HOMESTEAD: Today's Sprint Cup Practice Notes

Saturday 1st practice for the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is over, the practice was called due to rain.

After 33 of 55 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest, chase drivers and notes:
1.) Kyle Larson - 176.010 MPH
2.) Kevin Harvick - 175.194 MPH
3.) Edwards - 174.374 MPH
4.) Biffle - 174.126 MPH
5.) Logano - 174.081 MPH
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average: Brad Keselowski - 168.660 MPH

Chase Drivers
Kevin Harvick 2nd fastest, 29 laps run
Jeff Gordon 15th, 14 laps
Kyle Busch 9th, 21 laps
Martin Truex Jr. 19th, 19 laps
Slowest: Josh Wise - 165.685 MPH & Ryan Preece - 165.761 MPH
Notes: AJ Allmendinger smacked the wall and pancaked the right side of the car, the team decided to keep the car and make repairs to the car for the race. Practice was aired on CNBC. Happy Hour (final) practice is scheduled for 1:00-1:50pm/et and be cover on NBCSN.

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Happy Hour practice for the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is over. 

After 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest, chase drivers and notes:

1.) Joey Logano - 175.404 MPH
2.) Kasey Kahne - 75.080 MPH
3.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 175.035 MPH
4.) Carl Edwards - 174.571 MPH
5.) Kurt Busch - 174.560 MPH
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average: Jeff Gordon - 169.489 MPH
Slowest: Ryan Preece - 163.186 MPH & Landon Cassill - 165.614 MPH
No Speed: AJ Allmendinger (crew is repairing the car)
Most Laps Run: Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, 49

Chase Drivers
Kevin Harvick 26th fastest, ran 44 laps
Jeff Gordon 9th, 36 laps
Kyle Busch 17th, 47 laps
Martin Truex Jr. 10th, 38 laps
Notes: David Ragan had a rear tire go down, no damage reported. Practice was aired on NBCSN.

HOMESTEAD: Today's XFINITY Qualifying Notes

Kyle Busch won the Coors Light pole for the Ford Ecoboost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a speed of 168.140 MPH. Daniel Suarez will start second. The rest of the top 10 was Austin Dillon, Brian Scott, Ryan Blaney, Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler, Kyle Larson, and Ty Dillon. Points leader Chris Buescher starts 11th. The lineup was set after 2 rounds of qualifying. Rain started at the track before the final round could begin.

Did Not Qualify: Morgan Shepherd.

HOMESTEAD: Yesterday's Sprint Cup Qualifying Notes

UNB! NETWORK QUALIFYING REPORT

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a speed of 176.655 MPH. This is Hamlin's 23rd-career Sprint Cup Series pole award, and 3rd of this season. Joey Logano is on the outside pole.

Where the final four will start:

• Kyle Busch will start 3rd

• Jeff Gordon will start 5th

• Martin Truex Jr. will start 11th

• Kevin Harvick will start 13th.

Erik Jones wins 2015 Truck Series championship; Matt Crafton wins race

UNB! NETWORK STAFF REPORT

Erik Jones celebrates his 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway on
November 20th, 2015.

Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Erik Jones, all of 19 years old, clinched the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship on Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He's the youngest champion in series history.

It's the first national series championship for Jones, who also drove select races in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2015. It's also the first championship for Kyle Busch as a team owner, and the championship also ensured that a Toyota would take him the big trophy for the third consecutive season.

Thanks to his aggressive racing and ability to overcome bad days, the 19-year-old was one of the most consistent drivers on the circuit this year. He had three wins leading into Homestead, including one at Iowa in June that turned his season around.

Prior to that Iowa win, Jones was coming off a 15th-place finish at Texas and a 23rd-place result at Gateway Motorsports Park despite starting on the pole in those two events. The Gateway finish dropped him to fourth in the standings -- the lowest he'd be all season -- before Jones righted his season the next race.

Jones later won at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, then at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago to pad his lead.

He took the lead in the points race for good after his August win in Canada, jumping from third in the standings to first. Down the stretch he pulled away from fellow 19-year-old Tyler Reddick and two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton to claim his first title.

