Mears soars in final Sprint Cup practice at Richmond – Nascar

RELATED: Practice 1 results | Final practice results

Casey Mears set the pace in final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice Friday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.

Mears steered the Germain Racing No. 13 Chevrolet to a best lap of 120.557 mph on the .75-mile track in final preparation for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM). Saturday’s regular-season finale will determine the 16-driver field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

Kyle Larson posted the second-fastest lap in the 85-minute session at 120.096 mph with the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet. Martin Truex Jr., last weekend’s winner at Darlington Raceway, turned the third-fastest lap (119.808 mph) in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota.

Jamie McMurray, currently clinging to the last playoff spot on the provisional Chase grid, was fourth-fastest (119.665 mph) in the Ganassi No. 1 Chevrolet. Tony Stewart, a three-time Richmond winner, completed the top five at 119.612 mph in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevy.

Jeff Gordon, making another substitute start as Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to sit out with concussion-related issues, was 14-fastest in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet.

Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch, who was fastest in opening practice Friday morning, was 17th-fastest in the afternoon session in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota.

Coors Light Pole Qualifying for Saturday’s 400-lapper is scheduled Friday at 5:45 p.m. ET (NBCSN).

Kyle Busch fastest in opening practice

Kyle Busch topped the leaderboard in Friday’s first Sprint Cup Series practice at Richmond International Raceway at 120.979 mph in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

‘Rowdy’ has four wins at the 0.75-mile Virginia track and a sterling 6.9 average finish in 22 starts. 

Right behind him was last week’s Darlington Raceway winner Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota at 120.649 mph. 

Rounding out the top five were Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 JGR Toyota, Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 JGR Toyota. 

Series points leader Kevin Harvick was 13th fastest with a speed of 119.105 mph in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.