Danica Patrick is off to a fast start at Michigan International Speedway on Friday.
But there's another driver to watch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Austin Dillon has posted the top speeds in both opening practice sessions.
While Dillon led the opening session with a lap of 191.494 mph — the only lap faster than 191 mph by a Nationwide driver so far Friday — Patrick was second fastest in the opening Nationwide Series practice with a top lap of 190.506 mph.
That held through the third and final session, when no one topped 190 mph and Patrick was fifth at 189.215 mph.
Six drivers have topped 190 mph in the Nationwide practices Friday. Dillon again led the second session with a top lap of 190.9 mph. Patrick was eighth in that session with a lap of 188.255 mph, but her opening-session speed still made her as second-fastest for the day.
The Nationwide Series drivers are racing Saturday at Michigan after a week off. Elliott Sadler enters the race weekend as the series points leader, carrying a 12-point edge over Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
