KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The combination of a maturing Kansas Speedway and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ lower-downforce aerodynamic package made negotiating the 1.5-mile intermediate track a formidable challenge—even in practice.
Incidents affected both Friday practice sessions. Dale Earnhardt Jr. barely kept his No. 88 Chevrolet off the Turn 4 wall in opening practice, with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson fighting for control behind him.
Erik Jones spun into the infield grass but avoided serious damage to his No. 77 Toyota. The car was repaired for the second session.
Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson both scraped the Turn 2 wall in the second session, but the damage was far more serious on Larson’s Chevrolet. His team quickly rolled out a backup No. 42.
“I felt like I was going to crash every lap since we unloaded today,” Larson, the series leader, said as his team worked to prepare the backup car. “We only made like seven laps the first practice because I was spinning out every time. They made some big adjustments there between practices…
“I just tried to open my entry up a little bit in (Turn) 1 and it stepped out on me, I felt, before I ever got to the corner, and I mean I didn’t have really time to chase it. I feel bad that I wrecked a primary car. Our backup should be just as good, if not better than our primary. Yeah, it’s just really, really edgy for some reason this weekend.”
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.
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