Defending Sonoma Raceway winner Kyle Larson was ahead of the field again Saturday afternoon in NASCAR Cup Series practice.
Larson was fastest at 90.424 mph (79.227 seconds) over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott. Elliott’s quickest lap was 90.195 mph.
Ross Chastain, who won on the season’s first road course race at COTA, was third fastest. Chastain clocked in at 90.125 mph. Kyle Busch was fourth quickest at 90.092 mph, and Daniel Suarez completed the top five at 90.00 mph.
Kurt Busch was sixth fastest at 89.915 mph, AJ Allmendinger was seventh fastest at 89.898 mph, Ryan Blaney was eighth fastest at 89.806 mph, Brad Keselowski was ninth fastest at 89.803 mph, and Chris Buescher was 10th fastest at 89.714 mph.
Buescher is back in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford after missing last weekend’s race after testing positive for COVID-19.
Joey Hand was 19th in practice at 89.445 mph. Hand is driving the No. 15 for Rick Ware Racing this weekend. It will be his second NASCAR Cup Series start of the season.
There were no significant incidents in practice. It was a mostly clean session aside from Chase Briscoe going wide in a corner and getting off course.
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the best 10 consecutive lap average. Busch topped brother Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Blaney, and Harrison Burton.
There are 36 drivers entered at Sonoma Raceway but only 35 made it on track for practice. Cody Ware did not make it on track for practice as his car failed inspection multiple times and had not yet passed when practice began.
