FRIDAY

The team resumes work when the garage opens at 9 a.m., with both primary and backup cars facing nose-to-nose as they were the night before. Roughly two hours into their work, the group is bumping old-school hip-hop classics on their speakers: Eric B & Rakim, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and The Fugees, to name a few.

At 1:31 p.m., finishing touches are being put on the backup car, hammering sides of spoiler ever so slightly to get it into the optimal alignment. Engine tuner Matt Lombardi ensures the belt tensions are correct and no fluids are leaking. Burnett says everything has gone as planned this morning. “The team knows the drill.”

Half an hour later, the backup sparks to life, its new Earnhardt-Childress Racing motor ignited. Lombardi is overseeing the engine, tuning as the power supply comes up to temperature. He goes to the car’s rear and works in the trunk with Alexander, and after wrenching in the right-rear portion of the trunk, Lombardi lowers the deck lid with an approving nod and heads back to the engine.

By 2:15 p.m., the car is ready for technical inspection. There is not an obligation to run through tech before Friday’s practice session, but going through now can confirm the car is up to par. Within 15 minutes, the car is back in the garage stall.

“I wouldn’t say clean and green,” Burnett says after the first go, “but not bad.”

Two hours pass before they go through tech a second time. What transpired in between involved walking through every detail again and adjusting based off what they saw in inspection the first time through. Alexander, the car chief, says going through twice Friday might save a step Saturday. This time, through, all is good and they’re ready for practice at 5:35 p.m.

Busch heads onto the track to make laps by himself to make sure there’s “nothing funny” with the car, Burnett says, and then plans to draft with other Chevrolets.

By 5:40, after completing a few solo laps, Busch is back in the garage. “Let’s go over everything, make sure everything’s good, then join the Hendrick guys and draft,” Burnett radios. But there’s some confusion. The Hendrick cars are still at speed. Spotter Derek Kneeland asks whether the No. 8 is supposed to join, or if they’re supposed to meet on pit road.

“I don’t know. We’re supposed to meet on pit road from 5:45-5:50,” Burnett says. Kneeland speaks to the Hendrick spotters and says they hadn’t been told anything.

There were three other groups on track at that time. The new goal? Blend with one of them. It’s 5:52 p.m. and Busch is the lead car in a draft of seven, with RCR teammate Austin Dillon, JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Hendrick drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman.

Over the next 12 minutes, Busch alternates positions in line — middle, trailing, leading. Burnett would like to see a couple more laps, but ultimately feels this is a good spot to get a read on the car’s balance. Busch reports the car drives fine, but a tight condition off Turn 4 is the biggest issue.