CUP: Keselowski Bests Johnson By 0.01 Seconds

Sprint Cup

CUP: Keselowski Bests Johnson By 0.01 Seconds

Brad Keselowski was tops in Saturday’s first practice…

Tom Jensen | Posted November 03, 2012 Fort Worth, TX

Brad Keselowski drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 2, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Getty Images)

With a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship on the line, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski wasted no time in having at it at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday.

In the first minute of the first of Saturday’s two practice rounds for the AAA 500, Keselowski and Johnson immediately jumped to the top of the board on their respective first laps, with Keselowski ahead of Johnson by just 0.01 seconds.

Keselowski’s fast lap in the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge was 186.929 miles per hour, vs. 186.864 mph for Johnson and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Those times held up for the balance of the 50-minute session.

Johnson leads Keselowski by just 2 points with three races left on the season. The five-time champion will start from the pole in tomorrow’s race, with Keselowski starting eighth.

Behind the title protagonists was Denny Hamlin, third-fast at 186.066 mph in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Completing the top five were the Roush Fenway Racing Fords of Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards.

Clint Bowyer was sixth, followed by Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 16th.

SPEED will televise the final Happy Hour round of practice at 5:45 p.m. ET.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

CUP: Monday NASCAR Notebook
Jimmie Johnson has the most victories of any active driver at Charlotte…
CUP: EXCLUSIVE - No Crew Chief Changes At SHR
Ryan Newman had the best finish of any of the Stewart-Haas drivers…
CUP: More All-Star Frustration For JGR
Matt Kenseth had a disappointing Sprint All-Star Race finish……