Keselowski Is Top Dog During Daytona 500 Happy Hour

Brad Keselowski in action during final Daytona 500 practice Saturday. (Wyatt Tinsley/Race Face Digital photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –  Brad Keselowski turned his first laps in a back-up car, following a wreck in his Duel qualifier earlier during Speedweeks, and found himself atop the scoring pylon Saturday in the final NASCAR Cup Series practice session before the Daytona 500.

The seven-time superspeedway winner, who is still in search of his first Harley J. Earl Trophy, put down a 46.558 second (193.307 mph) heater around the 2.5-mile Daytona Int’l Speedway, barely besting Alex Bowman by .008 seconds.

The RFK Racing team owner was pleased with the pace in his No. 6 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, especially given the overcast and windy conditions that will likely mimic the 67th running of the Great American Race – which was moved up to a 1:30 p.m. ET start Sunday due to potential weather.

”It’s better to be fast than to be slow, regardless,” Keselowski said at the end of his practice run. “The (RFK Racing) cars have good speed; we just want to make sure we can execute come Sunday.

“This was close to the conditions that we think we’re going to see towards the end of the race. I think moving the race up an hour is a huge difference. Usually, it ends [at] sundown and now it's not. So, that's going to put more handling in play and (we’re) just trying to be ready for that.”

Keselowski tied for the most laps turned in the 50-minute practice at 28 with Bowman, as well as teammates Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher, who also posted top 10 speeds at the World Center of Racing.

The runner-up from last year’s Daytona 500, Bowman was also in a back-up car after succumbing to damage in his Duel. However, he laid down the second-fastest lap of 46.566 seconds (193.274 mph) as the quickest Chevrolet during “Happy Hour.”

The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet also posted the best 10-lap average speed of 191.563 mph.

Cole Custer, who had his car repaired and was the slowest of the participants in Friday’s second practice, was third-quick at 46.581 seconds (193.212 mph).

Justin Allgaier, Kyle Larson, Corey LaJoie, Preece, Justin Haley, Buescher and Zane Smith rounded out the top 10 in final practice, with Ty Gibbs ranking as the quickest Toyota driver in 13th.

Defending Daytona 500 champion William Byron was 23rd of 24 drivers that practiced after being the fastest in the field a day earlier.

The 67th running of the Daytona 500 will air Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.