Kurt Busch tops practice, brother missing car chief
Kurt Busch, who won at Sonoma Raceway in 2011, posted the fastest time in practice Friday for Sunday’s Toyota/ SaveMart 350 with a best lap of 94.061 mph.
Denny Hamlin was next best in the afternoon session ( 94.012 mph), followed by Martin Truex Jr. ( 93.718). The speeds were generally faster than the morning session as drivers got more acclimated to driving on a road course for the first time this season.
Coming off his win at Michigan, Clint Bowyer posted the fastest lap of the morning session ( 93.590). Ryan Blaney was next ( 93.546), followed by Joey Logano ( 93.172).
Missing parts: Points leader Kyle Busch and two other Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, Hamlin and Erik Jones, are without their car chiefs for this weekend.
The car chiefs — Nate Bellows ( for Busch), Brandon Griffeth ( Hamlin) and Jason Overstreet ( Jones) — were suspended from the Sonoma race for having splitters that didn’t meet rules specifications during inspections before the June 10 race at Michigan.
A splitter is the flat extension to the bottom of the front bumper that helps aerodynamically balance the downforce on the car.
Although all three cars had qualified in the top 10, they were forced to start from the rear. Busch finished fourth, Hamlin 12th and Jones 15th.
Also, crew chiefs Adam Stevens ( Busch), Mike Wheeler ( Hamlin) and Chris Gayle ( Jones) were each fined $ 25,000.
The car chief is the person most responsible for building and adjusting the car. He reports to the crew chief, who is the main overall decision maker for the team.
Remembering fire victims: Victims, survivors and firstresponders from the October fires that killed 44 people and destroyed more than 5,000 homes will be honored during the weekend.
Some of the first- responders will be introduced with the top 10 qualifiers during prerace ceremonies Sunday.
On the first night of the fires, Oct. 8, one blaze came within 100 yards of a large propane tank on a hill overlooking the raceway, according to raceway President and General Manager Steve Page.
A combination of shifting winds, short grass and a fire crew from Marin County saved the tank and prevented a huge explosion, he said.
Briefly: Olympic gold medalist freestyle skier Jonny Moseley of Tiburon will serve as grand marshal for Sunday’s race. … Scott Pruett, the recently retired road racer from Auburn ( Placer County), will drive the pace car.