2016_Axalta_"We_Paint_Winners"_400

2016 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400

2016 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400

Motor car race

The 2016 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 6, 2016 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race, postponed a day because of persistent rain, was contested over 160 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) triangular racecourse, and was the fourteenth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

An advertisement for the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400, encouraging fans to buy tickets for the race.
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Kurt Busch scored his first and only victory of the 2016 season, his third career victory at Pocono and first win at the track since 2007. the race had 14 lead changes among different drivers and ten cautions for 40 laps.

Background

Layout of Pocono Raceway, the track where the race was held.

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races: the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 and the Pennsylvania 400, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Since 2013, the track is also host to a Verizon IndyCar Series race.

Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.

Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

Entry list

The preliminary entry list for the race included forty cars and was released on May 30, 2016 at 12:48 pm ET.

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First practice

Carl Edwards was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 50.055 and a speed of 179.802 mph (289.363 km/h).[10]

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Qualifying

Brad Keselowski won the pole position with a time of 49.525 seconds.

Brad Keselowski scored the pole for the race with a time of 49.525 and a speed of 181.726 mph (292.460 km/h).[11] He said after qualifying that his car was "really fast. My teammate Joey Logano, he’s really fast. He’s probably not really happy I won the pole, but it goes the other way sometimes where he gets it.”[12] He also added that he "felt really good when we ran the first round and I was third and knew I had a little more speed left. We ran the second round and I didn’t feel I had anything left and was still third. I got down into turn one on my last run there and it kind of bottomed out and shot up the hill a little and I wasn’t very confident at all. I have learned over time that these things have a way of working themselves out when they are meant to be and I guess today was meant to be.”[13]

Joey Logano, who qualified second, said his qualifying performance was "similar to last week when I won the first two rounds and came in second in the last one. It stings a little bit because I really wanted to get a pole. We're mad about second and it's a good thing when you're mad about second because it means your organization and your team is where it needs to be mad."[14] He also added that he's "excited about the race Sunday" and that Pocono "has been a good race track for us in the past.”[15]

Qualifying results

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Final practice

Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 50.876 and a speed of 176.901 mph (284.695 km/h).[16]

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Race

The race was scheduled to run on Sunday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m., but rain forced the race to be postponed to Monday.[17]

First half

Start

Under mostly sunny Pennsylvania skies, Brad Keselowski led the field to the green flag at 12:13 p.m. Teammate Joey Logano passed him exiting turn 1 to take the lead. The first caution of the race flew on lap 4 for a single-car spin in turn 3. Riding the high line, Matt DiBenedetto got loose and spun out.[18] He managed to save it without touching the wall.

The race restarted on lap 7. The second caution of the race flew on lap 16. It was a scheduled competition caution for overnight rain. Kyle Larson opted not to pit and assumed the lead. Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.[19]

The race restarted on lap 20. The third caution of the race flew on lap 22 for a single-car spin in turn 1. Rounding the turn, Brian Scott got loose, made contact with the wall and spun out. Keselowski was called to pit road for unapproved body modifications.[20] More specifically, one of his crew members dented in a side panel that could give the car an aerodynamic advantage.[21]

The race restarted on lap 27. Larson pitted from the lead the same lap and handed the lead to Matt Kenseth. A number of cars began pitting on lap 52. Kenseth made his stop on lap 54 and handed the lead to Harvick. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 60 for a single-car wreck in turn 1 involving DiBenedetto. He would go on to finish 40th.[22] Harvick pitted under the caution and handed the lead back to Kenseth. Aric Almirola was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.

Second quarter

Chase Elliott was the leader of the race for 51 laps.

The race restarted on lap 66. Chase Elliott drove under Kenseth and Kyle Busch to take the lead on lap 67. A number of cars began pitting on lap 86. Elliott hit pit road on lap 87 and handed the lead to Busch. Debris in turn 2 brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 88. Busch pitted under the caution and the lead cycled back to Elliott.

Second half

Halfway

The race restarted on lap 93 and a multi-car wreck on the Long Pond Straightaway brought out the sixth caution of the race. Exiting turn 1, Tony Stewart got loose, got into teammate Danica Patrick, hit the wall, came down the track, clipped Landon Cassill and sent him into the wall.[23]

The race restarted with 62 laps to go. The seventh caution of the race flew with 58 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 1. Going into the turn, Michael Annett suffered a left-front tire blowout and slammed the wall.

The race restarted with 52 laps to go. The eighth caution of the race flew with 51 laps to go for a single-car wreck on the Long Pond straightaway. Exiting turn 1, Ryan Newman made contact with Busch and sent him into the wall. Chris Buescher also spun out trying to avoid the wreck.

The race restarted with 47 laps to go. The ninth caution of the race flew with 43 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 1. Going into the turn, Austin Dillon suffered a right-front brake rotor failure and slammed the wall. A. J. Allmendinger opted not to pit under the caution and assumed the lead. He pitted the next lap, however, and handed the lead to Ty Dillon.

Fourth quarter

The race restarted with 38 laps to go and a single-car wreck in turn 1 brought out the 10th caution of the race. Rounding the turn, Jimmie Johnson got loose, saved the car but slammed the inside wall.[24] Dillon pitted under the caution and handed the lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The race restarted with 33 laps to go. After a drag race to the line, Kurt Busch took the lead from Earnhardt with 32 laps to go.[25] With his remaining fuel load in question, he saved enough to score the victory.[26]

Post-race

Driver comments

Kurt Busch won the race despite having an interim crew chief.

