Using a fast lap of 186.451 mph in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Carl Edwards topped opening Sprint Cup Series practice at Kentucky Speedway on Thursday.
Next on the leaderboard was Edwards' JGR teammate and defending race winner Kyle Busch, whose No. 18 Toyota whirled around the repaved track at 186.181 mph. Busch is running all three series races in this weekend's tripleheader.
Furniture Row Racing's Martin Truex Jr. came up third on the speed charts with a fast lap of 185.217 mph in his No. 78 Toyota, while Denny Hamlin 's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was fourth-fastest (185.084 mph). Hendrick Motorsports' Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five as the lone Chevrolet in the top bunch, posting a top speed of 184.989 mph in his No. 48 Chevrolet.
Points leader Kevin Harvick was 13th-fastest in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.
Two-time Kentucky winner Brad Keselowski found trouble early in the opening session: his No. 2 Team Penske Ford brushed the wall coming around a turn, bringing out the caution briefly. Kasey Kahne made contact with the exit of Turn 4 wall in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, but the track remained green. Josh Wise brought out the final caution of the 85-minute session when his No. 30 ride began smoking.
The Sprint Cup Series is back on track for practice in the Bluegrass State on Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
