Practice Results: NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix

NASCAR Cup Series teams practiced at Phoenix Raceway on Friday ahead of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, and already the weekend is rife with drama and storylines.

Ty Gibbs set the fastest lap of the practice session, with a time of 27.300 seconds. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, was fastest among Championship 4 contenders with a time of 27.426 seconds, good for fifth fastest overall.

Team Penske's Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric were second and third, followed by Ryan Preece.

William Byron and Kyle Larson, also in the championship fight, were ninth and 11th in the practice session.

Meanwhile, several drivers experienced tire issues during the practice session, including Championship 4 contender Chase Briscoe. He'd later battle a tire vibration, limiting his time on track during practice. Briscoe finished 16th on the practice charts.

Others who suffered flat tires during the session included A.J. Allmendinger, Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst and Daniel Suarez. Herbst collided with the wall following his flat tire, while Allmendinger also hit the outside wall exiting turn four in a separate incident after a second flat.

Cup Series teams will qualify on Saturday, November 1 to determine the starting lineup for the Championship Race. The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race takes the green flag at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 2, with coverage on NBC, Peacock, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

-Photo credit: Danny Hansen, Lumen Digital Agency for Toyota Gazoo Racing

NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race Practice Results