Allmendinger, Bell Top Xfinity Practices at Charlotte Roval

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent

CONCORD, N.C. – The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway lived up to its’ reputation as A.J. Allmendinger and Christopher Bell were fastest in two eventful NASCAR Xfinity Series practices.

Bell’s No. 20 Rheem / Gemaire Toyota Supra ran a 98.853 MPH, 1:24.489 second lap. Austin Cindric, who had extra seat time filling-in for Michael McDowell in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice was second fastest in the No. 22 Money Lion Ford Mustang.

Almendinger was third on the speed charts for the Drive for the Cure 250 with Garrett Smithley and Chase Briscoe rounding out the top-five.

Filling out the top-10 were Tyler Reddick, Alex Labbe, Cole Custer, Noah Gragson, and Justin Haley. Xfinity Playoff drivers outside the top-10 on the speed charts included Justin Allgaier 11^th, Brandon Jones 14^th, John Hunter Nemechek 16^th, Michael Annett 17^th, and Ryan Sieg 20^th.

Other notables included Preston Pardus 12^th, Harrison Burton 15^th, Will Rodgers 19^th, and Ryan Truex in 22^nd.

In the first practice, Brandon Brown, Cody Ware, and Gragson crashed their primary cars. Although they were all unharmed, Gragson was forced to a back-up car as Brown’s team worked to replace the nose of his No. 68 Mid Atlantic Wrecker Service Chevrolet.

At the end of the first practice, Smithley slowed to a stop after losing his brakes. Although he was fourth fastest on the charts, his lap would not count in normal circumstances as he missed one of the two chicanes.

Allmendinger topped the charts in practice two with a 99.502 MPH, 1:23.938 second lap in his No. 10 Digital Ally Chevrolet Camaro SS. Briscoe was second with Custer third, Reddick fourth, and Bell fifth.

Rounding out the top-10 was Rodgers, Cindric, Labbe, Haley, and Allgaier. Playoff drivers outside the top-10 were Gragson 11^th, Nemechek 13^th, Annett 17^th, Jones 18^th, and Sieg in 19^th.

Other notables in the second practice were Truex 12^th, Gray Gaulding 14^th, and Burton in 15^th.

Also repairing damage after the first practice were Pardus’ No. 43 Chinchor Electric Chevrolet SS and Josh Bilicki’s No. 93 Insurance King Chevrolet SS teams. Pardus later spun into the tire pack in second practice, suffering major damage. The team will attempt to repair the No. 43.

Annett pounded the wall in the second practice and will joins his JR Motorsports teammate Gragson with a back-up car.