NASCAR Cup Series

Final Cup practice results: Kurt Busch tops Kasey Kahne as fastest

Published Apr. 18, 2015 12:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

Stewart-Haas Racing's Kurt Busch was able to do something no one else could accomplish all weekend long when he topped Kasey Kahne during a Saturday practice session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 41 SHR Chevrolet went to the top of the leaderboard as soon as the track opened for final practice and remained there for the duration of the session.

Busch posted the fastest lap of the session at 127.554 miles per hour, and will start Sunday's Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up To Cancer from the seventh spot.

Kahne ended the third practice of the weekend in the second spot after leading the two previous sessions. The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet posted a fast lap at 126.537 mph and will start eighth on Sunday.

"We have a great car, and there's other ones here that are fast as well," Larson said after Saturday's final practice. "The way the track is, the top side is so quick because they made it smooth up there, so there's obviously more grip if it's smooth. Then everybody gets real similar in lap times."

While Kahne is shaping up as one of the drivers to beat, the Hendrick Motorsports driver believes Sunday's race is shaping up to be very competitive.

"I think Kevin Harvick, the way he's been running, you know he's going to be fast," said Kahne. "Kenseth is always fast here, so I figure he'll find a way to get to the front. Brad Keselowski, my teammates will be really good, Kurt Busch, there's going to be a lot of guys, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano. I think it's going to be pretty competitive."

David Ragan, Jeff Gordon, Keselowski, Logano, Harvick, Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards rounded out the top 10. Pole sitter Matt Kenseth was 19th-fastest in the session after running 47 laps.

Michael Annett ran the most laps of the session with 126 and was 29th on the leaderboard.

Tony Stewart was able to post the 16th-fastest lap of the session after hitting the wall in Saturday's opening practice session. The team was able to make repairs and did not have to pull out the backup car.

Here are the complete final practice results: