Christopher Bell tops Brickyard 400 practice at Indy
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 24, 2026
Bell tops practice
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell set the pace in the Cup Series practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, putting the No. 20 Toyota on top with a best lap of 183.512 mph. Bell built the fastest speed in a 50-minute session that gave teams one more look at their cars before qualifying and the Brickyard 400. His lap put him ahead of a crowded Toyota group at the front of the sheet and gave the manufacturer a clear edge in the early run of the weekend. Bell’s showing also stood out because the track produced a wide spread of speeds, with drivers using the session to sort through balance, handling and outright pace on the Indianapolis oval. The result placed Bell in the center of the conversation after the first serious Cup Series track time of the event and confirmed that Joe Gibbs Racing brought one of the sharpest cars to the opening practice run. With 39 drivers recording times, Bell still separated himself from the field and finished the session with the best single lap. The number mattered because Indianapolis asks for both speed and control, and Bell found enough of each to lead the list.
Toyota sweeps top five
Toyota dominated the top of the practice sheet and took the first five spots in the order. John Hunter Nemechek was second with a 49.132-second lap, just ahead of Ty Gibbs in third at 49.153 seconds. Erik Jones followed in fourth and Denny Hamlin was fifth, giving Toyota a clean sweep across the front of the standings. Hamlin entered the session as the points leader, and he kept himself near the top while the rest of the manufacturer’s group stacked up behind Bell. The session also gave a clear look at the rest of the leading pace setters from the other manufacturers. Kyle Larson was sixth and the fastest Chevrolet, a useful sign for a team that will look to match Toyota’s speed once the cars turn to qualifying trim. Ryan Blaney landed ninth and led the Ford camp, another important marker because the manufacturer battle often tightens once the field moves from practice to a single-lap effort. The top five Toyota cars set the tone, but the rest of the front group stayed close enough to keep the competitive picture from opening up too far. That left the practice order with a familiar Cup Series mix, a strong manufacturer block at the front and the other makes trying to close the gap before qualifying.
Wallace faces trouble
The session also produced trouble for a few notable drivers. Defending Brickyard 400 winner Bubba Wallace hit the Turn 1 wall in practice and finished 20th in the rundown. The contact changed the shape of his session and stood out in a group that otherwise focused on speed runs and setup work. Austin Cindric and Ryan Preece also dealt with mechanical trouble during the 50-minute session, another reminder that Indianapolis can punish small issues before the weekend reaches its competitive stages. Even with the problems at the sharp end of the field, the practice session still gave teams a broad look at where they stood. Drivers and crews had 39 recorded times to study, and that data now rolls into qualifying and the race itself at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Qualifying is next for the Cup Series field, and the Brickyard 400 follows after that at the historic oval. Bell left practice with the fastest lap, Toyota left with the top five spots, and Wallace left with more work to do after his brush with the wall.
