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David Ragan posts fastest lap in final Cup practice; Kurt Busch crashes

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 - Practice

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 14: David Ragan, driver of the #38 The Pete Store Ford, stands by his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 14, 2018 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

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BRISTOL, Tenn. - Kurt Busch, who was scheduled to have started second Sunday, hit the wall with about four minutes left in Saturday’s final Cup practice.
Busch’s team will go to a backup car.

“I had 45 laps on the tires and was trying to get to 50,’' Busch said. “The setup changes dramatically with air-pressure builds and the (PJ1 traction application) changing, so I was just trying to do as much research as I could. The lap times were really good in the car and then, boom, there’s just no forgiveness right now with how many variables there are.”
He will join Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick (backup) and Jimmie Johnson (tire change) at the rear of the field to start Sunday‘s race.

David Ragan posted the fastest lap of the session at 127.487 mph. He was followed by Chase Elliott (127.073 mph), Denny Hamlin (126.997), Busch (126.537) and Ragan’s Front Row Motorsports teammate Michael McDowell (126.295).

Click here for the practice report

Kyle Busch had the best average over 10 consecutive laps at 125.483 mph. He was followed by Kurt Busch (125.327) and Denny Hamlin (125.321).

Jimmie Johnson ran the most laps at 95. He was followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. (93 laps) and Brad Keselowski (80 laps).

The start time for Sunday’s Cup race has been moved to 1 p.m. ET because of rain in the forecast in the Bristol area.

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