NASCAR Cup drivers had their first opportunity to test the new urban circuit of Naval Base Coronado during a 50-minute practice session. With little time to adapt to the 3.4-mile layout, the competition was intense and full of incidents.
The recent NASCAR Cup champion, Kyle Larson, recorded the fastest time with a lap of 2:16.588, followed by Todd Gilliland, Ty Gibbs, Connor Zilisch, and Carson Hocevar.
Although the session was not as chaotic as previous NASCAR Truck or O’Reilly practices, the drivers were not exempt from thrilling moments. Austin Cindric suffered a spin, Brad Keselowski hit the tire barrier, and Jimmie Johnson performed an impressive 360-degree spin without hitting the wall.
Another of the protagonists was Kevin Magnussen, ex-Formula 1 driver, who made his Cup debut with Trackhouse’s Project 91. Although he showed good pace, he suffered two wall contacts in less than a minute.
In an additional incident, Christopher Bell, competing with a fractured ankle, had to exit the car so his substitute Brent Crews could take a turn.
Teams had three sets of tires at their disposal, and lap times continued to drop rapidly with each new set. Shane van Gisbergen achieved the best five-lap average with a time of 2:18.19, but due to various communications, he ended up not enjoying his third set of tires.
Despite several minor incidents, there were no red flags during the session.
NASCAR Cup practice results in San Diego
| Position | Driver | Number | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Difference | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Larson | 5 | Chevrolet | 12 | 2’16.588 | 89.613 | |
| 2 | T. Gilliland | 34 | Ford | 13 | +0.293 | 2’16.881 | 89.421 |
| 3 | T. Gibbs | 54 | Toyota | 14 | +0.336 | 2’16.924 | 89.393 |
| 4 | C. Zilisch | 88 | Chevrolet | 13 | +0.372 | 2’16.960 | 89.369 |
| 5 | C. Hocevar | 77 | Chevrolet | 11 | +0.413 | 2’17.001 | 89.342 |
| 6 | C. Heim | 67 | Toyota | 12 | +0.451 | 2’17.039 | 89.318 |
| 7 | M. McDowell | 71 | Chevrolet | 15 | +0.696 | 2’17.284 | 89.158 |
| 8 | S. van Gisbergen | 97 | Chevrolet | 13 | +0.732 | 2’17.320 | 89.135 |
| 9 | A. Hill | 33 | Chevrolet | 14 | +1.021 | 2’17.609 | 88.948 |
| 10 | A. Bowman | 48 | Chevrolet | 13 | +1.093 | 2’17.681 | 88.901 |
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
