2012 Food City 500

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2012 Food City 500
Race details [1] [2]
Race 4 of 36 in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2012 Food City 500 program cover.jpeg
2012 Food City 500 program cover
Date March 18, 2012 (2012-03-18)
Location Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee
Course Permanent racing facility
0.533 mi (0.858 km)
Distance 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.89 km)
Weather Temperatures up to 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds up to 8.9 miles per hour (14.3 km/h) [3]
Average speed 93.037 miles per hour (149.729 km/h)
Pole position
Driver
 Roush Fenway Racing
Time 15.324
Most laps led
Driver Brad Keselowski Penske Racing
Laps 231
Winner
No. 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing
Television in the United States
Network Fox Broadcasting Company
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds
Nielsen Ratings 4.4/11 (Final)
4.0/10 (Overnight)
(7.307 million) [4]

The 2012 Food City 500 was the fourth stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on March 18, 2012 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee before a crowd of 102,000. The 500-lap race was won by Brad Keselowski of the Penske Racing team after he started from fifth position. Matt Kenseth finished second and Martin Truex Jr. came in third.

Contents

Greg Biffle won the pole position and maintained into the first corner, as A. J. Allmendinger, who started in the second position of the grid, was passed by Jeff Gordon on the first lap. After a competition caution that started on lap 40, Allmendinger became the leader of the race. After the final pitstops, Keselowski took over the first position from Matt Kenseth. He maintained the first position to lead the most laps of 231, and to win his first race of the 2012 season. There were five cautions and thirteen lead changes among seven different drivers during the course of the race.

The race was Keselowski's first win of the season, and the fifth of his career. The result kept Biffle in the lead of the Drivers' Championship with 157 points, nine ahead of Kevin Harvick and twelve ahead of Kenseth. Ford took over the lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, and bumped Chevrolet to second place with 24 points. Toyota followed in third with 21 points, while Dodge remained in fourth with 18. The race attracted 7.307 million television viewers.

Background

Bristol Motor Speedway, where the race was held. Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol.jpg
Bristol Motor Speedway, where the race was held.

The 2012 Food City 500 was the fourth of thirty-six scheduled stock car races of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. [5] It took place on March 18, 2012, in Bristol, Tennessee, at Bristol Motor Speedway, [2] a short track which holds NASCAR races. [6] The standard track at Bristol Motor Speedway is a four-turn short track oval that is 0.533 miles (0.858 km) long. [7] The track's turns are banked from twenty-four to thirty degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked from six to ten degrees. The back stretch also has banking from six to ten degrees. [7]

One team chose to replace their regular driver with a substitute. Michael Waltrip Racing chose to replace Mark Martin with Brian Vickers for six races during the season. [8] Team owner Michael Waltrip said, "Brian Vickers is a veteran driver with almost 10 years experience, but he hasn't even turned 30 yet. He's shown he can win at this level and we have every confidence he'll run well with us." [9]

Before the race, Greg Biffle led the Drivers' Championship with 125 points, followed by Kevin Harvick on 113. Denny Hamlin was third in the Drivers' Championship with 113 points, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was fourth with 107 points, and Matt Kenseth was in fifth with 102 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 21 points, four points ahead of their rivals Ford for second place. Toyota, with 17 points, was eight points ahead of their rivals Dodge in the battle for third. [10] Kyle Busch was the race's defending champion. [11]

Entry list

(R) - Denotes rookie driver.

