Larson fastest in final practice

BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 14: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2014 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 14:  Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2014 in Brooklyn, Michigan.  (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, MI – JUNE 14: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, 2014 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, Mich. – The cars at the front of the starting grid remained the fastest in Saturday’s final two Sprint Cup practice periods but Rookie Kyle Larson was fastest in the final session, in which teams run the closest approximations to their race setups.

Larson, who’ll start 12th on Sunday, went 198.424 mph on his first lap of the final run.

“I felt like we made really big gains in our Target Chevy throughout the weekend,” he said. “Yesterday in practice I didn’t think we were good at all.”

Gordon, pole sitter Kevin Harvick and Johnson _ all of whom will start in the top seven _ also topped 198 mph in the final practice run.

The skies were mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid-70s during the final run, but the forecast is calling for a high of 80 by the time the green flag waves Sunday. Larson said he’s not sure what to expect.

“I don’t know how this track changes with the temperatures,” he said. “I’ve only run here once since it was repaved.”

Harvick, who set a new track record Friday in qualifying, was the only driver to top 202 mph in Saturday’s early session. As he predicted, speeds slowed as cars began running in traffic later in the day.

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.