NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Martin Tops In Texas
Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick spin top laps in opening practice for Samsung Mobile 500...
Mike Hembree  |  Posted April 12, 2012   Fort Worth, TX
Mark Martin had the fast lap in opening practice for Samsung Mobile 500. (Photo: Getty Images)
Mark Martin, racing for only the fifth time this season, posted a fast lap early and watched it hold up for two hours as he led Thursday night’s opening practice for Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Martin, driving a part-time schedule this year for Michael Waltrip Racing, turned a lap at 189.427 miles per hour to lead the two-hour practice.

Following Martin in the top five were Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger and Regan Smith.

Martin, Biffle and Harvick were the only drivers faster than 189.

In the second five were Marcos Ambrose, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards.

A second Sprint Cup practice is scheduled at 3 p.m. (ET) at TMS Friday. Qualifying – 46 cars are entered for 43 spots – is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

SPEED will televise the practice session and time trials as part of its Fast Friday programming.

Saturday night’s race will be the seventh of the Sprint Cup season.

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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