CUP: Kyle Busch Leads Saturday Practice At Homestead

Sprint Cup

CUP: Kyle Busch Leads Saturday Practice At Homestead

All three championship contenders post speeds in top 20...

Mike Hembree | Posted November 20, 2010 Homestead, FL

Kyle Busch posted the fast time in practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series FORD 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

On a day when the three Sprint Cup championship contenders are in the spotlight, Kyle Busch once again stepped to the forefront to make some noise.

Busch led the first of two Saturday practices for Sunday’s Ford 400, the final Sprint Cup event of the season and the race that will determine which driver in the top three – Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick – takes home the seasonal title.

Busch’s top lap was 171.838 mph. He was followed by Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle and Mark Martin.

The three contenders put themselves in position to fine-tune their cars in Happy Hour practice (2:50-3:50 ET). Hamlin was sixth in the first practice, and Johnson (11th) and Harvick (19th) followed.

Following Johnson in the practice speed order were Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann and Ryan Newman.

Kasey Kahne, who won the pole Friday, was 16th fastest in practice.

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.

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Mike Hembree

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