Tyler Reddick led Friday's Cup Series practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, continuing a strong surge that has seen him finish eighth or better in seven of the last eight races.
The 23XI Racing driver had the fastest single lap at 182.582 mph. He also had the fastest 10-lap average speed at 179.151 mph.
Ryan Blaney was second-fastest in single-lap speed with a lap of 181.928 mph. Denny Hamlin (181.561 mph), Christopher Bell (181.371 mph), and Alex Bowman (180.930 mph) rounded out the top five.
MORE: Full Cup practice results
Reddick only has one Brickyard 400 start in his Cup career, which he made in 2020. He finished eighth while driving for Richard Childress Racing.
Kyle Larson was the second-fastest driver in 10-lap average speed at 178.784 mph. Hamlin was third at 178.247 mph, Brad Keselowski was fourth at 178.228 mph, and Austin Cindric was fifth at 178.228 mph.
One driver who capitalized during the Friday practice session was Jimmie Johnson. The seven-time Cup champion, preparing for his ninth start in the Next Gen car, was 21st in single-lap speed at 179.290 mph. However, Johnson was ninth-fastest in 10-lap average speed at 176.900 mph.
Johnson, who has struggled in limited Next Gen starts, is one of the two drivers in the lineup with multiple Brickyard 400 wins on his resume. He first won the crown jewel race in 2006. He then went back-to-back in 2008-09. Johnson's final Brickyard 400 win was in 2012.
Kyle Busch, the other driver with multiple Brickyard 400 wins, had a relatively quiet practice session. His single-lap speed (179.824 mph) was 16th-fastest. He ranked 15th in 10-lap average speed at 176.141 mph.
Busch is currently in the middle of a season of struggles. His ninth-place finish on the streets of Chicago is his only top-10 in the last nine races. He has five DNFs in the past seven races due to crashes or mechanical issues. He has fallen to 102 points below the playoff cutline.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a track where Busch has performed well overall in 16 starts. He has 12 top-10 finishes, five top-fives, and two wins. His average finish is 12.1.
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