SPARTA, Ky — Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing was fastest during first practice at Kentucky Speedway.
Harvick ran fourteen laps, with a best speed of 178.784.
Jimmie Johnson came in second, Brad Keselowski in third, Kurt Busch in fourth and Jeff Gordon rounds out the top five.
First Practice Speed Times:
| POS | No | DRIVER | LAP | SPEED | LAP | # LAPS | LAST LAP |
| 1 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | 30.204 | 178.784 | 14 | 14 | 30.204 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | 30.390 | 177.69 | 8 | 29 | 30.390 |
| 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | 30.503 | 177.032 | 5 | 24 | 30.503 |
| 4 | 78 | Kurt Busch | 30.526 | 176.898 | 5 | 27 | 30.526 |
| 5 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | 30.585 | 176.557 | 15 | 27 | 30.585 |
| 6 | 18 | Kyle Busch | 30.594 | 176.505 | 12 | 32 | 30.594 |
| 7 | 55 | Brian Vickers(i) | 30.611 | 176.407 | 7 | 19 | 30.611 |
| 8 | 42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 30.633 | 176.28 | 5 | 24 | 30.633 |
| 9 | 27 | Paul Menard | 30.651 | 176.177 | 9 | 20 | 30.651 |
| 10 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # | 30.654 | 176.16 | 6 | 20 | 30.654 |
| 11 | 51 | Austin Dillon(i) | 30.665 | 176.097 | 7 | 26 | 30.665 |
| 12 | 31 | Jeff Burton | 30.668 | 176.079 | 11 | 33 | 30.668 |
| 13 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | 30.687 | 175.97 | 10 | 32 | 30.687 |
| 14 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | 30.707 | 175.856 | 22 | 22 | 30.707 |
| 15 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | 30.709 | 175.844 | 8 | 24 | 30.709 |
| 16 | 22 | Joey Logano | 30.716 | 175.804 | 12 | 34 | 30.716 |
| 17 | 16 | Greg Biffle | 30.727 | 175.741 | 7 | 23 | 30.727 |
| 18 | 99 | Carl Edwards | 30.736 | 175.69 | 8 | 20 | 30.736 |
| 19 | 35 | Josh Wise(i) | 30.737 | 175.684 | 4 | 6 | 30.737 |
| 20 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | 30.739 | 175.673 | 12 | 28 | 30.739 |
| 21 | 98 | Michael McDowell | 30.764 | 175.53 | 3 | 5 | 30.764 |
| 22 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 30.775 | 175.467 | 7 | 27 | 30.775 |
| 23 | 14 | Tony Stewart | 30.787 | 175.399 | 11 | 27 | 30.787 |
| 24 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | 30.788 | 175.393 | 13 | 23 | 30.788 |
| 25 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | 30.795 | 175.353 | 5 | 20 | 30.795 |
| 26 | 39 | Ryan Newman | 30.805 | 175.296 | 8 | 24 | 30.805 |
| 27 | 43 | Aric Almirola | 30.822 | 175.2 | 8 | 24 | 30.822 |
| 28 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 30.846 | 175.063 | 2 | 31 | 30.846 |
| 29 | 10 | Danica Patrick # | 30.876 | 174.893 | 5 | 25 | 30.876 |
| 30 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | 30.894 | 174.791 | 5 | 21 | 30.894 |
| 31 | 30 | David Stremme | 30.933 | 174.571 | 8 | 13 | 30.933 |
| 32 | 13 | Casey Mears | 31.000 | 174.194 | 3 | 13 | 31.000 |
| 33 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | 31.056 | 173.879 | 4 | 4 | 31.056 |
| 34 | 33 | Landon Cassill(i) | 31.063 | 173.84 | 1 | 17 | 31.063 |
| 35 | 34 | David Ragan | 31.130 | 173.466 | 6 | 16 | 31.130 |
| 36 | 7 | Dave Blaney | 31.149 | 173.36 | 17 | 24 | 31.149 |
| 37 | 93 | Travis Kvapil | 31.196 | 173.099 | 13 | 21 | 31.196 |
| 38 | 44 | Scott Riggs | 31.446 | 171.723 | 2 | 2 | 31.446 |
| 39 | 38 | David Gilliland | 31.472 | 171.581 | 7 | 8 | 31.472 |
| 40 | 83 | David Reutimann | 31.499 | 171.434 | 4 | 10 | 31.499 |
| 41 | 36 | JJ Yeley | 31.692 | 170.39 | 10 | 18 | 31.692 |
| 42 | 19 | Mike Bliss(i) | 31.704 | 170.326 | 1 | 1 | 31.704 |
| 43 | 32 | Ken Schrader | 31.794 | 169.843 | 6 | 9 | 31.794 |
