Watkins Glen NASCAR Practice Notes
Group A Practice Notes
William Byron – 7-minutes into practice, William Byron jumped to the top of the speed chart. Midway thru Group A while he was first his crew chief said, “A couple of exits could be a bit better otherwise you’re killing them.” Byron had the best 5 and 10 lap averages in Group A.
Denny Hamlin – Denny Hamlin had an early off-roading moment on lap #2 in practice. Hamlin’s opening lap put him #1 on the speed chart for the time. Hamlin did a +15 lap run so he should have a good feel for his car. Hamlin had the 4th best 5 and 10 lap averages in Group A.
Michael McDowell – The #34 unloaded with speed and was fast on the stopwatch. McDowell had the 2nd best 5 and 10 lap averages.
Tyler Reddick – The #45 had great speed over a run in practice. Brad Daugherty was really encouraged by how the #45 looked. Reddick had the 3rd best 5-lap average in Group A.
Chase Elliott – Midway thru Group A while he was 7th, Elliott said “Braking is ok. Just a little on the free side.” In the last five minutes of practice, Elliott climbed up to 2nd on the speed chart. Jeff Burton said Chase Elliott had good speed. Elliott notably never made a 5-lap run.