(i) - Denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

No.DriverTeamManufacturerSponsor
1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet McDonald's
2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge Miller Lite
5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Farmers Insurance
7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge Speed Energy / Mapei
9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Mac Tools
10 David Reutimann Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet Tradebank
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota FedEx Ground
13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford GEICO
14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet Office Depot / Mobil 1
15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 5-hour Energy
16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 3M / 811
17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford Best Buy
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Doublemint
20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota The Home Depot
22 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge Shell / Pennzoil
23 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Chevrolet North Texas Pipe
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Drive to End Hunger / Chase AARP Visa
26 Josh Wise (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford MDS Transport
27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Moen / Menards
29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Budweiser
30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota Inception Motorsports
31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet BB&T
32 Ken Schrader FAS Lane Racing Ford TMone.com - We Drive Sales
33 Brendan Gaughan Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa
34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford Front Row Motorsports
36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet SealWrap / Widow Wax
37 Timmy Hill (R) Max Q Motorsports Ford Poynt.com
38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford Taco Bell
39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet Quicken Loans
42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Target
43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Charter
47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota Clorox / Scott Products
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Lowe's / Kobalt Tools
49 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota JPO Absorbents
51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet HendrickCars.com
55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota Aaron's Dream Machine
56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota NAPA Auto Parts
74 Reed Sorenson (i) Turn One Racing Chevrolet Turn One Racing
78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet Furniture Row / CSX "Play It Safe"
83 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota Burger King / Dr Pepper
87 Joe Nemechek (i) NEMCO Motorsports Toyota AM/FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew
93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota Burger King / Dr Pepper
98 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford K-Love / Let it Start With Me
99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford Kellogg's / Cheez-It
Official entry list

Practice and qualifying

Greg Biffle won pole position with the fastest time, 15.324 seconds. GregBiffle.jpg
Greg Biffle won pole position with the fastest time, 15.324 seconds.

Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—one on Friday and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 90 minutes. The Saturday morning session lasted 45 minutes, and the final practice session lasted 60 minutes. [5] During the first practice session, Carl Edwards was the fastest driver, placing ahead of A. J. Allmendinger in second and Marcos Ambrose in third. Joey Logano took fourth position and Ryan Newman placed fifth. Jeff Gordon, Regan Smith, Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch rounded out the top ten fastest drivers in the session. [12]

Forty-six drivers entered the qualifier on Friday afternoon; [5] [13] due to NASCAR's qualifying procedure, forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, with the starting order determined by their fastest lap times. [5] Biffle clinched his first pole position of the season, with a time of 15.324. He was joined on the grid's front row by Allemdinger. Newman qualified third, Jeff Gordon took fourth, and Keselowski started fifth. The driver that failed to qualify was Timmy Hill, and Robby Gordon withdrew because of issues with his car's engine. [14] After the qualifier Biffle said, "I got in the gas fairly early [through Turns 1 and 2] and was a little worried about making the rest of the corner, It got loose up off of both ends because I went in the gas so early in the middle of the corner, just pushing the envelope as much as I could." [15]

On Saturday morning, Allmendinger was fastest in the second practice session, ahead of Kyle Busch in second, and Newman in third. Biffle was fourth quickest, and Truex took fifth. Kahne managed sixth. Aric Almirola, Hamlin, Kenseth and Jeff Burton followed in the top ten. [16] Jimmie Johnson spun during the session and Paul Menard hit the left-rear of Johnson, causing the Hendrick Motorsports driver to sustain light damage to his car. [5] Later that day, Newman paced the final practice session, ahead of Kyle Busch in second and Reutimann in third. Keselowski was fourth fastest, ahead of Kahne and Ambrose. Clint Bowyer was seventh fastest, Truex eighth, Jeff Gordon ninth, and Johnson tenth. [17] Towards the end of the session, Travis Kvapil hit the wall but avoided major damage to his car. [5]

