NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Hamlin Fastest In Practice
Denny Hamlin is third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings…
Jim Rising  |  Posted October 11, 2012   Concord, NC
Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin, desperate to stay in the NASCAR Sprint Cup title hunt, led the first round of practice for Saturday’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hamlin, third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings, blistered the 1.5-mile track with a lap of 191.693 miles per hour, tops among the 47 cars setting times.

Mark Martin, the part-time driver who will make his 850th career Sprint Cup start on Saturday night, was second at 191.442 miles per hour in his No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.

Third was Talladega winner Matt Kenseth, 191.333 mph in his Roush Fenway Ford.

Then came Joey Logano, 191.157 mph in the first of the three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas. Jeff Gordon was fifth at 190.975 mph.

The second five was led by Kyle Busch. Then came Regan Smith subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski.

With the day’s stunning announcement that Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two races due to a concussion suffered at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, the driver seats were shuffled considerably during Thursday afternoon’s 90-minute session.

Earnhardt’s spot in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was filled by Smith, who earlier this week was released from Furniture Row Racing, which hired Kurt Busch to drive the No. 78 Chevy.

Busch’s old seat in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevy was filled by AJ Allmendinger, back from suspension is driving for Finch. Busch was 18th in practice, one position ahead of Allmendinger.

“It is certainly a good opportunity,” said Smith, who was pleased to end the session seventh. “I am very fortunate that I am the guy they chose to call. I really appreciate that. It is going to be the best car I have sat in, yes, there is no denying that. I just want to go out and make the most of it. Run all 500 miles and see where we are at when it is all said and done.”

Coming into Saturday night’s race, the fifth of 10 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Keselowski leads the points standings, 14 markers up on Johnson and 23 ahead of Hamlin.

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.
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