Riley Herbst leads 23XI dominance in Chicago practice

It has been a long time coming for the NASCAR Cup Series at the 1.5-mile track in Joliet, but the return to Chicagoland Speedway on Friday evening did not disappoint. Riley Herbst, piloting the No. 35 Toyota, put on a stunning display in the closing minutes of practice to lead the board with a lap at 178.065 mph.

The 23XI Racing machine was the undisputed star of the session, locking out the front with Bubba Wallace second-fastest at 177.930 mph. It was a massive showing for the team, as all four of their Toyotas landed inside the top eight. Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin tied for third at 177.877 mph, followed by Ty Gibbs to complete the top five.

While Austin Cindric set the pace for five-lap average speed, it was Tyler Reddick who proved his long-run consistency. The No. 45 Toyota driver was the quickest in the 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-lap averages, setting up an intriguing weekend. Qualifying follows on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET before the eero 400 begins on Sunday.