CUP: Kyle Busch Top Gun In Practice

Sprint Cup

CUP: Kyle Busch Top Gun In Practice

Brad Keselowski fourth, Jimmie Johnson 24th in Phoenix practice...

Mike Hembree | Posted November 10, 2012 Avondale, AZ

Kyle Busch has been quick all weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Non-Chaser Kyle Busch led Saturday’s opening practice for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, while championship contenders Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson had very different sessions.

Busch had a fast lap of 135.552 miles per hour and figures to be among the favorites in Sunday afternoon’s race, the next-to-last event of the Sprint Cup season.

Keselowski had the session’s fourth-fastest speed, behind Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. Joey Logano was fifth.

Johnson, who leads Keselowski by seven points with two races to go, was 24th in practice.

The session was eventful, unfortunately, for Jeff Burton, who lost control and hit the outside wall, damaging the right side of his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Burton was driving his backup car after crashing his primary Friday.

The RCR No. 31 team decided to abandon Saturday’s damaged backup and begin repair work on the primary car for use in Sunday’s race. Burton did not participate in the rest of the practice session.

A second practice is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. ET, televised by SPEED.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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Mike Hembree

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