Cup series contenders agree swapping qualifying round for practice was the right move - Miami Herald

Kyle Busch prepares to practice for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019, at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla. Busch is one of four drivers racing for the championship. Terry Renna AP

After heavy rain and lightning wiped out the NASCAR Cup Series’ practice round on Friday, a decision had to be made.

Either cancel practice all together and only go with a qualifying round on Saturday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 or cancel qualification and give drivers a chance to run 10 or so laps on Homestead-Miami Speedway to get a feel for the track ahead of the championship-deciding race.

The latter ultimately happened.

“I thought with the way the schedule was and the way it was laid out, for a compromise, it was the best thing to do,” Kyle Busch said Saturday after the 50-minute practice session. “I think practice over qualifying was for sure a good idea for the field and for the unknown with everything coming into the weekend. It’s a chance to work on your race car instead of going out there blind and trying to ride as fast as you can for a qualifying lap.”

Funny Busch should say that, considering he ran the fastest lap in practice at 31.959 seconds for the mile-and-a-half track. Fellow Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr (32.055) and Denny Hamlin (32.090) — also in contention for the cup series title — were second and third. Kevin Harvick, the final member of the Championship 4, had the ninth-fastest lap (32.373) out of the 40 drivers.

Regardless, the starting lineup was now decided by owner points.

Hamlin will open the race in the pole position, with Harvick at Position 2, Truex at Position 3 and Busch in Position 4. The first of those four to cross the finish line after 267 laps on Sunday will win the cup series.

Hamlin, seeking his first career cup title victory, was awarded the pole for the second consecutive year at this race. This year, though, he will also have the best pit stall for the race. Hamlin gave that spot to teammate Busch in an attempt for Joe Gibbs Racing to take home the cup series title.

“It’s that good karma for giving up that pit box last year,” Hamlin said. “It all comes back around.”

The rest of the top 10 from practice: Brad Keselowski (32.163, fourth), Joey Logano (32.172, fifth), Ryan Blaney (32.276, sixth), Chase Elliott (32.314, seventh), Kyle Larson (32.352, eighth) and Erik Jones (32.383, 10th).

This and that

▪ Tyler Reddick won the pole position in qualifying for the Ford EcoBoost 300, marking the fifth time this season he started a race in the top spot. Cole Custer started in Position 2, Christopher Bell in Position 7 and Justin Allgaier in Position 16.

Jordan McPherson covers the Miami Marlins and high school sports for the Miami Herald. He attended the University of Florida and covered the Gators athletic program for five years before joining the Herald staff in December 2017.

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Cup series contenders agree swapping qualifying round for practice was the right move - Miami Herald
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