2015 STP 500

February 2025 NAS STP 500 http://www.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/download-schedule/2015/nscs_2015_printable_schedule3.pdf 2015 NASCAR Schedule NASCAR Media Group, LLC. August 26, 2014 NASCAR.com March 23, 2015 April 4, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150404031856/http://www.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/download-schedule/2015/nscs_2015_printable_schedule3.pdf deadhttp://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/schedule/tracks/martinsville-speedway.html Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013 NASCAR.com March 23, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150510140600/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/schedule/tracks/martinsville-speedway.html May 10, 2015 http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6760&StatType=Entry+List Entry List Motor Racing Network March 23, 2015 MRN.com March 23, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150327032343/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=44&RaceID=6760&StatType=Entry+List March 27, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx First Practice Results Motor Racing Network March 27, 2015 MRN.com March 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150330011247/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx March 30, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-Qualifying-Results.aspx Qualifying Results Motor Racing Network March 27, 2015 MRN.com March 28, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150401020225/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-Qualifying-Results.aspx April 1, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx Second Practice Results Motor Racing Network March 28, 2015 MRN.com March 28, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331210841/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-2nd-Practice-Speeds.aspx March 31, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx Final Practice Results Motor Racing Network March 28, 2015 MRN.com March 28, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331182743/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2015/03/STP-500-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx March 31, 2015 deadhttp://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&RaceID=6760&YearID=44&StatType=Race+Results STP 500 Results Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402165857/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&RaceID=6760&YearID=44&StatType=Race+Results April 2, 2015 deadhttp://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/06mar2015points.pdf Points standings NASCAR Statistics March 29, 2015 jayski.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402170945/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/06mar2015points.pdf April 2, 2015 deadhttp://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/06mar2015racereport.pdf Manufacturer standings NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications March 29, 2015 jayski.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402235341/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2015/pdfs/06mar2015racereport.pdf April 2, 2015 dead 2015 03 29 2015 6 36 Martinsville Speedway 2024.svg Layout of the track Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia 0.526 0.847 500 263 423.257 Sunny, clear blue skies with a temperature of 45 F C; wind out of the west/northwest at 1 mph km/h on 68.843 mph km/h on Joey Logano Team Penske 19.232 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing 154 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Fox Sports 1 Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip 2.5/4 (Overnight)https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/03/nascar-ratings-fox-sports-1-martinsville-overnight-tops-weekend-triples-indycar/ First Ever NASCAR Race on FS1 Earns 2.5 Overnight Paulsen Sports Media Watch March 30, 2015 SportsMediaWatch.com March 30, 20152.8/5 (Final)https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2015/03/nascar-ratings-martinsville-fox-sports-1-motorsports-record-still-down-big-from-last-year/ Fewer Viewers, But Record Audience, For FS1's Sprint Cup Debut Paulsen Sports Media Watch March 31, 2015 SportsMediaWatch.com April 1, 20154.061 Million viewers MRN Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace Dave Moody (Backstretch) The 2015 STP 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on March 29, 2015, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps on the 0.526 mi km paperclip shaped short track, it was the sixth race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Denny Hamlin won the race while Brad Keselowski finished runner-up. Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan rounded out the top five. Joey Logano won the pole for the race and led 91 laps on his way to a third-place finish. Kevin Harvick led the most laps – leading 154 – on his way to an eighth-place finish, ending an eight consecutive race streak of finishing first or second. The race had 31 lead changes among 13 different drivers, as well as 16 caution flag periods for 112 laps. Hamlin's 25th career victory was his fifth win at Martinsville Speedway and the eighth at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing. The win moved Hamlin up to eighth in the points standings, which were still headed by Harvick; he left Martinsville with a 24-point lead over Logano. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Toyota still trailed Chevrolet by 37 points in the manufacturers' standings, in third place. The STP 500 was carried by Fox Sports on the cable/satellite Fox Sports 1 network for the American television audience – the first scheduled points race to air on the channel. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. This race marked the Cup Series debut of 2020 Series Champion Chase Elliott. Report Background thumb|left|Martinsville Speedway, the race track where the race was held. Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 mi km in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948. Kevin Harvick entered Martinsville with a 28-point lead over Joey Logano following his eighth consecutive top-two finish, while Martin Truex Jr. entered 33 points back in third. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered 61 points back in fourth, a point ahead of Brad Keselowski in fifth. Changes to the track Following the lead of other tracks in the wake of Kyle Busch's wreck in the previous month's Xfinity Series Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway, Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell announced that tire barrier packs would be installed at the end of the backstretch inside wall prior to the entrance of pit road,Moody Dave Dave Moody (sportscaster) Martinsville To Add Safety Barriers https://motorsports-soapbox.blogspot.com/2015/03/martinsville-to-add-safety-barriers.html GodfatherMotorsports.com Godfather Motorsports March 23, 2015 March 23, 2015 for "the continued safety of the drivers and our fans". Tire reduction For the race weekend at Martinsville, NASCAR reduced the number of tire sets that Sprint Cup teams were allotted, from eleven to ten.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/24/nascar-bulletin-issues-rule-changes-on-tires-and-testing/ NASCAR bulletin issues rule changes on tires and testing Long Dustin NBC Sports March 24, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com March 27, 2015 Martinsville was the first of several races in 2015 to have a reduction in tire sets, as a cost-cutting measure, with tire sets costing teams up to two thousand dollars. Entry list No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC3) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (PC1) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 David Ragan Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC6) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC7) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25 Chase Elliott (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Mike Bliss (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Alex Kennedy (R) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 34 Chris Buescher (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC5) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brett Moffitt (R) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 62 Brendan Gaughan (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional First practice Ryan Newman was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 19.355 and a speed of 97.835 mph km/h on.https://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/27/ryan-newman-fastest-in-first-sprint-cup-practice-at-martinsville/ Ryan Newman fastest in first Sprint Cup practice at Martinsville Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports March 27, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com March 27, 2015 Chase Elliott, making his first ever Sprint Cup Series start, was 29th with a time of 19.656 and a speed of 96.337 mph km/h on. Elliott told reporters that the Sprint Cup Series "is a different world" and that "we're happy to be here". Late in the session, Austin Dillon's car went up in smoke, due to a fluid leak. Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.355 97.835 2 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 19.386 97.679 3 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.389 97.664Official first practice results Qualifying thumb|Joey Logano, seen here at the 2015 Daytona 500, won the pole for the STP 500. Joey Logano won the pole with a time of 19.232 and a speed of 98.461 mph km/h on.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Joey-Logano-Wins-First-Martinsville-Pole.aspx Logano Wins First Martinsville Pole Wackerlin Jeff Motor Racing Network March 27, 2015 MRN.com March 27, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150330082827/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Joey-Logano-Wins-First-Martinsville-Pole.aspx March 30, 2015 dead Logano explained to reporters that he joked with his crew chief Todd Gordon about how many laps he could cover in the final session of qualifying; he stated that he "ran six and I told Todd I can't hold my breath any more than that so that's the fastest I can go", Ryan Newman joined Logano on the front row, but lamented the fact that he was not closer to Logano, stating that he "could have been just a tick quicker and gotten that pole", while also looking towards the race and the importance of pit stops during it. Jimmie Johnson was also "excited" about his Hendrick Motorsports car, while qualifying fifth on the grid. He also elaborated that the car had "been real fast" and that "to have the car here starting in the top five with this much speed on Friday is awesome". Matt Kenseth qualified eighth, describing his first run as "okay", before further explaining that his car's "balance was pretty good and we were a little loose", and that "we just could never really get it any better on older tires". Chase Elliott qualified 27th on speed, and thus, ensured his place in the field for his maiden Sprint Cup Series start; he described the result as "definitely a big relief for us" and that he and his team were "excited for Sunday". Kurt Busch, the defending race winner, qualified just in front of Elliott, in 26th position. He described his car as "tight on corner exit" and that "it was like the rear end was planted too well". Brendan Gaughan and Ron Hornaday Jr. failed to qualify for the race. Qualifying results Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer R1 Best time in Round 1 R2 Best time in Round 2 R3 Best time in Round 3 1 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 19.345 19.395 19.232 2 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.935 19.337 19.258 3 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 19.408 19.426 19.313 4 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.453 19.369 19.399 5 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.377 19.384 19.405 6 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.484 19.362 19.428 7 42 Kyle LarsonKyle Larson qualified the car, but after fainting the day before the race, he was not medically cleared to drive. Regan Smith drove in his place and started from the rear of the field for the driver change.Utter Jim NASCAR driver Kyle Larson sits out Sunday's race at Martinsville, doctors checking 'heart area' https://thatsracinluckydog.blogspot.com/2015/03/kyle-larson-taken-to-local-hospital.html March 28, 2015 The Charlotte Observer The McClatchy Company March 28, 2015 Ridgeway, Virginiahttps://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/kyle-larson-martinsville-medical-scare-faints-at-autograph-session-is-taken-to-hospital-032815 Kyle Larson faints at Martinsville autograph session, is taken to hospital Cavanna Jensen Pennell Alan Tom Jay Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. March 28, 2015 FoxSports.com March 28, 2015Hembree Mike Kyle Larson out for Martinsville race https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2015/03/29/kyle-larson-fainted-out-martinsville-race/70625766/ March 28, 2015 USA Today Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. March 28, 2015 Ridgeway, Virginia "N" Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.446 19.389 19.429 8 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.332 19.419 19.443 9 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.411 19.418 19.465 10 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 19.424 19.381 19.469 11 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.444 19.428 19.486 12 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 19.447 19.394 19.514 13 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.458 19.444 — 14 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.464 19.461 — 15 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.443 19.468 — 16 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.454 19.468 — 17 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.487 19.470 — 18 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.476 19.474 — 19 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.480 19.477 — 20 18 David Ragan Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.484 19.562 — 21 51 Justin AllgaierJustin Allgaier started from the rear after switching to a backup car post-qualifying. "N" HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 19.473 19.564 — 22 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.515 19.570 — 23 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.436 19.611 — 24 13 Casey MearsCasey Mears started from the rear for changing transmissions. "N" Germain Racing Chevrolet 19.459 0.000 — 25 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.525 — — 26 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.533 — — 27 25 Chase Elliott (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.538 — — 28 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 19.542 — — 29 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.589 — — 30 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.599 — — 31 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 19.601 — — 32 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 19.624 — — 33 55 Brett Moffitt (R) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.652 — — 34 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 19.664 — — 35 34 Chris Buescher (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.672 — — 36 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.673 — — 37 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.713 — — 38 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.720 — — 39 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 19.744 — — 40 32 Mike Bliss (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 19.788 — — 41 33 Alex Kennedy (R) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 19.871 — — 42 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 19.890 — — 43 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 20.025 — —Did not qualify 44 62 Brendan Gaughan (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 19.801 — — 45 30 Ron Hornaday Jr. The Motorsports Group Chevrolet 19.850 — —Official qualifying results Practice (post-qualifying) Second practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 19.499 and a speed of 97.113 mph km/h on.https://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/28/four-time-martinsville-winner-denny-hamlin-fastest-in-first-saturday-practice/ Four-time Martinsville winner Denny Hamlin fastest in first Saturday practice Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports March 28, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com March 28, 2015 Thirty minutes into the session, Jimmie Johnson started reporting that his car was having engine issues,http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/early-contact-in-practice-sends-almirola-to-the-garage Early contact in practice sends Almirola to the garage Spencer Lee Motorsport.com, Inc. March 28, 2015 Motorsport.com March 28, 2015 April 2, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402064654/http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/early-contact-in-practice-sends-almirola-to-the-garage/ dead but upon further inspection, it turned out to be a minor electrical issue. When he went back out, Johnson reported that there were "no issues". Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.499 97.113 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.524 96.988 3 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.545 96.884Official second practice results Final practice Kurt Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 19.502 and a speed of 97.098 mph km/h on.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/28/kurt-busch-fastest-in-sprint-cup-happy-hour-at-martinsville/ Kurt Busch fastest in Sprint Cup happy hour at Martinsville Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports March 28, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com March 28, 2015 Greg Biffle made contact with the wall exiting turn 4 20 minutes into the session,http://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/happy-hour-anything-but-for-biffle Happy Hour anything but for Biffle Spencer Lee Motorsport.com, Inc. March 28, 2015 Motorsport.com March 28, 2015 causing cosmetic damage to his car; he returned to the track after minor repairs. Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed MPH 1 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.502 97.098 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.560 96.810 3 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.577 96.726Official final practice results Prior to the race thumb|upright|Kyle Larson, seen here at the 2015 Daytona 500, was sent to a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina after fainting on Saturday. On Saturday before the race, Kyle Larson was taken to a local hospital after fainting. John Olguin, vice-president of communications for Chip Ganassi Racing told Jim Utter of The Charlotte Observer that Larson suffered a fainting spell during an autograph session and was taken to the infield care center. Doctors at the care center advised that he go to a local hospital for further evaluation. While he checked out well by the hospital, Larson was sent to the Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina to be evaluated by a neurologist. On raceday morning, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Larson was not medically cleared to race and that Regan Smith would drive in his place. As Larson qualified the car on Friday, his Chase eligibility was unaffected. With the driver change, Smith started from the rear of the field for the race.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Kyle-Larson-to-Miss-Martinsville-Race.aspx Larson to Miss Martinsville Race Wackerlin Jeff Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331041336/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Kyle-Larson-to-Miss-Martinsville-Race.aspx March 31, 2015 dead Race First-half Start The race was scheduled to start at 1:13 p.m., but started five minutes later when Joey Logano led the field to the green flag. The first caution flew on lap 11 when Trevor Bayne spun out in turn 1. His left-rear tire got cut down after contact with Alex Bowman in turn 3. The race restarted on lap 17 with Logano still leading the field. On the following lap, Ryan Newman – in the outside lane – took the lead from Logano, but Logano eventually retook the lead on lap 20. The second caution flew on lap 22 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose in turn 3, spun out, and lightly rear-ended the wall.2015 STP 500 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_dgJooSbfE July 17, 2015 Sprint Cup Series Sprint Cup Series Fox Sports Fox Sports 1 Ridgeway, Virginia March 29, 2015 67 1:18 p.m. en The race restarted on lap 27 when Matt Kenseth, trapped on the outside line, nearly spun out in turn 3 trying to go underneath Jeff Gordon. The third caution flew on lap 54 when J. J. Yeley hit the wall in turn 1, after contact with Denny Hamlin caused his left-front tire to deflate. A. J. Allmendinger dropped to the tail end of the field for speeding on pit road as did Aric Almirola. The race restarted on lap 61. In a classic Martinsville accordion effect, Brett Moffitt crashed into the rear of Chase Elliott. Moffitt was forced to pit to remove the hood of his car, that was flapping. This brought out the fourth caution of the race. Elliott did not pit instantaneously, but took his car to the garage. Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave up fifth place to pit under the caution. The race restarted on lap 82. The fifth caution flew on lap 94 when Alex Kennedy spun out in turn 4 after making contact with Matt DiBenedetto. Earnhardt Jr. came onto pit road before it was open apparently to fix something inside his car; he radioed to his team that he "lost the gear shifter". Martin Truex Jr. stayed out to take the lead with Danica Patrick and Landon Cassill doing likewise, while Mike Bliss dropped to the tail end for speeding on pit road. Second quarter mark The race restarted on lap 101. The field was log-jammed by Cassill and Patrick until Patrick got bumped by Cassill. This allowed Logano to get under Cassill and send him and Patrick backwards down the field. He caught Truex Jr. and passed him with ease to retake the lead on lap 121. By lap 128, Logano caught the tail end of the field to start the lapping process. Kevin Harvick jumped underneath Logano to take the lead on lap 135. Hamlin got under Harvick in turn 1 to retake the lead on lap 149. Around lap 150, Allmendinger's engine began smoking and there were reports that he was putting down oil on the track, but it ultimately turned out to be a left-front tire rub. Jimmie Johnson – an eight-time Martinsville winner – went a lap down on lap 161. This was compounded by the sixth caution on lap 163, which came out when Stenhouse Jr. spun in turn 4; so Casey Mears got the free pass as the first car a lap down, just ahead of Johnson. Hamlin and Harvick swapped the lead on pit road and Harvick exited with the lead. Hamlin was forced to drop to the tail end of the field along with Allmendinger for an uncontrolled tire on pit road. Other pit penalties were levied to Kasey Kahne, who dropped to the rear for speeding, and Earnhardt, who dropped to the rear for having too many men over the wall. The race restarted on lap 172 and Brad Keselowski got the best restart to take the lead on lap 173. Eventually, Harvick powered by on the inside to take back the lead before losing it to his teammate Kurt Busch on lap 176. The seventh caution flew on lap 183 for debris in turn 4, which turned out to be a plastic grill plate from one of the Ford cars. The race restarted on lap 189 with Busch in the lead, before Harvick retook the lead on lap 196. The eighth caution flew on lap 206 when Stenhouse Jr. hit the wall again in turn 3. Harvick and Logano swapped the lead on pit road and Harvick exited first. Justin Allgaier was held a lap for pitting outside his pit box, while Paul Menard dropped to the rear for speeding on pit road. For the second consecutive caution, Earnhardt Jr. dropped to the rear for too many men over the wall again. Kahne stayed out to take the lead, ahead of the restart on lap 216. The ninth caution flew on lap 219 when Michael Annett got loose in turn 2, and made contact with Logano, spinning both drivers out. The race restarted on lap 225. The tenth caution of the race flew on lap 228 for a multi-car wreck in turn 1; it began with an accordion effect of Menard slowing down to avoid hitting someone, only for Earnhardt Jr. to rear-end him. Allgaier, Mears, David Ragan, and Cole Whitt were also caught in the incident.http://nascartalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/29/harvick-in-lead-halfway-at-martinsville-earnhardt-and-larson-struggle/ Harvick in lead halfway at Martinsville, Earnhardt and Larson struggle Bonkowski Jerry NBC Sports March 29, 2015 nascartalk.nbcsports.com March 29, 2015 Drivers slowed down to try to avoid the initial contact between Ragan and Mears, but were unable to do so and the wreck followed. Earnhardt stated that he was unsure "why they stopped down there in the corner" and that he "knocked the radiator out" of his car.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Tough-Day-for-Dale-Earnhardt-Junior.aspx Tough Day for Earnhardt Pistone Pete Pete Pistone Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 30, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331013145/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Tough-Day-for-Dale-Earnhardt-Junior.aspx March 31, 2015 dead Second-half Halfway The race restarted on lap 239 and as Kahne was on old tires, he was no match for Harvick's newer rubber as he took the lead on lap 240. The eleventh caution flew on lap 269 when Allgaier hit the wall. Carl Edwards took the lead under caution, ahead of the restart on lap 285. Harvick took the lead back just before the twelfth caution flew for a multi-car wreck in turn 3, which began when Busch turned into Regan Smith, caving in his car's nose.https://www.foxsports.com/nascar/story/kyle-larson-substitute-regan-smith-martinsville-speedway-spin-032915 Subbing for Kyle Larson, Regan Smith involved in Martinsville accident Pennell Jay Fox Sports Interactive Media LLC. March 29, 2015 FoxSports.com March 29, 2015 Annett cut down through the patch of grass after being bumped in the rear by Trevor Bayne and got into Ryan Newman. The race restarted on lap 295 with Harvick in the lead. Keselowski took the lead back on lap 303 and led for the next few laps, before catching lapped cars at the wrong spot and lost the lead to Hamlin on lap 317. Harvick got underneath Hamlin to retake the lead on lap 328, and he maintained the lead until the thirteenth caution flew on lap 354 when Annett hit the wall in turn 1. With his pit stall being behind the start/finish line, Harvick swapped the lead with Kenseth on pit road, but Harvick returned to the track in the lead for the restart on lap 364. The fourteenth caution of the race flew on lap 367 when Menard got loose entering turn 3, and got turned around by Logano in turn 4. His spin delayed Almirola, Bayne, and Greg Biffle. Fourth quarter thumb|right|Denny Hamlin, seen here at the 2015 Daytona 500, scored his 25th career victory at Martinsville. The race restarted with 127 laps to go. Busch changed lanes before the start/finish line and was ordered to serve a pass-through penalty. His crew chief Tony Gibson requested a review of the call and the penalty was rescinded. This was due to the fact that Busch was supposed to be lined up on the inside for the restart. Hamlin took back the lead with 101 laps to go. The fifteenth caution flew with 69 laps to go when Edwards spun out in turn 4 after a right-rear puncture. Kenseth led a lap with Hamlin pitting behind the start/finish line and maintained the lead at the culmination of the stops. Busch dropped to the rear for having too many men over the wall on pit road and Earnhardt Jr. dropped to the rear for speeding on pit road. The race restarted with 61 laps to go, and Gordon took the lead for the first time with 59 laps to go. Debris on the front stretch brought out the sixteenth caution of the race with 40 to go. Kenseth exited pit road first, but Tony Stewart stayed out to take the lead. Gordon was caught speeding on pit road and dropped to the rear of the field.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Penalty-Ends-Jeff-Gordons-Hope-in-STP-500-at-Martinsville.aspx Penalty Ends Gordon's Hope Wackerlin Jeff Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331013528/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Penalty-Ends-Jeff-Gordons-Hope-in-STP-500-at-Martinsville.aspx March 31, 2015 dead After the race, Gordon was "disappointed" in regards to the speeding violation and that he "felt like [they] finally got the car, got [their]selves in a position to win that race". The race restarted with 34 laps to go. Kenseth took the lead with 29 laps to go, before ceding the lead to Hamlin a couple of laps later. Hamlin retained the lead for the remainder of the race and despite a last turn bump by Keselowski, he achieved his fifth Martinsville win in the Sprint Cup Series.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Denny-Hamlin-wins-the-STP-500-at-Martinsville-Speedway.aspx Five for Hamlin at Martinsville Pistone Pete Pete Pistone Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331013220/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Denny-Hamlin-wins-the-STP-500-at-Martinsville-Speedway.aspx March 31, 2015 dead Post-race Driver comments In victory lane, Hamlin stated that he and his team "just weren't going to be denied today", while also praising Keselowski for not wrecking him coming off the final turn. Keselowski stated that he "just felt like [I] raced him the way [he] wanted to be raced", amid criticism for not pursuing the victory. An eighth-place finish ended Harvick's Top 2 finishing streak at eight races.http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Kevin-Harvick-Streak-Ends-at-Martinsville.aspx Harvick's Streak Ends Wackerlin Jeff Motor Racing Network March 29, 2015 MRN.com March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150331013253/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/03/Kevin-Harvick-Streak-Ends-at-Martinsville.aspx March 31, 2015 dead Harvick expressed that he "just got hung on the outside and couldn't get back down" and that he "just lost track position at the wrong time". Patrick's seventh-place finish tied her with Janet Guthrie for the most top 10 finishes in the Sprint Cup Series by a female driver with five.Kurz Jr. Hank Denny Hamlin races to 25th Cup win, 5th at Martinsville http://racing.ap.org/article/denny-hamlin-races-25th-cup-win-5th-martinsville March 29, 2015 AP Sports Associated Press Associated Press March 29, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153629/http://racing.ap.org/article/denny-hamlin-races-25th-cup-win-5th-martinsville April 2, 2015 Ridgeway, Virginia Race results Pos No. Car number Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Laps completed Points 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 47 2 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 500 43 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 500 42 4 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 41 5 18 David Ragan Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 39 6 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 500 39 7 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 500 37 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 500 38 9 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 36 10 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 34 11 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 34 12 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 500 32 13 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 500 31 14 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 500 31 15 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 500 29 16 42 Regan Smith (i) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 0 17 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 28 18 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 500 26 19 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 500 25 20 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 500 25 21 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 500 0 22 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 499 22 23 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 499 21 24 34 Chris Buescher (i) Front Row Motorsports Ford 499 0 25 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 499 19 26 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 497 0 27 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 496 18 28 55 Brett Moffitt (R) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 496 16 29 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 496 15 30 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 496 14 31 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 494 13 32 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 493 12 33 33 Alex Kennedy (R) Hillman–Circle Sport Chevrolet 492 11 34 32 Mike Bliss (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 491 0 35 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 468 9 36 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 453 8 37 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 444 7 38 25 Chase Elliott (i) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 427 0 39 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 389 5 40 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 364 4 41 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 330 3 42 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 328 2 43 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 177 1Official STP 500 results Race statistics 31 lead changes among 13 different drivers 16 cautions for 112 laps Time of race: 3 hours, 49 minutes, 13 seconds Average speed: 68.843 mph km/h on Denny Hamlin took home $172,260 in winnings Lap Leaders Laps Leader 1–16 Joey Logano 17–18 Ryan Newman 19–56 Joey Logano 57 Mike Bliss 58–96 Joey Logano 97–119 Martin Truex Jr. 120–133 Joey Logano 134–147 Kevin Harvick 148–164 Denny Hamlin 165 Brad Keselowski 166–170 Kevin Harvick 171–172 Brad Keselowski 173 Kevin Harvick 174–194 Kurt Busch 195–207 Kevin Harvick 208 Joey Logano 209–237 Kasey Kahne 238–270 Kevin Harvick 271 Brad Keselowski 272–284 Carl Edwards 285–301 Kevin Harvick 302–315 Brad Keselowski 316–326 Denny Hamlin 327–357 Kevin Harvick 358 Matt Kenseth 359–398 Kevin Harvick 399–433 Denny Hamlin 434–441 Matt Kenseth 442–462 Jeff Gordon 463–470 Tony Stewart 471–472 Matt Kenseth 473–500 Denny HamlinTotal laps led Leader Laps Kevin Harvick 154 Joey Logano 108 Denny Hamlin 91 Kasey Kahne 29 Martin Truex Jr. 23 Jeff Gordon 21 Kurt Busch 21 Brad Keselowski 18 Carl Edwards 13 Matt Kenseth 11 Tony Stewart 8 Ryan Newman 2 Mike Bliss 1 Race awards Coors Light Pole Award: Joey Logano (19.232, 98.461 mph km/h on) 3M Lap Leader: Kevin Harvick (154 laps) Get Bioethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Kevin Harvick (20.519, 92.287 mph km/h on) Duralast Brakes "Bake In The Race" Award: Kevin Harvick Freescale "Wide Open": Joey Logano Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Kurt Busch, 5 positions MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Engines, #22 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Denny Hamlin (134.9 driver rating) Moog Steering and Suspension Problem Solver of The Race: David Ragan (crew chief Adam Stevens 0.129 seconds) NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus: No winner: rolls over to $30,000 at next event Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Denny Hamlin (Lap 66: 19.662, 96.310 mph km/h on) Sunoco Rookie of The Race: Brett Moffitt Media Television Fox Sports covered their fifteenth race at Martinsville Speedway. This was also the first scheduled points race aired on Fox Sports 1. FS1 had previously carried the rain-delayed 2014 Food City 500 as well as the exhibition 2014 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and eleven-time Martinsville race winner Darrell Waltrip had the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Chris Neville and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side. Fox Sports 1Booth announcersPit reporters Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Larry McReynoldsColor commentator: Darrell Waltrip Jamie LittleChris NevilleMatt Yocum Radio MRN had the radio call for the race, which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and seven time Martinsville winner Rusty Wallace called the race in the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from the Bill France Tower stands in turn 3 when the field was racing down the backstretch. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelley and Steve Post worked pit road for MRN. MRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Joe MooreAnnouncer: Jeff StriegleAnnouncer: Rusty Wallace Backstretch: Dave Moody Alex HaydenWinston KelleySteve Post Standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 10px 1 Kevin Harvick 263 10px 2 Joey Logano 239 (−24) 10px 3 Martin Truex Jr. 231 (−32) 10px 1 4 Brad Keselowski 206 (−57) 10px 3 5 Kasey Kahne 193 (−70) 10px 3 6 Paul Menard 173 (−90) 10px 7 7 Denny Hamlin 172 (−91) 10px 4 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 172 (−91) 10px 1 9 Aric Almirola 170 (−93) 10px 3 10 Jimmie Johnson 168 (−95) 10px 2 11 Matt Kenseth 168 (−95) 10px 3 12 David Ragan 163 (−100) 10px 1 13 Casey Mears 161 (−102) 10px 2 14 Jamie McMurray 154 (−109) 10px 8 15 Danica Patrick 148 (−115) 10px 6 16 Jeff Gordon 148 (−115) thumb|right|Kevin Harvick left Martinsville with a 24-point lead over Joey Logano. Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 10px 1 Chevrolet 267 10px 2 Ford 255 (−12) 10px 3 Toyota 230 (−37) Note: Only the first sixteen positions are included for the driver standings. Notes "N" References 30em Sprint Cup Series 2015 2015 Auto Club 400 2015 Duck Commander 500 STP 500 STP 500 Category:NASCAR races at Martinsville Speedway