CUP: Edwards Fastest, But Johnson Close

Sprint Cup

CUP: Edwards Fastest, But Johnson Close

Carl Edwards led Friday’s only round of Sprint Cup practice...

Tom Jensen | Posted November 19, 2010 Homestead, FL

Carl Edwards narrowly edged Jimmie Johnson in the first practice sessions for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FORD 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Carl Edwards took up where he left off Friday, while Jimmie Johnson fired the first warning shot to his title rivals.

Edwards, who last week won from the pole at Phoenix International Raceway and led all three NASCAR Sprint Cup practice sessions, topped the speed charts in Friday’s lone round of practice for the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford had a best lap of 175.839 miles per hour around the 1.5-mile Homestead oval, which made Edwards the fastest of the 45 drivers setting times during the session.

Second quick was the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Kyle Busch, who ran 175.075 mph.

Johnson, the four-time defending series champ, was right behind, third-fast at 175.058 mph, with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate with 2003 series champ Matt Kenseth fourth at 175.001 mph in a second Roush Ford. Completing the top five was Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 winner Jamie McMurray.

The second five was Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, Martin Truex Jr. and Mark Martin.

But the big news was that NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Denny Hamlin was just 30th-fastest, one position ahead of Kevin Harvick..

Hamlin enters Sunday’s race with a lead of 15 points over Johnson and 46 up on Harvick.

The 90-minute session was the only Sprint Cup practice of the day.

Sprint Cup qualifying is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET today, with a 45-minute practice round Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and the final, one-hour “Happy Hour” session tomorrow at 2:50 p.m.

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 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

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