Denny Hamlin leads Phoenix practice after clocking the fastest lap among the Cup championship contenders in Avondale, Ariz., during a session overshadowed by tire issues affecting several drivers. As Hamlin took charge early, other title contenders faced challenges, setting a tense stage for the weekend.
Hamlin Sets Pace as Tire Problems Mount
During the practice at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin claimed the top position among championship hopefuls, securing the fifth fastest overall speed at 131.262 mph. William Byron followed ninth with a lap of 131.100 mph, Kyle Larson came in eleventh at 130.961 mph, and Chase Briscoe trailed them at sixteenth, posting 130.714 mph. Notably, Briscoe battled a tire problem and vibration that sharply limited his track time.
Chase Briscoe managed only 24 laps—the fewest among the Championship 4—as he coped with technical setbacks throughout practice. Reflecting on the session, he said,
“This wasn’t a great practice for us just because we didn’t really get to run a lot because of the issues,”
Briscoe, Driver, told truTV.
“We’ll get to work on it and see what we can do. … I’m confident that we’ll be just fine. Just got to figure out what’s going on.”
Briscoe’s crew chief, James Small, addressed the tire situation with reporters, stating,
“Too low on air. Too much on camber. Just too aggressive, I guess. You saw it with a number of cars out there.”
James Small, Crew Chief.
Incidents Expand Beyond Title Contenders
The session’s problems stretched past the leading contenders. Riley Herbst and AJ Allmendinger both hit the wall in separate early incidents, with Allmendinger sustaining a bruised elbow but reporting he was otherwise unharmed. Furthermore, Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Daniel Suarez, and Kyle Busch all suffered left rear tire failures during practice, intensifying concerns among teams and officials.
The session saw fluctuating fortunes for others as well: Ty Gibbs delivered the fastest lap overall with a blistering 131.868 mph. Ryan Blaney followed tightly in second at 131.406 mph, accompanied by Team Penske’s Austin Cindric at 131.377 mph and Ryan Preece at 131.353 mph rounding out the top positions.
Long-Run Speeds Highlight Variation
Looking at longer stints, Ryan Blaney performed best over 10 consecutive laps, averaging 129.331 mph. Kyle Larson matched closely with 129.231 mph, while William Byron managed 129.215 mph and Tyler Reddick posted 129.113 mph. Christopher Bell trailed slightly behind at 129.054 mph. Despite leading the Cup title contenders on the speed chart, Hamlin ranked 26th in the 10-lap average metric with 128.183 mph. Briscoe did not complete a 10-lap run, leaving his long-term pace uncertain.
The tire concerns and multiple incidents mark a complicated lead-up for championship contenders like Hamlin, Larson, Byron, and Briscoe, with the teams under pressure to address issues before the main event. As the competition intensifies in Avondale, attention remains sharply focused on how drivers and crews will adapt to track conditions and resolve reliability challenges.