"It's tough to balance everything," Busch said in victory lane. "We had a fast car and an interim crew chief. And we didn't know if we had enough fuel to make it. ... This was a wonderful win for us. We've been so close all year. It's just so much fun to drive and be up front."[27]

Earnhardt said afterwards that the race "was a good run for us. The car wasn’t all we hoped it would be, but it was good." However, he felt he "should have been able to hold that 41 off on that final restart. Me and the 24 was racing pretty hard and it gave the 41 the opportunity to get a run on us,” Earnhardt said. “If I could have got in front of him I don’t think he would have got by us."[28]

After finishing third, Keselowski took issue with comments made by Fox Sports color commentator Jeff Gordon saying Fox "need[s] to get some people that aren't inbred to the sport and own teams and have internal knowledge, because that is pretty crappy. It is what it is."[29]

Elliott, who finished fourth after leading a race-high of 51 laps, said he "made a big mistake there behind [Earnhardt] in the tunnel [Turn 2]. I wish I had been a little more patient and given ourselves a better chance, but you live and you learn."[30]

Race results

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Race summary

  • Lead changes: 14 among different drivers
  • Cautions/Laps: 10 for 40
  • Red flags: 0
  • Time of race: 3 hours, 11 minutes, and 15 seconds
  • Average speed: 125.49 miles per hour (201.96 km/h)

Media

Television

Fox NASCAR televised the race in the United States on FS1 for the second consecutive year. Mike Joy was the lap-by-lap announcer, while six-time Pocono winner, Jeff Gordon and four-time winner Darrell Waltrip were the color commentators. Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum reported from pit lane during the race.

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Radio

Radio coverage of the race was broadcast by Motor Racing Network (MRN) and simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and four-time Pocono winner Rusty Wallace announced the race in the booth while the field was racing on the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from atop a billboard outside of turn 1 when the field was racing through turn 1 while Mike Bagley called the race from a billboard outside turn 2 when the field was racing through turn 2. Kyle Rickey reported the race from a billboard outside turn 3 when the field was racing through turn 3. Alex Hayden, Glenn Jarrett and Steve Post reported from pit lane during the race.

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Standings after the race

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References

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    "2016 Sprint Cup Series schedule" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. January 26, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
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    "Pocono Raceway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
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    "Entry List". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. May 30, 2016. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
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    "First Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. June 3, 2016. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    "Qualifying Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. June 3, 2016. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    "Final Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. June 4, 2016. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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    "Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. June 6, 2016. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
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    "Point standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. June 6, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
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    "Manufacturer standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. June 6, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
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    Spencer, Lee (June 3, 2016). "Inclement weather ends Cup practice prematurely". Motorsport.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Motorsport Network, LLC. Archived from the original on August 13, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    Gelston, Dan (June 3, 2016). "Keselowski leads Team Penske sweep with Pocono pole". Associated Press. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    Gluck, Jeff (June 3, 2016). "Brad Keselowski wins Pocono pole". USA Today. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Gannett Company. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    Melillo, Justin (June 4, 2016). "Keselowski earns first pole of season at Pocono". TheRacingExperts.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: The Racing Experts. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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    Groller, Keith (June 3, 2016). "Brad Keselowski earns pole for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup at Pocono Raceway". The Morning Call. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Tribune Publishing. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
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    Walsh, Scott (June 4, 2016). "Keselowski edges teammate for pole at Pocono". The Scranton Times-Tribune. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Times-Shamrock Communications. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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    Spencer, Lee (June 4, 2016). "Busch brothers top final Sprint Cup practice at Pocono". Motorsport.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Motorsport Network, LLC. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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    Gluck, Jeff (June 5, 2016). "NASCAR race at Pocono postponed by rain". USA Today. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Gannett Company. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
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    Spencer, Lee (June 6, 2016). "Kurt Busch claims Pocono victory". Motorsport.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Motorsport Network, LLC. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Crandall, Kelly (June 6, 2016). "Frustrated Kahne Finds Some Relief in Pocono". popularspeed.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: POPULAR SPEED. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Albert, Zack (June 6, 2016). "Keselowski, Logano rally for on-track gains at Pocono". NASCAR.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
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    Gelston, Dan (June 6, 2016). "Keselowski angered by Gordon's comments in booth". Associated Press. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  22. [22]
    Beard, Brock (June 6, 2016). "CUP: Matt DiBenedetto pulls second NASCAR last-place sweep of 2016". brock.lastcar.info. LASTCAR.info. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Knight, Chris (June 6, 2016). "Strong Weekend For Tony Stewart Thwarted By Crash". catchfence.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Catchfence. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Barnes, Joey (June 6, 2016). "Johnson's Hope for Pocono Win Dashed with Late Crash". motorsportstribune.com. Tribute Racing. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Schwedelson, Paul (June 6, 2016). "Kurt Busch wins Sprint Cup race at Pocono". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Media Network. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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    Gelston, Dan (June 6, 2016). "Kurt Busch conserves fuel for a win at Pocono Raceway". Associated Press. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: AP Sports. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  27. [27]
    Gluck, Jeff (June 6, 2016). "Kurt Busch nurses fuel, wins at Pocono". USA Today. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Gannett Company. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  28. [28]
    Mays, Robbie (June 6, 2016). "Earnhardt Jr. Rebounds at Pocono". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  29. [29]
    Pockrass, Bob (June 6, 2016). "Brad Keselowski vents after team penalized for body modifications". ESPN.com. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  30. [30]
    Groller, Keith (June 6, 2016). "Kurt Busch takes command late and wins Monday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono". The Morning Call. Long Pond, Pennsylvania: Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
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