CUP: Burton Leads Happy Hour Practice

Sprint Cup

CUP: Burton Leads Happy Hour Practice

Denny Hamlin has fourth fastest speed; Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick trail

Mike Hembree | Posted November 20, 2010 Homestead, FL

Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 Caterpilliar Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Jeff Burton turned in the fastest lap of Happy Hour practice Saturday for Sunday’s Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while the three Sprint Cup championship contenders had a mixed outing.

Burton’s top speed was 169.545 miles per hour. He was followed in the top five by pole winner Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., point leader Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray.

Jimmie Johnson, in second in points, was 22nd in the practice, and third-place Kevin Harvick was 29th.

There were no serious incidents in the practice.

Hamlin carries a 15-point lead over Johnson into the season’s final race. Harvick is 46 points behind.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

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