William Byron Tops NASCAR Cup Practice at COTA

Byron, who secured the pole position for this race a year prior, showcased his prowess by clinching the fastest average lap speed of the day at 94.415 mph, despite being one of the last cars to complete laps after 1½ hours of practice, with time already expired.

To accommodate the uniqueness of the first road course race of the season with NASCAR's new aero package, teams were divided into two groups, and each allocated a pair of 20-minute sessions on the track.

Byron's stellar performance emerged from Group B, where he soared past Ty Gibbs' top lap speed of 94.681 mph from Group A's second session. In the second of Group B's 20-minute sessions, Byron's late flyer lap clocked in at 94.703 mph, comfortably claiming the top spot on the speed chart.

Teammate Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports secured the second-fastest time (94.415 mph), followed by Christopher Bell in third (94.226 mph). Ross Chastain and Kamui Kobayashi rounded off the top five.

However, the practice sessions were not without incidents. In the first Group B session, Chastain experienced a spin, while several drivers, including Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, and Josh Berry, had their lap times invalidated for shortcutting the course.

McDowell also encountered a spin in the second Group B session, managing to resume without necessitating a caution. Similarly, Chastain and Justin Haley faced invalidated lap times in the second session due to course shortcutting.

In Group A, Gibbs demonstrated a formidable pace across both sessions, improving his time in the second 40-minute practice to claim the lead with an average lap speed of 94.681 mph. Bubba Wallace secured the second spot (94.260 mph), followed by Kyle Busch in third. Shane van Gisbergen and Corey LaJoie completed the top five.

Reflecting on his team's performance, Wallace expressed satisfaction, noting, "Proud of the effort of everyone at 23XI Racing." However, he acknowledged differences in tire choices among competitors, emphasizing the focus on preparation for the race ahead.

The practice sessions also saw their share of interruptions and penalties. Tyler Reddick's spin at Turn 7 around 10 minutes into the first Group A session resulted in a brief halt by NASCAR. Several drivers, including LaJoie, Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Blaney, and Chase Briscoe, had their lap times disallowed in Group A for course shortcutting.