NASCAR Cup Series: Martinsville Practice Report
Chase Elliott topped the practice times for the NASCAR Cup Series elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, clocking a lap at 95.796 mph (19.767 seconds). The Hendrick Motorsports driver aims for a victory to secure his advancement in the playoffs, having previously won at this track during the 2020 elimination race.
Denny Hamlin followed closely with the second-fastest time at 95.791 mph, while Ty Gibbs secured third at 95.782 mph. Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five, recording laps of 95.738 mph and 95.728 mph, respectively. AJ Allmendinger placed sixth at 95.598 mph.
William Byron was seventh at 95.439 mph, with Ty Dillon eighth (95.319 mph), Joey Logano ninth (95.295 mph), and Todd Gilliland completing the top ten at 95.285 mph. Defending Martinsville winner Ryan Blaney finished 11th at 95.276 mph. Notably, playoff competitor Christopher Bell was 16th with a lap of 95.180 mph, while Chase Briscoe was the slowest playoff driver, finishing 26th at 94.994 mph.
In terms of multi-lap average performance, Larson led with the best consecutive ten-lap average, followed by Elliott, Byron, Gibbs, and Allmendinger. Blaney and Hamlin placed sixth and seventh, respectively.
A total of 37 teams are entered for the race, with no incidents reported during practice. As the drivers prepare, the stakes are high for playoff contenders.
