Herbst tops practice at Chicagoland Speedway
Riley Herbst posted the fastest lap of the NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Chicagoland Speedway, clocking a speed of 178.065 mph. His teammate Bubba Wallace finished just behind in second place, setting the stage for a competitive weekend.
The top five was rounded out by defending champion Kyle Larson, veteran Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs, each of whom turned strong times in the 38‑car field. Six of the eight spots in the top eight were occupied by Toyota entries, underscoring the manufacturer’s current edge.
Austin Cindric was the quickest driver when averaging his five‑lap runs, while Tyler Reddick proved consistent across longer stints, topping the 10‑, 15‑, 20‑ and 25‑lap averages. Ryan Blaney was the only competitor to complete a full 30‑lap sequence without pitting, highlighting his endurance during the session.
Other notable participants included Chase Elliott, Chase Briscoe, William Byron and Christopher Bell, all of whom turned laps as the field prepared for Saturday’s qualifying. JJ Yeley emerged as the slowest of the 38 drivers, posting a best lap of 31.351 seconds at 172.243 mph.
Qualifying is set for 3 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be streamed on truTV with coverage also available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Sunday’s eero 400 will start shortly after 6 p.m. ET, with race broadcast rights held by TNT, MRN and SiriusXM.