Newman Fastest in First Martinsville Practice, Qualifying Rained Out

It doesn't appear that the Cup Series will be able to get qualifying in today which means that the starting lineup will be set by points. That's bad news for several drivers who were fast with qualifying trim on late during Fridays practice, but are mired way down in points. Drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, and Juan Pablo Montoya all looked to have strong qualifying runs, but they'll have to traverse through the tight field of traffic on race day.

Saturday's two practice sessions will be interesting to see who looks good in race trim, in particular on the long runs. Jimmie Johnson, who has won five of the last seven Martinsville races, brought a new chassis to the track this week and didn't miss a beat. He had the seventh fastest time, but over the 30 laps he ran, no one was faster in average speeds.     

Friday's Top 5 Practice Times
1) #39-Newman 96.934
2) #5-Martin 96.859
3) #47-Ambrose 96.849
4) #24-Gordon 96.815
5) #42-Montoya 96.691

See Practice Page Link For Complete List of Speeds