Two practice sessions were held in preparation for the race; both on Friday, September 14, 2012.
The first session and second session lasted for 90 minutes each.
 During the first practice session, Truex, Jr., for the Michael Waltrip Racing team, was quickest ahead of Earnhardt, Jr. in second and Keselowski in third.
Trevor Bayne was scored fourth, and Hamlin managed fifth.
Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session.

Kyle Busch was quickest in the second and final practice session, ahead of Aric Almirola in second, and Martin in third.
Edwards was fourth quickest, and Hamlin took fifth.
Kahne, Johnson, Bayne, Kenseth, and Gordon followed in the top ten.
Of the other drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Stewart was scored fourteenth fastest, while Truex, Jr. was scored twenty-fifth.

Forty-seven cars were entered for qualifying, but only forty-three could race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure.
Johnson clinched his second pole position in the season, with a time of 29.530.
He was joined on the front row of the grid by Almirola.
Kenseth qualified third, Earnhardt, Jr. took fourth, and Edwards started fifth.
Biffle, one of the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, qualified twenty-second, while Harvick was scored thirty-fifth.
The three drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, J. J. Yeley, and Jason Leffler.
Two practice sessions were held in preparation for the race; both on Friday, September 14, 2012. The first session and second session lasted for 90 minutes each.  During the first practice session, Truex, Jr., for the Michael Waltrip Racing team, was quickest ahead of Earnhardt, Jr. in second and Keselowski in third. Trevor Bayne was scored fourth, and Hamlin managed fifth. Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session.
Kyle Busch was quickest in the second and final practice session, ahead of Aric Almirola in second, and Martin in third. Edwards was fourth quickest, and Hamlin took fifth. Kahne, Johnson, Bayne, Kenseth, and Gordon followed in the top ten. Of the other drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Stewart was scored fourteenth fastest, while Truex, Jr. was scored twenty-fifth.
Forty-seven cars were entered for qualifying, but only forty-three could race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Johnson clinched his second pole position in the season, with a time of 29.530. He was joined on the front row of the grid by Almirola. Kenseth qualified third, Earnhardt, Jr. took fourth, and Edwards started fifth. Biffle, one of the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, qualified twenty-second, while Harvick was scored thirty-fifth. The three drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, J. J. Yeley, and Jason Leffler.
2012 GEICO 400