CUP: Biffle Leads Texas Practice

Sprint Cup

CUP: Biffle Leads Texas Practice

Championship contenders scattered in first practice...

Mike Hembree | Posted November 05, 2010 Fort Worth, TX

Greg Biffle drives the #16 American Red Cross Ford during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Greg Biffle led the opening practice Friday for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway as the three championship contenders were scattered through the speed chart.

Biffle’s clocking of 193.340 mph led the 90-minute session.

Following him were Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth and Elliott Sadler.

Point leader Jimmie Johnson, in pursuit of his fifth straight championship, was ninth fastest at 191.795. His challengers – second-place Denny Hamlin at 29th and third-place Kevin Harvick at 27th – were down the list.

Johnson leads Hamlin by 14 points and Harvick by 38 entering Sunday’s race. After Texas, the only remaining races are at Phoenix and Homestead, FL.

The practice round was the only one scheduled prior to qualifying, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. on SPEED.

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

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

CUP: Smoke Gets In Johnson’s Eyes
Tony Stewart wins at Dover after Jimmie Johnson penalized on restart……
CUP: Kyle Busch Still On The Hunt
After missing Saturday win, Kyle Busch tries again at Dover today……
CUP: Dover Saturday Notebook (UPDATE 5)
Joey Logano prevails in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Dover...…