Noah Gragson was fastest in Friday’s NASCAR Cup Series practice at Iowa Speedway — a session highlighted by numerous tire issues.
Gragson went to the top of the board late on at 137.988mph (22.828s). Cup Series teams were given an extended practice, 50 minutes, because it is the first visit for the series to the facility.
Ty Gibbs was second fastest at 136.559mph. Gibbs was one of five drivers who had tire issues.
Alex Bowman was third at 136.334mph, Justin Haley, fourth at 136.269mph, Chase Elliott, fifth at 135.881mph and Ross Chastain, sixth at 135.799mph.
Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Chastain, and Austin Cindric each had a tire go down that resulted in four red flags. Gibbs, Bell, and Cindric had right-front tire issues.
The No. 54 was fortunate enough to have his tire go down off Turn 2, allowing him to stay off the wall, but his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Bell, hit the wall in Turn 4 and is going to a backup car for Sunday’s race.
Cindric hit the Turn 2 wall in his Team Penske car after his tire went down. He, too, will be going to a backup car for the race.