2011 Kobalt Tools 500

Last updated
2011 Kobalt Tools 500
Race details [1] [2] [3]
Race 35 of 36 in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2010 kobalt tools 500.jpg
Date November 13, 2011 (2011-11-13)
Location Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona
Course Permanent racing facility
1 mi (1.6 km)
Distance 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km)
Weather Rain showers with a high temperature around 62.
Average speed 112.909 miles per hour (181.709 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Roush Fenway Racing
Time 26.258
Most laps led
Driver Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Racing
Laps 160
Winner
No. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, and Andy Petree

The 2011 Kobalt Tools 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on November 13, 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps, it was the thirty-fifth as well as the ninth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup during the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The race was won by Kasey Kahne for the Red Bull Racing Team. Carl Edwards finished second, and Tony Stewart clinched third.

Contents

Report

Background

Phoenix International Raceway, where the race was held. Phoenix International Raceway, November 2011.jpg
Phoenix International Raceway, where the race was held.

Phoenix International Raceway is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races; the others are Richmond International Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway. [4] The standard track at Phoenix International Raceway is a four-turn short track oval that is 1 mile (1.6 km) long. [5] After the February race, PIR was significantly reconfigured. The first two turns are now banked from 10 to 11 degrees, while the final two turns are banked from 8 to 9 degrees. [6] The front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at three degrees. The back stretch, nicknamed the 'dogleg', varies from 10 to 11 degree banking. [6] The racetrack has seats for 76,800 spectators. [5]

Before the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 2,316 points, and Tony Stewart stood in second with 2,313 points. Kevin Harvick followed in third with 2,283 points, five ahead of Matt Kenseth and 16 ahead of Brad Keselowski in fourth and fifth. Jimmie Johnson, with 2,261 was 24 points ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as Jeff Gordon with 2,235 points, was six ahead of Kurt Busch, and 18 in front of Denny Hamlin. [7] Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman was eleventh and twelfth with 2,216 and 2,213 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 235 points, 52 ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 174 points, was 18 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third. [8] Edwards is the race's defending champion, after winning the race in 2010. [9]

Matt Kenseth earned his third pole position of the season with a time of 26.258 seconds Matt-kenseth-bristol-2009.jpg
Matt Kenseth earned his third pole position of the season with a time of 26.258 seconds

Practice and qualifying

Two 120 minute practice sessions were held before the race on Friday. [10] Jeff Burton was quickest with a time of 25.702 seconds in the first session, more than two-hundredths of a second faster than Kenseth. [11] David Ragan was just off Kenseth's pace, followed by Paul Menard, Newman, and David Reutimann. A. J. Allmendinger was seventh, still within a second of Burton's time. [11] Also in the session, Kyle Busch's team changed his car's engine after engine problems. [12] In the second practice session, Menard was fastest with a time of 25.510 seconds, seven-hundredths of a second quicker than second-placed Edwards. [13] Regan Smith took third place, ahead of Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray. Stewart could only manage 36th place. [13]

Afterward, during qualifying, forty-six cars were entered, but only forty-three were able to race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. [14] Kenseth clinched his third pole position during the season, with a time of 26.258 seconds. [3] [15] He was joined on the front row of the grid by Allmendinger. [15] Marcos Ambrose qualified third, Mark Martin took fourth, and Martin Truex, Jr. started fifth. [15] Stewart, one of the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, qualified eighth, while Edwards was scored ninth. [15] The three drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Scott Riggs, David Stremme, and Andy Lally. [15] Once the qualifying session completed, Kenseth commented, "Jimmy Fennig, had a strategy to go fast in the first practice to go out late. Even though we knew the temperature would be hotter he thought the track could be faster with more cars having run on it. A lot of people chose the opposite strategy and worked on race set-up in the first practice and did their qualifying stuff in the second practice to go out early." [3]

Results

Qualifying

Qualifying results
GridCarDriverTeamManufacturerTimeSpeed
117 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 26.258137.101
243 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford26.384136.446
39 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty MotorsportsFord26.411136.307
45 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26.455136.080
556 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 26.455136.080
61 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet26.469136.008
700 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip RacingToyota26.473135.988
814 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet26.488135.911
999 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway RacingFord26.529135.701
104 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team Toyota26.534135.675
1127 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet26.547135.609
122 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 26.585135.415
136 David Ragan Roush Fenway RacingFord26.588135.399
1431 Jeff Burton Richard Childress RacingChevrolet26.608135.298
1578 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet26.613135.272
1648 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26.618135.247
1722 Kurt Busch Penske RacingDodge26.622135.227
1883 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing TeamToyota26.624135.216
1984 Cole Whitt Red Bull Racing TeamToyota26.625135.211
207 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge26.630135.186
2151 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet26.631135.181
2288 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26.634135.166
2324 Jeff Gordon Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26.689134.887
2446 Scott Speed Whitney Motorsports Ford26.694134.862
2520 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota26.696134.852
2642 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet26.704134.811
2729 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress RacingChevrolet26.715134.756
2833 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress RacingChevrolet26.751134.574
2916 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway RacingFord26.756134.549
3039 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas RacingChevrolet26.764134.509
3147 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota26.793134.363
3287 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota26.837134.143
3311 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs RacingToyota26.850134.078
3418 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs RacingToyota26.936133.650
3566 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota26.979133.437
3637 Mike Skinner Max Q Motorsports Ford27.023133.220
3755 Travis Kvapil Front Row Motorsports Ford27.040133.136
3813 Casey Mears Germain Racing Toyota27.062133.028
3932 Mike Bliss FAS Lane Racing Ford27.184132.431
4036 Geoffrey Bodine Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet27.417131.305
4138 J. J. Yeley Front Row MotorsportsFord27.911128.981
4234 David Gilliland Front Row MotorsportsFord29.252123.068
4335 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet27.157132.562
Failed to qualify
4423 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Toyota27.336131.695
4530 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet27.355131.603
4671 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford28.215127.592
Sources: [15] [16] [17]