Qualifying results

No.DriverTeamManufacturerTimeSpeedGrid
16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 15.324125.2151
22 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 15.325125.2072
39 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 15.331125.1583
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet15.340125.0854
2 Brad Keselowski Penske RacingDodge15.367124.8655
78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet15.373124.8166
43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford15.385124.7197
99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway RacingFord15.389124.6878
20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 15.392124.6629
5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.430124.35510
27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet15.432124.33911
9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty MotorsportsFord15.433124.33112
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs RacingToyota15.425124.17813
29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress RacingChevrolet15.461124.10614
56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota15.461124.10615
15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip RacingToyota15.474124.00216
1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet15.480123.95317
10 David Reutimann Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet15.491123.86618
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.491123.86619
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs RacingToyota15.495123.83420
17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway RacingFord15.516123.66621
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.532123.53822
14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas RacingChevrolet15.541123.46723
13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford15.547123.41924
55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip RacingToyota15.547123.41925
38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford15.566123.26926
51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet15.577123.18227
30 David Stremme Inception MotorsportsToyota15.589123.08728
83 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota15.594123.04729
42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet15.601122.99230
34 David Ragan Front Row MotorsportsFord15.604122.96831
33 Brendan Gaughan Richard Childress RacingChevrolet15.617122.86632
31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress RacingChevrolet15.628122.78033
93 Travis Kvapil BK RacingToyota15.638122.70134
36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet15.646122.63835
47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota15.648122.62336
26 Josh Wise Front Row MotorsportsFord15.679122.38037
74 Reed Sorenson Turn One Racing Chevrolet15.691122.28738
98 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford15.732121.96839
49 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota15.750121.82940
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota15.765121.71341
23 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Chevrolet15.809121.37442
32 Ken Schrader FAS Lane Racing Ford15.907120.62643
Did not qualify
37 Timmy Hill Rick Ware Racing/Max Q Motorsports Ford15.953120.27844
7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge––WD1
40 Tony Raines Joe Falk/Mike Hillman Toyota––WD
1 #7 team had to withdraw before Qualifying because of electrical issues with the engine.
Source: [18]

Race

The race began at 1:00 p.m. EST and was televised live in the United States on Fox. [1] Around the start of the race, weather conditions were overcast; an 80% chance of rain was also forecast, although some rain had fallen on the morning of the race. Mike Rife of the Vansant Church of Christ began pre-race ceremonies by giving the invocation. The McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base H4 Quartest performed the national anthem, and a group of Food City store managers gave the command for drivers to start their engines. NASCAR announced a competition caution would take place on lap 50. [19]

Greg Biffle maintained the pole position lead into the first corner. Behind him, Jeff Gordon passed A. J. Allmendinger for second place. Ten laps later, Allmendinger passed Gordon to take the second position. By lap 14, Biffle had built up a 1.4-second lead. Four laps later, Ryan Newman moved up third after passing Gordon. The first caution came out on lap 24 for a multi-car crash on the front stretch that collected Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Marcos Ambrose, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch. Pit road was open on lap 40, taking the place of the competition caution. This allowed most of the leaders to make pit stops. Allmendinger took the lead during pit spots and held it on the lap 47 restart. [19]

By lap 55, Allmendinger had a one-second lead over Truex. One lap later, Brian Vickers passed Truex for second. Allmendinger built his lead up to 1.4 seconds by lap 63. Twenty-two laps later, Truex passed Vickers to reclaim the second position. Vickers passed Truex on lap 92 to move back into that spot. Three laps later, Allmendinger, who was stuck behind Bobby Labonte, was passed by Vickers for the lead. On lap 104, Gordon moved up to third. Five laps later, Vickers maintained a half-second lead over Allmendinger. The third caution came on lap 116 when Ken Schrader hit the wall in turns 3 and 4. Under caution, all of the leaders opted to pit. [19]

Brad Keselowski won the race, after leading the most laps with 231. Brad Keselowski Martinsville 2013.jpg
Brad Keselowski won the race, after leading the most laps with 231.

Vickers maintained the lead at the restart, ahead of Allmendinger and Gordon. By lap 130, Vickers now had a 1.6-second lead over Allmendinger. On lap 134, Keselowski had passed Allmendinger and Gordon for second. By lap 147, Keselowski had reduced Vickers' lead to 1.5-seconds. Eight laps later, Kahne returned to the race after the lap 24 crash. By lap 168, Vickers' lead was one second from Keselowski. After starting nineteenth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had moved up fourteen positions to fifth by lap 179. Two laps later, Allmendinger started suffering from an vibration in his car. On lap 217, Keselowski passed Vickers for the lead. Eleven laps later, Gordon passed Vickers for second. On lap 235, Allmendinger made a pit stop to allow his team to check his car. [19]