HOMESTEAD: Today's Truck Series Qualifying Notes

Matt Crafton won the pole for the season finale Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 167.551 MPH. John Hunter Nemechek will start second. Ben Kennedy, Tyler Reddick, championship leader Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Daniel Hemric, Spencer Gallagher, Christopher Bell, and Johnny Sauter close out the top-10. Norm Benning, Ross Kenseth, Bobby Pierce, and Todd Peck did not qualify for the race.

HOMESTEAD: Today's XFINITY Series Practice Notes

UNB! NETWORK FANTASY REPORT

Kyle Larson was fastest during the only XFINITY practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a speed of 169.470 MPH. #1-Elliott Sadler was second, followed by: Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Regan Smith, Kyle Busch, J.J. Yeley, and Daniel Suarez. Points leader Chris Buescher was 11th. All 41 drivers practiced during the session.

CHASE For The Cup: Facts & Notes

UNB! NETWORK STAFF REPORT

· Homestead-Miami Speedway has been a part of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the playoff's inception in 2004. This season the track will host its 12th Chase event.
· The winner of the Homestead-Miami Chase race has gone on to win the championship during the Chase era twice: Tony Stewart (2011) and Kevin Harvick (2014).
· Greg Biffle leads the series in Chase race wins at Homestead-Miami with three (2004 - 2006); followed by Carl Edwards (2008, 2010) and Denny Hamlin (2009, 2013) with two each.
· The worst finish in a Chase race by the eventual series champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway is 15th (three times), Tony Stewart in 2005, Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and Brad Keselowski in 2012.
· Chase Contenders have won eight of the 11 previous Chase races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Two non-Chase contenders have won the Homestead-Miami Chase race: Greg Biffle (2004 and 2006) and Denny Hamlin (2013).
· Five of the 11 previous Chase races at Homestead the eventual series champion has finished in the top five.
· Roush Fenway Racing leads the series in Chase race wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway with six, including five consecutive: Greg Biffle (2004 - 2006), Matt Kenseth (2007) and Carl Edwards (2008).
· Ford leads the series in Chase wins at Homestead with six; followed by Chevrolet with three.
· The most dominant performance by a Chase race winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway is Carl Edward's victory in 2010. He posted a Perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 and led 190 of the 267 laps (71.1% of his laps completed) - most by a Chase race winner at Homestead.
· The 2014 Championship 4 finished - 1st (Harvick, 2014 Champion); 2nd (Newman), 7th (Hamlin) and 16th (Logano).

HOMESTEAD: Today's Sprint Cup Practice Notes

UNB! NETWORK PRACTICE REPORT

Friday practice for the Ford EcoBoost 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is over, after 85 scheduled minutes and a rain delay, the top-five, slowest, chase drivers and notes:
1.) Carl Edwards - 175.143 MPH

2.) Brad Keselowski - 174.452 MPH
3.) Martin Truex Jr. - 174.374 MPH
4.) Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 173.689 MPH
5.) Jimmie Johnson - 173.678 MPH

Chase Drivers
Kevin Harvick - 7th fastest
Jeff Gordon - 30th
Kyle Busch - 16th
Martin Truex Jr. - 3rd

Slowest: Reed Sorenson - 163.098 MPH & Ryan Preece - 163.532 MPH

Notes: the last part of practice was rained out. These practice speeds would set the starting lineup if qualifying is rained out. Practice is being aired on NBCSN. Qualifying is scheduled for 6:15pm/et on Friday, weather permitting.

HOMESTEAD: Today's Truck Series Practice Notes

UNB! NETWORK PRACTICE REPORT

Austin Theriault returned to Truck Series action
Friday in his BK Racing No. 29 Ford. Here, Theriault is
seen driving down pit road at Homestead-Miami Speedway
on Friday during a Truck Series practice session.

• Daniel Hemric was fastest in the one and only practice for the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway with a speed of 168.908 MPH. 

• Hemric was followed by Tyler Reddick, Spencer Gallagher, Matt Crafton, Erik Jones, John Hunter Nemechek, Christopher Bell, Timothy Peters, Ben Kennedy, David Gilliland.

• 36 drivers practiced during this session.

Daniel Suarez in his No. 51 Truck in
Homestead-Miami Speedway's
pit road during Friday's Truck Series
practice session.

(PHOTO: @DnlSuarezPR on Twitter)