Kyle Larson topped the speed charts during Friday’s NASCAR All-Star Race practice at Dover, posting a lap of 22.792 seconds that averaged 157.95 mph around the one‑mile concrete oval.
The session featured all 36 entries that will compete in the 350‑lap All‑Star Race weekend, with the field divided into three segments that will see ten drivers eliminated before the final stage.
Notable Performances and Early Insights
Among those yet to lock themselves into the final segment, Michael McDowell emerged as the quickest, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Riley Herbst, Connor Zilisch and Erik Jones also posted strong times, rounding out the top performers outside the cut‑off.
Veteran Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs completed the overall top five, but the real story was Carson Hocevar’s long‑run dominance, as he led every ten‑lap, fifteen‑lap, twenty‑lap, twenty‑five‑lap and thirty‑lap average speed metric.
Ross Chastain became the first driver to break the 23‑second barrier, while Ryan Blaney reported a flat left‑rear tire that forced a brief pit stop before he returned to the garage without incident.
Chase Briscoe added another chapter to the day by completing a career‑high 101 laps, though his run ended early after he clipped the outside wall at the exit of Turn 2, damaging the right side of his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
The practice also gave a glimpse of international talent, with Shane van Gisbergen turning heads as he navigated the track alongside the American regulars.