NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Gordon Fastest In Happy Hour
Jeff Gordon is still looking for his first victory of the season...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted June 29, 2012   Sparta, KY
Jeff Gordon won't win the Sprint Cup Series title this season. (Photo: Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon battled through 100-degree temperatures to set fast time in Friday’s final Happy Hour round of practice for tomorrow’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.

Gordon, who is still looking for his first victory of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, went out with about 15 minutes left in the session and posted a lap of 175.097 miles per hour in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Brad Keselowski, in a backup car after contact with Juan Pablo Montoya during the morning session, but the Penske Racing Blue Deuce in second, after a best lap of 174.633 mph.

The Roush Fenway Racing Fords are usually stellar at 1.5-mile tracks, and today was no exception, as Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle were very fast. Edwards laid down a lap of 173.494 mph, which was good for third, while Biffle’s fast lap was 173.438 miles per hour put him fifth. Sandwiched between the two Fords was Keselowski’s teammate, AJ Allmendinger, who was fourth at 173.572 mph.

Biffle definitely will be one of the threats to win tomorrow: In four prior races at 1.5-mile tracks this season, Biffle has one victory and an average finish of 3.25.

Casey Mears was sixth ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt was on top much of the session after posting a lap of 173.144 mph in his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“It’s a little rough and the groove is not real distinct,” Earnhardt said of the Kentucky track. “So, it lends itself to good side-by-side racing. The exit to turn four is really, really wide so you just kind of play around and find a groove that works for you. Every time you change tires you kind of have to be ready to move around a little bit and find out where your car is fast and where that set of tires wants to run on the race track.”

There have been 12 different winners in 16 Sprint Cup races so far this season, with Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson the only two-time winners. Matt Kenseth, who has announced he’s leaving Roush Fenway Racing at the end of the season, leads the points over teammate Biffle (-11) and Earnhardt. (-14).

SPEED will televise Sprint Cup qualifying, starting at 5 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.
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