2012 Bojangles' Southern 500

NASCAR race in Darlington, South Carolina, US January 2019 June 2020 NAS Bojangles' Southern 500 2012 Bojangles' Southern 500 https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2012_Bojangles_Southern_500/W Racing-Reference January 21, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20181215174521/https://www.racing-reference.info/race/2012_Bojangles_Southern_500/W December 15, 2018 livehttps://www.espn.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2012 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule ESPN May 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120421213527/http://espn.go.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2012 April 21, 2012 live May 12, 2012 2012 11 36 Darlington Raceway 2024.svg Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina 1.366 2.198 367 501.322 806.800 368 502.688 808.998 Clear with a temperature around 82 F; wind out of the E at 5 mph on.http://rotoworld.com/articles/nas/40491/229/the-southern-500 The Southern 500 Rotoworld.com May 8, 2012 May 10, 2012 Brown, Brian https://web.archive.org/web/20120511055334/http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nas/40491/229/the-southern-500 May 11, 2012 dead 133.802 mi/h Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing 27.281 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports 134 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Fox Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds 3.8/7 (Final) 3.5/7 (Overnight) (5.716 million)2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2012.htm Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures June 21, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140708031705/http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2012.htm July 8, 2014 The 2012 Bojangles' Southern 500 was the 63rd running of the event, and the eleventh stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on May 12, 2012, at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. The 368-lap race was won by Jimmie Johnson for the Hendrick Motorsports team. It was Johnson's first win of the season, and Hendrick Motorsport's 200th in NASCAR; Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing finished second and Stewart–Haas Racing driver Tony Stewart took third. Greg Biffle led the Drivers' Championship by seven points over his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth in second. He won the pole position by posting the fastest lap in qualifying, and led the first 48 laps until the first round of green flag pit stops in which Kyle Busch emerged in the lead. Biffle retook the lead on the 73rd lap and again lost it after the second pit stop cycle. Johnson took the lead for the first time on lap 101, and led a total of 134 laps, more than any other competitor. At the final restart on lap 367 for a green–white–checkered finish, extending the race to 368 laps, Johnson led the field and maintained it to win the race. Hamlin finished second after passing Stewart who had problems with his car's fuel pressure. There were eight cautions and 22 lead changes among eight drivers during the race. The result of the event advanced Johnson from eighth to fifth in the Drivers' Championship, 39 points behind Biffle, who led the standings going into the race, but his teammate Matt Kenseth reduced his lead to two points. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, eight points ahead of Toyota in second place. Ford continued to hold the third position over Dodge in the battle for the place with 25 races left in the season. The race attracted 5.716 million television viewers. Background 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series#Teams and driversleft|thumb|Darlington Raceway (pictured in 2008), where the race was held. The 2012 Bojangles' Southern 500 was the eleventh stock car race out of thirty-six of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was scheduled to run for 367 laps over a distance of 501 mi km on,Utter Jim May 10, 2012 Fast facts: Darlington Raceway The Charlotte Observer http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/05/10/86628/southern-500-fast-facts.html March 19, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20120518060828/http://www.thatsracin.com/2012/05/10/86628/southern-500-fast-facts.html May 18, 2012 and was held on May 12, in Darlington, South Carolina, at Darlington Raceway, an intermediate oval track which began hosting NASCAR races in the 1950 Grand National Series;Robinson Matthew https://books.google.com/books?id=4UC_C-0PQzoC&q=Darlington+Raceway+1950+intermediate+NASCAR&pg=PA10 The Greatest NASCAR Tracks January 15, 2005 Rosen Publishing 978-1-4042-1400-2 New York City, United States 10 September 12, 2019 The standard track is a paved egg-shaped four-turn 1.366 mi km on oval superspeedway. Its first two turns are banked at 25 degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at 23 degrees. The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch are banked at three and two degrees, respectively.http://www.espn.co.uk/jayski/tracks/story/_/id/18670465/darlington-raceway Darlington Raceway ESPN dead https://web.archive.org/web/20170628000656/http://www.espn.co.uk/jayski/tracks/story/_/id/18670465/darlington-raceway June 28, 2017 January 21, 2019 Before the race, Greg Biffle led the Drivers' Championship with 378 points, and Matt Kenseth stood in second with 371.http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/10/data/standings_official.html 2012 Official Driver Standings: Aaron's 499 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120615031609/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/10/data/standings_official.html June 15, 2012 dead May 8, 2012 Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third with 369 points, 18 in front of Denny Hamlin and 36 ahead of Kevin Harvick in fourth and fifth. Martin Truex Jr. with 332 points was four points ahead of Tony Stewart, as Jimmie Johnson with 324 points, was 16 points ahead of Kyle Busch, and 22 in front of Clint Bowyer. Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski completed the top twelve drivers. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 63 points, five ahead of Toyota. Ford, with 53 points, was seven points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.http://www.jayski.com/stats/2012/manu2012.htm Manufacturers' Championship Classification Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures https://web.archive.org/web/20121130202821/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2012/manu2012.htm November 30, 2012 January 5, 2015 Regan Smith was the race's defending champion after winning it in 2011.McGee Ryan May 9, 2012 Smith trying to recapture magic https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7908827/nascar-regan-smith-basking-darlington-glow&campaign=link&source=JAYSKI live https://web.archive.org/web/20120514094307/http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7908827/nascar-regan-smith-basking-darlington-glow&campaign=link&source=JAYSKI May 14, 2012 March 19, 2022 ESPN The start time of the race was moved from 7:30 pm local time to 7:00 pm following a successful request made by Darlingon Raceway president Chris Browning to NASCAR to accommodate fan surveys asking for the race to end at approximately 11:00 pm.Pockrass Bob Bob Pockrass February 3, 2012 Darlington start time only change for Sprint Cup races http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Darlington_start_time_only_change_for_Sprint_Cup_races.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120205062905/http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Darlington_start_time_only_change_for_Sprint_Cup_races.html February 5, 2012 March 19, 2022 SceneDaily There was one driver change going into the race. BK Racing announced that driver Travis Kvapil would compete in its No. Car number 73 car starting from the Darlington event. Kvapil said in a media release that he was looking forward to working with the team, and his crew chief Ben Leslie at the track, "The guys at the shop are working really hard to prepare the car and get everything ready for this weekend. We're proud of what we've accomplished so far and hope that this race is another step in our growth."http://www.speedwaymedia.com/2012/05/10/bk-racing-to-field-third-car-at-darlington-for-kvapil/ BK Racing To Field Third Car At Darlington For Kvapil May 10, 2012 Speedway Media https://web.archive.org/web/20190122070936/http://www.speedwaymedia.com/2012/05/10/bk-racing-to-field-third-car-at-darlington-for-kvapil/ January 22, 2019 dead January 22, 2019 Practice and qualifying thumb|upright|right|Greg Biffle (pictured in 2004) had the eleventh pole position of his career with a time of 27.281 seconds. Two practice sessions were held on the Friday before the race. The first session lasted 120 minutes, and the second 45 minutes.http://www.jayski.com:80/news/races/2012/story/_/page/11-Darlington-NASCAR-Race-Info The Race: Bojangles' Southern 500 Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures https://web.archive.org/web/20120716065639/http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2012/story/_/page/11-Darlington-NASCAR-Race-Info July 16, 2012 dead January 21, 2019 In the first session, Harvick was quickest with a time of 27.769 seconds, around one-tenth of a second faster than Biffle. Kurt Busch was third, followed by Edwards, Stewart, Truex, Johnson, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, and A. J. Allmendinger in positions four to ten.http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/practice1_speeds.html Practice One Timing and Scoring NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120514004941/https://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/practice1_speeds.html May 14, 2012 dead May 11, 2012 Aric Almirola spun 360 degrees leaving the fourth turn, but he avoided contact with the wall beside the track. In the second practice session, Allmendinger was fastest with a lap of 28.097 seconds. Biffle followed Allmendinger in the second position, with Edwards third quickest. Johnson, Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard, Landon Cassill, Josh Wise, Michael McDowell, and David Stremme rounded out the session's top ten fastest drivers.http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/practice2_speeds.html Practice Two Timing and Scoring NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120514004946/https://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/practice2_speeds.html May 14, 2012 dead May 11, 2012 There were forty-seven cars entered in the qualifying session on Friday evening,http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/qual_order.html Qualifying Entry List NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120514004951/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/qual_order.html May 14, 2012 dead May 11, 2012 due to NASCAR's qualifying procedure, forty-three were allowed to race. Each driver ran two laps, with the starting order determined by the competitor's fastest times. Biffle clinched his second pole position of the season, his second at Darlington Raceway, and the eleventh of his career,https://www.superiortelegram.com/sports/motorsports/1956662-greg-biffle-captures-pole-position-southern-500 Greg Biffle Captures Pole Position for Southern 500 May 11, 2012 Superior Telegram January 21, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190121205506/https://www.superiortelegram.com/sports/motorsports/1956662-greg-biffle-captures-pole-position-southern-500 January 21, 2019 live with a time of 27.281 seconds, the only qualifying lap to go below 27.300 seconds.http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/lineup.html Race Lineup: Bojangles' Southern 500 May 11, 2012 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120514004936/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/lineup.html May 14, 2012 dead May 11, 2012 Johnson and his teammate Kahne qualified 0.105 seconds behind, but Johnson joined Biffle on the grid's front row because of a better Owner's Championship position compared to Kahne.https://www.ohio.com/akron/sports/nascar-greg-biffle-takes-pole-at-darlington NASCAR: Greg Biffle takes pole at Darlington Iacobelli Pete May 12, 2012 Akron Beacon Journal January 21, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190121204635/https://www.ohio.com/akron/sports/nascar-greg-biffle-takes-pole-at-darlington January 21, 2019 dead Newman took fourth place, ahead of Kyle Busch and Truex in fifth and sixth. Edwards qualified in seventh place, while Hamlin followed in eighth. Smith and Jeff Burton completed the first ten starting positions. The four drivers who failed to qualify were Scott Riggs, McDowell, Stephen Leicht, and Mike Bliss. Once the qualifying session concluded, Drivers' Championship leader Biffle stated, "This is what a race car driver looks forward to, showing up every weekend and having a really fast car to drive. They're making me look good so far." Afterward, he described his qualifying lap as "pretty uneventful", adding, "The car just had a ton of grip — it stuck to the race track really, really well. I felt like I was a little bit light down in Turns 1 and 2 — I should have been a little bit quicker down there — but I got a lot out of it in 3 and 4, so it was a great lap." Qualifying results Grid No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time (s) Speed1 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway RacingFord 27.281 180.257 mph km/h on br()2 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.386 179.566 mph km/h on br()3 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.386 179.566 mph km/h on br()4 39 Ryan NewmanStewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.402 179.461 mph km/h on br()5 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.404 179.448 mph km/h on br()6 56 Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.424 179.317 mph km/h on br()7 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.427 179.298 mph km/h on br()8 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.444 179.187 mph km/h on br()9 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 27.451 179.141 mph km/h on br()10 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.458 179.095 mph km/h on br()11 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet 27.459 179.089 mph km/h on br()12 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.461 179.076 mph km/h on br()13 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.474 178.991 mph km/h on br()14 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.484 178.926 mph km/h on br()15 2 Brad Keselowski Penske RacingDodge 27.500 178.822 mph km/h on br()16 22 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 27.506 178.783 mph km/h on br()17 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.515 178.724 mph km/h on br()18 55 Mark Martin Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.551 178.491 mph km/h on br()19 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.592 178.226 mph km/h on br()20 83 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota 27.613 178.090 mph km/h on br()21 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.630 177.980 mph km/h on br()22 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty RacingToyota 27.631 177.974 mph km/h on br()23 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 27.635 177.948 mph km/h on br()24 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.642 177.903 mph km/h on br()25 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 27.651 177.845 mph km/h on br()26 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.661 177.781 mph km/h on br()27 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.735 177.307 mph km/h on br()28 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.794 176.930 mph km/h on br()29 79 Scott Speed Go Green Racing Ford 27.802 176.879 mph km/h on br()30 26 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.823 176.746 mph km/h on br()31 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 27.825 176.733 mph km/h on br()32 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota 27.845 176.606 mph km/h on br()33 73 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 27.847 176.594 mph km/h on br()34 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 27.857 176.530 mph km/h on br()35 52 Mike Skinner Hamilton Means RacingToyota 27.957 175.899 mph km/h on br()36 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 27.978 175.767 mph km/h on br()37 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 28.004 175.604 mph km/h on br()38 10 Danica Patrick Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet 28.021 175.497 mph km/h on br()39 74 Cole Whitt Turn One Racing Chevrolet 28.021 175.497 mph km/h on br()40 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 28.097 175.022 mph km/h on br()41 93 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota 28.196 174.408 mph km/h on br()42 32 Reed Sorenson FAS Lane RacingFord 28.307 173.724 mph km/h on br()43 49 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota 28.125 174.848 mph km/h on br()Failed to Qualify23 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 28.129 174.823 mph km/h on br()98 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford 28.144 174.730 mph km/h on br()33 Stephen Leicht Joe Falk Chevrolet 28.155 174.662 mph km/h on br()19 Mike Bliss Humphrey Smith Racing Toyota 28.157 174.649 mph km/h on br()Sources:Statistics: Bojangles' Southern 500 Qualifying http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=41&RaceID=5578&StatType=Qualifying dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120617043236/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=41&RaceID=5578&StatType=Qualifying June 17, 2012 May 11, 2012 Motor Racing NetworkNASCAR Cup Series 2012 63rd Bojangles' Southern 500 Qualifying Classification https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2012/63rd-annual-bojangles-southern-500/classification/qualifying August 3, 2024 Motorsport Stats Race Live television coverage of the race began at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00) in the United States on Fox. Commentary was provided by Mike Joy, with analysis given by retired driver Darrell Waltrip and former crew chief Larry McReynolds.2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule http://www.jayski.com/pages/2012cup_sched.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130104193217/http://www.jayski.com/pages/2012cup_sched.htm January 4, 2013 March 19, 2022 Jayski's Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures Around the start of the race, weather conditions were cloudy but dry, with the air temperature projected to reach the upper 70 F C ons range, and fall to the 60 F C ons range once darkness fell. Mark Jones, pastor of First Baptist Church of Darlington, began pre-race ceremonies with an invocation. Singer-songwriter Casey Weston, one of eight finalists of season 1 of The Voice, performed the national anthem, and the mothers of the drivers commanded them to start their engines.http://www.nascar.com:80/lap-by-lap/120512/lbldarlington/index.html Lap-by-Lap: Darlington May 12, 2012 NASCAR https://web.archive.org/web/20120515065006/http://www.nascar.com/lap-by-lap/120512/lbldarlington/index.html May 15, 2012 dead January 21, 2019 No driver moved to the rear of the field during the pace laps. The race commenced at 7:18 local time. Biffle maintained his lead on the first lap. Allmendinger moved into 13th by the start of lap two. By the fifth lap, Biffle held a lead of half a second over Johnson in the second position. On the tenth lap, Kyle Busch overtook Newman to move into fifth place. Three laps later, Newman fell to seventh after Truex and Edwards passed him. Hamlin was running in the seventh position by lap 25. 17 laps later, Jeff Gordon made heavy contact with the wall, but he continued with some damage to the right-hand side of his vehicle. One lap later, Johnson got ahead of Biffle for the lead temporarily, but he did not hold it at the start/finish line. As the front of the pack got tighter in slower traffic, Kahne passed his teammate Johnson to move into second on lap 47. Green flag pit stops began on the same lap, and Biffle made his pit stop on the next lap, handing the lead to Kahne. Johnson and then Cassill each led a lap as they staggered their pit stops between the 50th and 51st laps. left|thumb|upright|Denny Hamlin (pictured in 2015) finished in second place after leading a total of 54 laps After the pit stops, Kyle Busch took over the lead, with Biffle in second, and Kahne third. Although Biffle closed on Kyle Busch, the latter responded to increase his lead to more than half a second by the 59th lap. Five laps later, Johnson caught and overtook Kahne on the inside lane for third place. Keselowski lost ninth to Johnson on lap 66. Biffle took the lead from Kyle Busch seven laps later, as Johnson then passed the latter for second. On the 76th lap, Kurt Busch overtook Keselowski for tenth place. Eight laps later, Kahne fell behind Truex who passed him for fourth place. Hamlin overtook Kahne for the fifth position on lap 89. In the meantime, Biffle's lead over Johnson grew to nearly a second. Stewart was passed by Kenseth for the ninth position on the 95th lap. The second round of green flag pit stops began three laps later. On the 99th lap, Biffle made his second pit stop, and Hamlin led the lap, until Gordon took the lead for lap 101. Johnson took over the first position after all the pit stops had been completed. By the 105th lap, Johnson led by four seconds over Biffle in second. Seven laps later, Kahne was overtaken by Edwards for sixth place. Kurt Busch passed Stewart to move into tenth place on lap 116. Ten laps later, Kyle Busch got ahead of Biffle for the second position. Edwards caught Hamlin and got ahead of him to progress into fifth on lap 128. Biffle dropped to third when Truex overtook him eight laps later. On lap 140, Marcos Ambrose spun luridly, but he regained control of his car to avoid bringing out a caution. The third round of green flag pit stops commenced on lap 144. Biffle was the first driver to enter pit road on that lap. Johnson led the next four laps before making his own stop. After the pit stops, Johnson maintained the lead, with Kyle Busch second, and Biffle third. On the 154th lap, Kurt Busch passed Logano for the tenth position. Eleven laps later, Truex got ahead of Biffle for third in slower traffic. On lap 172, Kyle Busch's lead of 5.4 seconds was reduced to nothing with the waving of the first caution of the race for debris in turn two. The leaders including Kyle Busch made pit stops for car adjustments. Johnson gained the first position for the lap 179 restart with Kyle Busch second. On the following lap, Kyle Busch retook the lead from Johnson on the outside line. Stewart passed Hamlin for tenth place on the 183rd lap. Three laps later, Edwards lost fourth to his teammate Biffle. Johnson caught and passed Kyle Busch to regain the lead on lap 189. Biffle overtook Truex for third on lap 190. A second caution came out four laps later as Gordon's left-rear tire went flat,http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com:80/2012/writers/bruce_martin/05/13/darlington.five.things/index.html What we learned in Darlington Martin Bruce May 13, 2012 Sports Illustrated https://web.archive.org/web/20120516091443/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/bruce_martin/05/13/darlington.five.things/index.html May 16, 2012 dead January 22, 2019 and littered debris on the track.http://nascar.speedtv.com:80/article/cup-jimmie-johnson-wins-200th-for-hendrick-darlington-sprint-nascar/ CUP: Johnson Wins 200th For Hendrick Jensen Tom May 12, 2012 Speed https://web.archive.org/web/20120514094439/http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-jimmie-johnson-wins-200th-for-hendrick-darlington-sprint-nascar/ May 14, 2012 dead January 22, 2019 During the caution, the leaders including Johnson elected to make pit stops for tires. Hamlin led at the lap 199 restart, followed by Kahne. On the next lap, Kahne passed Hamlin around the outside to move into the lead. Kurt Busch was overtaken by Stewart for fourth on the 207th lap. Edwards slid sideways and was passed by Johnson for eighth three laps later. On lap 211, Biffle overtook Kurt Busch for fifth. Logano got ahead of Edwards to progress into the ninth position on lap 215. Kyle Busch was overtaken by Johnson who moved into seventh on the following lap. On the 217th lap, Edwards fell outside the top ten when Harvick passed him. Four laps later, Gordon had another flat left rear tire and he drove to the garage. The third caution was necessitated when series officials located debris in the third turn on lap 230. The field including Kahne chose to make pit stops under the caution, as Hamlin took the lead for the lap 235 restart. Biffle made an error, and it allowed Truex to overtake him for third on lap 236, and Kyle Busch got past him on the next lap. On the 244th lap, Johnson passed Biffle to claim fifth place, and then overtook Stewart for fourth three laps later. On lap 250, Harvick overtook Bowyer for ninth. On lap 258, Logano got past Biffle for sixth. Bowyer lost another position as Edwards passed him one lap later. The fourth round of green flag pit stops commenced on lap 278. After the pit stops, Truex took the first position after Hamlin was delayed in his pit stall by Bobby Labonte. thumb|upright|Jimmie Johnson (pictured in 2012) led a race-high 134 laps to secure his 56th career victory and the 200th win for Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR. Johnson overtook Kyle Busch for the third position on lap 291. Seven laps later, Truex's lead of eight-tenths of a second was reduced to nothing with the waving of the fourth caution, when Labonte after turn four. During the caution, several cars made pit stops for tires and car adjustments. Truex maintained his lead at the lap 303 restart, with Kyle Busch second and Johnson third. Johnson passed Kyle Busch for second place on the 304th lap, as Logano fell to seventh behind Hamlin, Kahne and Newman to around the same time. Three laps later, Smith spun in turn four, prompting the fifth caution. Several drivers (including Truex) went to pit road for fuel. Johnson switched his car on and off in order to conserve fuel upon the orders of his crew chief Chad Knaus, and led at the lap 311 restart. He held it for one lap as Kyle Busch passed him on the 312th lap. On the next lap, Johnson attempted a crossover maneuver on Kyle Busch, but he did not retake the lead. On lap 316, the sixth caution was shown, as Jamie McMurray and Allmendinger crashed in turn four. During the caution, several cars went to pit road. Kyle Busch used the outside lane to hold the lead at the restart on lap 319. Johnson passed Kyle Busch for the lead on lap 325. Six laps later, Reed Sorenson spun sideways leaving the fourth turn, triggering the seventh caution.http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/may/13/johnson-gives-hendrick-motorsports-200th-victory/ Johnson gives Hendrick Motorsports 200th victory Iacobelli Pete May 13, 2012 The Spokesman-Review January 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120906235624/http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/may/13/johnson-gives-hendrick-motorsports-200th-victory/ September 6, 2012 live Associated Press Johnson led the field back to racing speed on the lap 334 restart. Stewart got into second by running on the outside lane by the following lap. Truex lost sixth place to Biffle on lap 336. 13 laps later, Edwards got ahead of Kahne to advance into seventh. As Johnson increased his lead over Stewart to almost a second by going half a mile faster than him, Kurt Busch hit the wall after his tire went flat on lap 361,http://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/notebook/_/page/MondayRundown20120514/nascar-monday-rundown-kurt-busch-misbehaves-darlington-raceway Kurt Busch misbehaves at Darlingon Raceway Blount Terry May 15, 2012 ESPN https://web.archive.org/web/20190122165332/http://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/notebook/_/page/MondayRundown20120514/nascar-monday-rundown-kurt-busch-misbehaves-darlington-raceway January 22, 2019 live January 22, 2019 and was sent into Newman's path, prompting the eighth (and final) caution. The race restarted on lap 367 for a green–white–checkered finish extending the race to 368 laps,http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar/news/2816632-nascar-jimmie-johnson-bojangles-southern-500-denny-hamlin-tony-stewart-danica-pa Jimmie Johnson wins at Darlington for Rick Hendrick's 200th Cup win Bruce Kenny May 12, 2012 Sporting News https://web.archive.org/web/20190122071958/http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nascar/news/2816632-nascar-jimmie-johnson-bojangles-southern-500-denny-hamlin-tony-stewart-danica-pa January 22, 2019 live January 22, 2019 with Johnson leading Stewart in second and Hamlin third. Johnson achieved a fast getaway, and Hamlin overtook Stewart (who had fuel pressure problems) around the outside for second place.http://www.autosport.com:80/news/report.php/id/99570 Jimmie Johnson takes Hendrick's 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup race win at Darlington Meija Diego May 13, 2012 Autosport https://web.archive.org/web/20120519113328/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99570 May 19, 2012 live January 22, 2019 Johnson held the lead to clinch his first victory of the season, his third at Darlingon Raceway, and the 56th of his career. It was the 200th victory for Hendrick Motorsports in NASCAR Cup Series competition since Geoff Bodine won the 1984 Sovran Bank 400.http://blog.masslive.com/racinwithjason/2012/05/jimmie_johnson_wins_southern_500_for_hendrick_motorsports_200th_nascar_sprint_cup_win.html Jimmie Johnson wins Southern 500 for Hendrick Motorsports' 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup win Spencer Reid May 13, 2012 January 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190122072245/http://blog.masslive.com/racinwithjason/2012/05/jimmie_johnson_wins_southern_500_for_hendrick_motorsports_200th_nascar_sprint_cup_win.html January 22, 2019 live MassLive.com Hamlin finished second, Stewart third, Kyle Busch fourth and Truex fifth. Kenseth, Edwards, Kahne, Ambrose, and Logano rounded out the top ten finishers. There were 22 lead changes among eight different drivers during the course of the race. Johnson's 134 laps led was the most of any competitor. Post-race "I can't believe we won 200, I can't believe it took this long after 199. I am kind of numb, but I am glad it is over. I think we are going to win a few more now." Hendrick Motorsports owner and founder Rick Hendrick on Johnson taking his team's 200th victory.https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/story/2012-05-10/Rick-Hendrick-felt-stuck-before-Jimmie-Johnson-win/54933200/1 Johnson helps owner Hendrick dust off those 200-win hats Ryan Nate May 13, 2012 USA Today January 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120514181613/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/story/2012-05-10/Rick-Hendrick-felt-stuck-before-Jimmie-Johnson-win/54933200/1 May 14, 2012 dead left 40% Johnson appeared in Victory Lane to celebrate Hendrick Motorsports' 200th NASCAR victory in front of the crowd of 63,000 people; the win earned him $319,786. He said of the achievement, "He just said 200 wins is great; let's go get 250, What a day. We had a tremendous race car and won the race. There really was a lot of drama. In a fuel mileage race I was really concerned and hoped I had saved enough fuel but there were a lot of hungry drivers out there. This race is so special; so great. Darlington is a great race track." Hendrick Motorsports had logged their 199th win seven months and sixteen races beforehand. Hamlin was uncertain as to whether an error at his final pit stop lost him the victory, "When our car was best, we could probably hang with him, Obviously, it looked like his car was very strong, was one of the best." Third-placed Stewart said he was happy to finish in the position and reserved praise for Hendrick Motorsports, "I was trying to postpone (No. 200) for another week by trying to get to Jimmie, but I just couldn't do it, The closer I got to him, the tighter I got. That was one of the best runs we'd had, but still I wasn't strong enough. He had plenty of car left. He was just riding, trying to save fuel. They won it in dominating fashion. To win a 200th race, you don't want to back into it. They dominated and took it the way they should." alt=|thumb|upright|Kurt Busch was fined $50,000 and put on probation for a post-race crash with Ryan Newman on pit road. After the race, Kurt Busch's crew chief Nick Harrison instructed him to stop at the entrance to pit road and exit his car. However, he elected to drive into the left rear quarter of Newman's car on pit road.https://www.sbnation.com:80/nascar/2012/5/13/3017179/nascar-darlington-kurt-busch-ryan-newman-2012 NASCAR At Darlington: Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman Teams Scuffle After Southern 500 Gluck Jeff May 13, 2012 SB Nation https://web.archive.org/web/20120514111508/http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2012/5/13/3017179/nascar-darlington-kurt-busch-ryan-newman-2012 May 14, 2012 live January 22, 2019 Newman then got out of his car to speak with Kurt Busch.Bezjak Lou http://www2.scnow.com:80/sports/pee-dee/2012/may/13/2/darlington-notebook-kurt-busch-newman-teams-mix-it-ar-3781734/ Darlington Notebook: Kurt Busch, Newman teams mix it up on pit road May 13, 2012 The Morning News January 22, 2019 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120524172550/http://www2.scnow.com/sports/pee-dee/2012/may/13/2/darlington-notebook-kurt-busch-newman-teams-mix-it-ar-3781734/ May 24, 2012 While doing that, Newman' gasman Andy Rueger, who was waiting at Kurt Busch's hauler because he planned to confront him about the accident, learnt Busch was on pit road, and he and his fellow crew members ran towards him. Rueger lunged at Kurt Busch but he knocked over a NASCAR official who fell backward on the hood of his car.https://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/story/2012-05-12/Kurt-Busch-Ryan-Newman-crews-scuffle/54929752/1 Ryan Newman says Kurt Busch 'blew a fuse again' Ryan Nate May 14, 2012 USA Today January 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120514183624/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nascar/story/2012-05-12/Kurt-Busch-Ryan-Newman-crews-scuffle/54929752/1 May 14, 2012 dead This led to a brawl between the pit crews but Kurt Busch was escorted away to the NASCAR hauler during the struggle to explain himself. Newman, Rueger and the driver's crew chief Tony Gibson were also called to the hauler. NASCAR put the incident under investigation.http://msn.foxsports.com:80/nascar/story/Kurt-Busch-Ryan-Newman-crews-scuffle-after-Darlington-NASCAR-Cup-race-051312 Pit-road incident boils over after race Spencer Lee May 15, 2012 Fox Sports https://web.archive.org/web/20120515212528/http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Kurt-Busch-Ryan-Newman-crews-scuffle-after-Darlington-NASCAR-Cup-race-051312 May 15, 2012 dead January 22, 2019 Gibson said multiple crew members jumped aside to avoid Kurt Busch hitting them at Newman's final pit stop, and Harrison said that no person involved in the incident punched each other, "Just one of those deals when people get bunched up, someone fell down, A lot of mouthing. Just frustration getting took out. It's Cup racing at its best. If people didn't get mad and didn't care, they wouldn't come here." Kurt Busch left the track without speaking to the press about the crash. Newman suspected Kurt Busch had a chemical imbalance that made him angry during the race, "I'm pretty sure there were 42 other guys that are taking their helmets off and doing whatever for the last 10 years, and that's the first time that's happened to me. Circumstances, I think, are he lied and was so frustrated that he doesn't know how to deal with his anger." Two days later, NASCAR announced penalties for Phoenix Racing. The penalties, for "actions detrimental to stock-car racing", for hitting Newman's car on pit road, and getting into an altercation, included a $50,000 fine for Kurt Busch, and he was placed on probation until July 25, 2012. Additionally, a crew member of Kurt Busch's team, Craig Stickler, was fined $5,000, and placed on probation until December 31, 2012, for "interfering with a member of the broadcast media". Gibson was put on probation until June 27, 2012, because he was deemed responsible for his team members' actions. Rueger was fined $5,000, and was also placed on probation until June 27, 2012, for failing to comply with a NASCAR official's post-race directive.https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/kurt-busch-fined-placed-probation-reckless-driving-darlington Kurt Busch fined, placed on probation for reckless driving at Darlington Pearce Al May 14, 2012 Autoweek https://web.archive.org/web/20190122191356/https://autoweek.com/article/nascar/kurt-busch-fined-placed-probation-reckless-driving-darlington January 22, 2019 live January 22, 2019 The result of the race meant Biffle remained the Drivers' Championship leader with 411 points. Kenseth lowered his teammate's lead to two points and Earnhardt and Hamlin maintained the third and fourth positions. Johnson's victory advanced him from eighth to fifth. Truex and Stewart remained in sixth and seventh, while Harvick fell from fifth to eighth. Kyle Busch, Edwards, Bowyer, and Keselowski rounded out the top twelve.2012 Official Driver Standings: Bojangles' Southern 500 http://www.nascar.com:80/races/cup/2012/11/data/standings_official.html NASCAR January 22, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20120623111449/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2012/11/data/standings_official.html June 23, 2012 dead In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet extended their lead over Toyota to eight points. Ford stayed in front of Dodge in the battle for third place. The race attracted 5.716 million television viewers; it took three hours, 45 minutes, and 25 seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.781 seconds. Race results Pos Position No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Laps completed Points 148 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 368 4823 211 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 368 431 314 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 368 41 418 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 368 411 556 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 368 401 617 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 368 38 799 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 368 37 85 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 368 371 99 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 368 35 1020 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 368 34 1115 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 368 33 1216 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 368 331 1327 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 368 31 1478 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 368 30 152 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 368 29 1629 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 368 28 1788 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 368 281 1831 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 368 26 1943 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 368 25 2055 Mark Martin Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 368 24 2151 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 368 23 2213 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 367 22 2339 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 367 22 2442 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 366 20 2538 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 366 19 2683 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota 366 191 2736 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 365 17 2834 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 364 16 2947 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 364 15 3032 Reed Sorenson FAS Lane Racing Ford 363 04 3110 Danica Patrick Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 362 04 3273 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 362 PE4 3322 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 357 11 341 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 345 10 3524 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 339 9 3693 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota 314 8 3749 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota 132 7 3874 Cole Whitt Turn One Racing Chevrolet 35 04 3930 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota 32 5 4087 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 27 04 4152 Mike Skinner Hamilton Means Racing Toyota 20 04 4279 Scott Speed Go Green Racing Ford 20 2 4326 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 19 1Sources:May 12, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Official Race Report No. 11 63rd Annual Bojangles' Southern 500 Darlington Raceway http://jayski.com/stats/2012/pdfs/11dar2012racereport.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120523020007/http://jayski.com/stats/2012/pdfs/11dar2012racereport.pdf May 23, 2012 August 3, 2024 NASCAR Jayski's Silly Season SiteNASCAR Cup Series 2012 63rd Bojangles' Southern 500 Race Classification https://motorsportstats.com/results/nascar-cup-series/2012/63rd-annual-bojangles-southern-500/classification/race August 3, 2024 Motorsport Stats1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race4 Ineligible for championship points Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Position +/– Driver Points 1 10px Greg Biffle 411 2 10px Matt Kenseth 409 (−2) 3 10px Dale Earnhardt Jr. 397 (−14) 4 10px Denny Hamlin 394 (−17) 5 10px 3 Jimmie Johnson 372 (−39) 6 10px Martin Truex Jr. 372 (−39) 7 10px Tony Stewart 369 (−42) 8 10px 3 Kevin Harvick 361 (−50) 9 10px Kyle Busch 349 (−62) 10 10px 1 Carl Edwards 337 (−74) 11 10px 1 Clint Bowyer 335 (−76) 12 10px Brad Keselowski 328 (−83)Sources: Manufacturers' Championship standings +/– Pos Position Manufacturer Points 1 10px Chevrolet 72 2 10px Toyota 64 (−8) 3 10px Ford 57 (−15) 4 10px Dodge 49 (−23)Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings. References Sprint Cup Series 2012 2012 Aaron's 499 2012 Coca-Cola 600 collapsed Sports United States Category:NASCAR races at Darlington Raceway Bojangles' Southern 500 Bojangles' Southern 500 Bojangles' Southern 500