NASCAR Cup Drivers Take Chaotic First Lap on San Diego Street Course

Kyle Larson topped the only 50‑minute NASCAR Cup practice on the brand‑new 3.4‑mile street course with a 2:16.588 lap.

Practice Highlights

Below Larson, Todd Gilliland, Ty Gibbs, Connor Zilisch, and Carson Hocevar rounded the top five. Corey Heim, Michael McDowell, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, and Alex Bowman completed the top ten.

Incidents and Technical Notes

• Austin Cindric spun during the session.
• Brad Keselowski hit the tire barrier.
• Jimmie Johnson executed a 360‑degree spin while keeping the car off the wall.
• Ex‑F1 driver Kevin Magnussen struck the wall twice—once on the right side at the exit of the final corner and again on the left side at Turn 1’s exit.
• Christopher Bell ran the first 10 laps with a fractured left wrist before handing the car to relief driver Brent Crews.
• Austin Hill became the first driver to post a lap in the 2:17 range.
• Teams had three sets of tires; times fell sharply with each new set, but van Gisbergen never used the third set due to a radio miscommunication.
• No driver exceeded 15 laps, and the session contained only minor incidents with no red flags.

While Larson establishes a clear lead, the mix of high‑speed errors and tyre‑set dynamics signals that the weekend’s race will still test each competitor’s adaptability on the street circuit.