Green flag pit stops began on lap 242 and Menard was the first to pit under green. Thirteen laps later, Matt Kenseth passed Keselowski to claim the lead. When green flag pit stops were over, Keselowski reclaimed the lead. On lap 340, the third caution waved when David Stremme made contact with the wall. During the caution, all of the leaders made pit stops. Keselowski led the field back up to speed at the restart. On lap 348, Kenseth took the lead from Keselowski. Eleven laps later, the fourth caution came out when Gordon and Earnhardt made contact on the backstretch, causing Gordon to suffer a flat left rear tire and spin sideways. None of the leaders made pit stops during the caution. [19]

The race restarted on lap 371. Fourteen laps later, Keselowski retook the lead after passing Kenseth. By lap 415, he had built up a half second lead over Kenseth. Twenty-nine laps later, Earnhardt was told by his team to conserve fuel. On lap 468, Truex moved into fifth place. Ten laps later, the fifth and final caution waved when Tony Stewart made contact with the wall. During the caution, none of the leaders again opted to pit. Keselowski led at the restart, ahead of Kenseth and Vickers. During the final laps, he managed to maintain his lead to win the race. Kenseth finished second, ahead of Truex in third, Clint Bowyer in fourth, and Vickers in fifth, [19] rounding out the Top 5.

Post-race

"I told my crew before the race that this was the best car I ever had in [Sprint] Cup, and it showed. I just say what I think is real. It’s not about being cocky.”

Keselowski, speaking after the race. [20]

Keselowski appeared in victory lane to celebrate his first win of the season in front of 102,000 people who attended the race. [2] Keselowski also earned $186,770 in race winnings. [2] Afterward, he said, "This car here, this brand-new car that Penske Racing built – everybody back at the shop did a phenomenal job. The last few races have been really good, and I knew we had a shot at winning one if we closed the deal. Matt didn't make it easy." [21] Kenseth, who finished second, said, "I was thinking I could run outside of him [after the restart], but he would roll through there so fast you could never get a run on him. I think he liked the bottom of [Turns] 1 and 2, but I could never get around on the bottom of [Turns] 1 and 2, so that was the right thing to do, to start on the top and leave me on the bottom – for him." [21]

Truex was happy with his team's performance, "I'm so proud of the team – all the guys on the team and everybody at MWR. Clint (Bowyer) and Brian (Vickers) were up front all day long. This just says a lot about everything that everybody at MWR has done over the off season – working hard, giving us good race cars. We got off in the mid-part of the race, but had the race strategy at the end and a fast enough car to stay up there.” [22] Earnhardt regretted colliding with teammate Jeff Gordon, “I’m mad because I screwed myself on pit road speeding. I’m pretty upset about that. Otherwise, I feel bad about running into Jeff’s car. I had a good day other than that. I had a good time. … I feel bad about what happened with Jeff, but damn, we were just racing." [23]

The race result left Biffle leading the Drivers' Championship with 157 points. Harvick, who finished eleventh, was second on 148, three ahead of Kenseth and nine in front of Truex Hamlin dropped to fifth with 137 points. [24] In the Manufacturers' Championship, Ford took over the lead with 25 points, Chevrolet, who were bumped to second, were on 24. Toyota remained third on 21, three points ahead of Dodge in fourth. [10] 7.307 million people watched the race on television. [4] The race took two hours, fifty-one minutes and fifty-two seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.714 seconds. [2]