Race results

Kasey Kahne won the race. Kasey Kahne (cropped).jpg
Kasey Kahne won the race.
Race results
PosGridCarDriverTeamManufacturerLapsPoints
1104Kasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamToyota31247
2999Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord31243
3814Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet31243
41431Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31240
53039Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet31239
6243A. J. AllmendingerRichard Petty MotorsportsFord31238
7700David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota31237
839Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord31236
91127Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31235
102833Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31234
112520Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota31233
123311Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota31232
132916Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord31131
141648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31130
152642Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet31129
1645Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31128
1761Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet31127
18122Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge31127
192729Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31125
20556Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota31124
213147Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota31123
221722Kurt BuschPenske RacingDodge31123
231883Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota31121
242288Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet31020
251984Cole WhittRed Bull Racing TeamToyota3100
263813Casey MearsGermain RacingToyota30918
274335Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet30917
284138J. J. YeleyFront Row MotorsportsFord30917
292151Landon CassillPhoenix RacingChevrolet3090
303932Mike BlissFAS Lane RacingFord3080
314234David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord30713
322324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet30612
33136David RaganRoush Fenway RacingFord29811
34117Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord23811
35207Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge2189
363418Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota1888
374036Geoffrey BodineTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet1537
381578Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet626
392446Scott SpeedWhitney MotorsportsFord600
403566Michael McDowellHP RacingToyota464
413287Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota300
423637Mike SkinnerMax Q MotorsportsFord250
433755Travis KvapilFront Row MotorsportsFord200
Source: [18]

Standings after the race

Related Research Articles

The 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on November 14, 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps, it was the thirty-fifth, and the ninth race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The race was won by Carl Edwards, for the Roush Fenway Racing team. Ryan Newman finished second, and Joey Logano clinched third.

2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 Motor car race

The 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on February 27, 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps, it was the second race of the 2011 season and was won by Jeff Gordon for Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing finished in second, while Gordon's teammate, Jimmie Johnson, finished third.

2011 Kobalt Tools 400 Motor car race

The 2011 Kobalt Tools 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on March 6, 2011 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Clark County, Nevada. Contested over 267 laps, it was the third race of the 2011 season. Carl Edwards, driving for Roush Fenway Racing, won the race. Tony Stewart finished second and Juan Pablo Montoya finished third.

2011 Jeff Byrd 500 Motor car race

The 2011 Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on March 20, 2011, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 500 laps, it was the fourth race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The race was won by Kyle Busch, for the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Carl Edwards finished second, and Jimmie Johnson clinched third.

2011 STP 400 Motor car race

The 2011 STP 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series motor race held on June 5, 2011 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt D-oval, it was the 13th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing won the race. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second, and Denny Hamlin finished third.

2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Motor car race

The 2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series motor race held on July 17, 2011 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Contested over 301 laps on the 1.058-mile (1.703 km) asphalt oval, it was the 19th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. The race was won by Ryan Newman of Stewart Haas Racing, his first win of 2011. Newman's teammate and owner, Tony Stewart finished second and Denny Hamlin clinched third.

2011 Pure Michigan 400 Motor car race

The 2011 Pure Michigan 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on August 21, 2011 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Contested over 200 laps on the 2 -mile D-shaped oval, it was the 23rd race of the 2011 season. The race was won by Kyle Busch for the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Jimmie Johnson finished second, and Brad Keselowski clinched third.

2011 GEICO 400 Motor car race

The 2011 GEICO 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was scheduled to be held on September 18, 2011 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. However, because of wet track conditions, the race was postponed until September 19, 2011. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.500-mile (2.414 km) asphalt oval, it was the 27th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the first race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. Tony Stewart of Stewart Haas Racing won the race, while Kevin Harvick finished second, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. clinched third.

2011 Bank of America 500 Motor car race

The 2011 Bank of America 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on October 15, 2011, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt quad-oval, it was the 31st race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the fifth race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. The race was won by Matt Kenseth for the Roush Fenway Racing team. Kyle Busch finished second, and Carl Edwards clinched third.

