LAS VEGAS, Nev. and CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Recap by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — NASCAR photo —

Kyle Larson showed he had a finesse for intermediate tracks during his rookie season in 2014, finding speed quickly at tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He backed his performances from a year ago up during Friday practice at one of the pair’s “sister” tracks under the Speedway Motorsports banner, going fastest in the opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Larson’s lap of 28.177 seconds (191.646 mph) was set in the final moments of the 75-minute session at the wheel of his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, and topped his childhood hero, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon. While quick, Larson’s lap was still well short of Joey Logano’s track record speed of 193.278 mph, set last spring in qualifying.

Gordon hung on to second on the time sheets at the end of the session, logging a quick lap of 28.239 seconds (191.225 mph) in his Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 3M Chevrolet mount. Gordon won the 2001 Cup race at LVMS, and finished ninth last spring.

Defending Las Vegas winner Brad Keselowski was third-fastest in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrating 25 years of MillerCoors’ partnership with Team Penske in NASCAR’s premier series. Keselowski logged a 28.267 second clip (191.035 mph) and was the fastest Ford driver in the session.

David Ragan continued to impress in his substitute role behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 M&Ms Crispy Toyota, setting the fourth-quickest lap overall (28.276 / 190.975), and Larson’s Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammate Jamie McMurray rounded out the top five (28.297 / 190.833).

Logano, who won this year’s Daytona 500, was sixth (28.298 / 190.826), while Carl Edwards was the fastest Toyota pilot in seventh (28.313 / 190.725).

Jimmie Johnson, who won last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway and was fastest for a good portion of the session, ended up ninth overall.

In a much-welcomed return to the garage area, Brian Vickers was 33rd overall in his first outing back behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aarons Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. Vickers sat out the first two events of the 2015 season after emergency surgery to repair a failing patch for the hole in his heart that caused the North Carolina native trouble with blood clots several times over his recent Cup career.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be on track for Coors Light Pole Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. local time this afternoon (7:30 p.m. Eastern on FOX Sports 1). Sunday’s KOBALT 400 will be the third race of the 2015 season, and the first of the three-race “Western Swing” — encompassing Las Vegas, Phoenix and Fontana.

RESULTS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pracice #1; Las Vegas Motor Speedway; March 6, 2015

1. Kyle Larson
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Brad Keselowski
4. David Ragan
5. Jamie McMurray
6. Joey Logano
7. Carl Edwards
8. Ryan Newman
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Kevin Harvick
11. Denny Hamlin
12. Matt Kenseth
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Greg Biffle
15. Danica Patrick
16. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
17. Tony Stewart
18. Michael McDowell
19. Casey Mears
20. Clint Bowyer
21. Austin Dillon
22. Sam Hornish Jr.
23. Brian Scott
24. A.J. Allmendinger
25. Martin Truex Jr.
26. Justin Allgaier
27. Regan Smith
28. Alex Bowman
29. Paul Menard
30. Ryan Blaney
31. Aric Almirola
32. Michael Annett
33. Brian Vickers
34. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
35. Trevor Bayne
36. David Gilliland
37. Brett Moffitt
38. Josh Wise
39. Cole Whitt
40. Brendan Gaughan
41. Reed Sorenson
42. J.J. Yeley
43. Mike Bliss
44. Jeb Burton
45. Travis Kvapil
46. Mike Wallace
47. Landon Cassill
48. Matt DiBenedetto