Race results

PosGridNo.DriverTeamManufacturerLapsLedPoints
152Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge5002324823
22117Matt Kenseth[Roush Fenway RacingFord50045431
31556Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota500041
41615Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota500040
52555Brian VickersMichael Waltrip RacingToyota500125401
63331Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet500038
7171Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet500037
83042Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet500036
92248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet500035
101127Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet500034
111429Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet500033
12339Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet500032
13116Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord50041321
142314Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet500030
151888Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet5002301
16920Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota498028
17222A. J. AllmendingerPenske RacingDodge49854281
182751Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet498026
19743Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord498025
202011Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota498024
211910David ReutimannTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet497023
223233Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet496022
233134David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord496021
24678Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet496020
252413Casey MearsGermain RacingFord496019
262638David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord496018
273493Travis KvapilBK RacingToyota496017
283647Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota495016
292983Landon CassillBK RacingToyota495015
304049J. J. YeleyRobinson-Blakeney RacingToyota493014
313998Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFord492013
321318Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota423012
334332Ken SchraderFAS Lane RacingFord420011
343536Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet417010
35424Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3951101
36129Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord38908
37105Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet36607
382830David StremmeInception MotorsportsToyota33406
39899Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord24505
404187Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota570–
414223Scott RiggsR3 MotorsportsChevrolet2603
423874Reed SorensonTurn One RacingChevrolet170–4
433726Josh WiseFront Row MotorsportsFord1601
Source: [2] [25]
1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap
2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps
3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race
4 Ineligible for championship points

Standings after the race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series</span> 65th season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 65th season of NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 42nd modern-era Cup season. The season began on February 16, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway, with the Sprint Unlimited, followed by the Daytona 500 on February 24. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500</span> Motor car race

The 2012 Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on October 7, 2012 at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, United States. Contested over 188 laps on the 2.66-mile (4.3 km) asphalt tri-oval, it was the thirtieth race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the fourth race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Bank of America 500</span> Motor car race

The 2012 Bank of America 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on October 13, 2012, 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 thirty-first race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, as well as the fifth race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 AAA 400</span> Motor car race

The 2013 AAA 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on September 29, 2013, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, United States. Contested over 400 laps on the 1–mile oval, it was the 29th race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship, and the third race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the race, his fifth win of the season and record eighth win at Dover, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series</span> 68th season of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 68th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 45th modern-era Cup series season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Sprint Unlimited, the Can-Am Duel and the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won his seventh drivers' championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most all-time. Toyota won the manufacturer's championship, becoming the first manufacturer to win the manufacturer's championship other than Chevrolet since 2002.

References

  1. 1 2 "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule". ESPN . ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "2012 Food City 500". Racing-Reference. Fox Sports Digital. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Weather Information for Bristol, Tennessee". Old Farmer's Almanac . Yankee Publishing. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Race: Food City 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site . ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  6. ↑ "NASCAR Race Tracks". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 15, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "NASCAR Tracks—The Bristol Motor Speedway". Bristol Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on August 9, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  8. ↑ Associated Press (March 9, 2012). "MWR signs Brian Vickers for 6 races". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ Team Release (March 8, 2012). "Vickers to drive MWR's No. 55 for six races". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "Manufacturers' Championship Classification". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  11. ↑ "2011 Jeff Byrd 500 Presented by Food City". Racing-Reference. Fox Sports Digital. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Food City 500 1st Practice Speeds". Motor Racing Network . International Speedway Corporation. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Qualifying Order". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  14. ↑ Rosser, Aaron (March 17, 2012). "NASCAR At Bristol: Greg Biffle Edges A. J. Allmendinger For Food City 500 Pole". SB Nation Atlanta. Vox Media, Inc. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Biffle edges Allmendinger for Bristol pole". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Practice Two Speeds". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Practice Three Speeds". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on August 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  18. ↑ "2012 Food City 500 Qualifying Results". Motor Racing Network. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lap-by-Lap: Bristol". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 18, 2012. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
  20. ↑ Gregory, Allen (March 19, 2012). "SPRINT CUP: Brad Keselowski takes checkered flag in Food City 500". WSLS-TV . Media General. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  21. 1 2 NASCAR Wire Service (March 19, 2012). "Keselowski keeps cool, scores repeat Bristol win". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  22. ↑ Utter, Jim (March 18, 2012). "Race Rewind: Looking back at the Food City 500". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  23. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (March 18, 2012). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. regrets contact with Jeff Gordon, speeding penalty". Sporting News . Sporting News Media. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Points Standings". NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  25. ↑ "2012 Food City 500 Race Results". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
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