Now in his third full-time season as a Sprint Cup driver, Kyle Larson still is looking for his first career Cup win.
Atlanta Motor Speedway would be an appropriate place to get it -- Chip Ganassi Racing announced in August 2013 news conference at the track that Larson would move to Sprint Cup the following season.
Larson might have gotten off to a great start toward accomplishing a career breakthrough with Friday’s lone Sprint Cup practice at 1.5-mile oval. He had the fastest lap of all drivers at 192.902 mph, more than a 1 mph over the second-fastest driver, 2014 Atlanta winner Kasey Kahne (191.807 mph).
A.J. Allmendinger was third fastest (190.975), followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (190.646) and Austin Dillon (190.404). Brother Ty Dillon, who is filling in for the injured Tony Stewart, he recorded the 25th fastest speed (188.334 mph).
Sprint Cup qualifying will occur later this afternoon at 5:45 p.m. ET. There will be two more Cup practices on Saturday prior to the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races.
Here’s how Friday’s lone practice session played out: