap average chart revealed a favorite. Erik Jones, the Byron, Michigan native, again put the fastest 10 laps together at an average of 196.078 mph. Followed by Ryan Blaney(12) (195.714) and Larson (195.666).
Chase Elliott spun during the final practice session. Suffering some minor damage to the splitter on the front of the car.
Tickets remain for tomorrow’s Consumer Energy 400 in what promises to be an exciting afternoon of NASCAR Cup Series action.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
While the NASCAR Xfinity Series is tackling the road course at Mid-Ohio, the trucks are running at MIS. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualified Saturday morning and raced Saturday afternoon. John Hunter Nemechek(8) won the pole. Todd Gilliland(4) started on the front row next to Nemechek.
As the race progressed through the first 2 Stages the dominate truck appeared to be Stewart Friesen(52). However on their final pit stop with 20 laps left in the race misfortune struck. The gasman picked up the fuel tank but the team decided to not add fuel. According to NASCAR rules once the gasman engages with the fuel tank he can perform no other function on the pit stop. In an effort to help his driver, that crewman helped push the truck on takeoff from their pit stall. The penalty for the infraction? Restart at the rear of the field.
The Finish
Friesen fought back to finish 8th. The race came down to a battle between Johnny Sauter(21) and Brett Moffitt(18) and Nemechek. Moffitt scored the victory with a last lap pass.
More Live Coverage from The Lasco Press
come back tomorrow for the culminating event of the weekend. The Consumer Energy 400 with the Cup Series cars running 200 laps with a 2:30 pm start time in the Beautiful Irish Hills.