The 2011 Tums Fast Relief 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on October 30, 2011, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States. Contested over 500 laps on the 0.526-mile (2.414 km) oval, it was the 33rd race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the seventh race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. The race was won by Tony Stewart for the Stewart Haas Racing team. Jimmie Johnson finished second, and Jeff Gordon clinched third.

2012 Capital City 400 Motor car race

The 2012 Capital City 400 presented by Virginia Is For Lovers was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on April 28, 2012 at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Contested over 400 laps, it was the ninth race of the 2012 season. Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing took his first win of the season, while Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second and Tony Stewart finished third.

2012 Aarons 499 Motor car race

The 2012 Aaron's 499 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on May 6, 2012 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Contested over 194 laps, it was the tenth race of the 2012 season. Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing took his second win of the season, while Kyle Busch finished second and Matt Kenseth finished third.

The 2012 FedEx 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 3, 2012 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. Contested over 400 laps, it was the thirteenth race of the 2012 season. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports took his second win of the season, while Kevin Harvick finished second and Matt Kenseth finished third.

2012 GEICO 400 Motor car race

The 2012 GEICO 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on September 16, 2012, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Contested over 267 laps, it was the twenty-seventh in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as well as the first race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season.

2012 AAA Texas 500 Motor car race

The 2012 AAA Texas 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on November 4, 2012, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt quad-oval, it was the 34th race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the 8th race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the race, his 5th win of the season. Brad Keselowski finished second, and Kyle Busch third.

2013 Subway Fresh Fit 500 Summary of the event

The 2013 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on March 3, 2013, at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 316 laps on the 1-mile (1.6 km) asphalt tri-oval, it was the second race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship. Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing won the race, his first win in 70 races. Jimmie Johnson finished second while Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounded out the top five.

2013 Toyota Owners 400 Motor car race

The 2013 Toyota Owners 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on April 27, 2013, at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Contested over 406 laps-- extended from 400 laps due to a Green-white-checker finish on the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval, it was the ninth race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing won the race, his first win of the 2013 season, while Clint Bowyer finished second. Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jeff Burton rounded out the top five.

2013 Bojangles Southern 500 Motor car race

The 2013 Bojangles' Southern 500, the 64th running of the event, was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on May 11, 2013, at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, United States. The race was contested over 367 laps on the 1.366–mile (2.198 km) oval, it was the eleventh race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship. Matt Kenseth of Joe Gibbs Racing won the race, his third win of the 2013 season, while his teammate Denny Hamlin finished second. Jeff Gordon grabbed his 300th top 5 finish in his 700th Sprint Cup start, while Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.

2013 Party in the Poconos 400 Motor car race

The 2013 Party in the Poconos 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 9, 2013, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, United States. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5–mile (4 km) triangular superspeedway, it was the fourteenth race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the race, his third win of the 2013 season, while Greg Biffle finished second. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, and Ryan Newman rounded out the top five.

2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Motor car race

The 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 23, 2013, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, United States. Contested over 110 laps on the 1.99-mile (3.2 km) road course, it was the sixteenth race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship, and the first of two road course competitions on the schedule. Martin Truex, Jr. of Michael Waltrip Racing won the race, breaking a 218-race winless streak stretching back to June 2007, while Jeff Gordon finished second. Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five. The top rookie of the race was Ricky Stenhouse Jr who finished 27th.

References

  1. "Sprint Cup Series Schedule". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  2. Brown, Brian (November 9, 2011). "The Kobalt Tools 500 (k)". RotoWorld.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "Kenseth takes pole at Phoenix". inRacingNews.com. November 12, 2011. Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  4. "Tracks". NASCAR. Archived from the original on February 7, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  5. 1 2 "Phoenix International Raceway". NASCAR. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  6. 1 2 "PIR To Be Repaved after February Race". Phoenix International Raceway. February 9, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  7. "Pre-race Drivers' Championship Standings". NASCAR. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site – 2011 Manufacturers Championship Standings". Jayski.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  9. "2009 Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500". Racing-Reference.info. November 14, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  10. "Jayski'sŽ NASCAR Silly Season Site – Sprint Cup Race Info / Rundown Page". Jayski.com. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Practice One Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  12. "NASCAR — CUP: Burton Tops First Practice At Phoenix". Speedtv.com. November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  13. 1 2 "Practice Two Timing and Scoring". NASCAR. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  14. "Qualifying Entry List". NASCAR. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Race Official Lineup". NASCAR. November 12, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  16. "Lineup Statistics". MotorRacingNetwork.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  17. "Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site — Phoenix Sprint Cup Qualifying Order/Results, Lineup". Jayski.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  18. "2011 Official Race Results : Kobalt Tools 500". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  19. "2011 Official Driver Standings: Kobalt Tools 500". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
Previous race:
2011 AAA Texas 500
Sprint Cup Series
2011 season
Next race:
2011 Ford 400