The 2012 Goody's Fast Relief 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on April 1, 2012 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2012 season. Ryan Newman of Stewart–Haas Racing took his first win of the season, A. J. Allmendinger finished second and Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third.

Report

Background

Martinsville Speedway is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races. The standard track at Martinsville Speedway is a four-turn short track oval that is long. The track's turns are banked at eleven degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at zero degrees. The back stretch also has a zero degree banking. The racetrack has seats for 63,000 spectators.

Before the race, Greg Biffle led the Drivers' Championship with 195 points, and Kevin Harvick stood in second with 188. Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed in third with 178 points, one ahead of Tony Stewart and three ahead of Martin Truex Jr. in fourth and fifth. Matt Kenseth, with 173, was two points ahead of Denny Hamlin in seventh. Clint Bowyer, with 157 points, was one point ahead of Jimmie Johnson and two ahead of Ryan Newman in ninth and tenth. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 33 points, four points ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 27 points, was six points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third. Harvick is the race's defending race winner after winning it in 2011. No.DriverTeamMake1Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet9Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord10David ReutimannTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota13Casey MearsGermain RacingFord14Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Mike BlissHumphrey Smith RacingToyota20Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22A. J. AllmendingerPenske RacingDodge23Scott RiggsR3 MotorsportsChevrolet24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet26Josh WiseFront Row MotorsportsFord27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30David StremmeInception MotorsportsToyota31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ken SchraderFAS Lane RacingFord33Hermie SadlerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet34David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord36Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet37Tony RainesRick Ware Racing/Max Q MotorsportsFord38David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord39Ryan NewmanStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord47Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49J. J. YeleyRobinson-Blakeney RacingToyota51Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet52Scott SpeedHamilton Means RacingFord55Brian VickersMichael Waltrip RacingToyota56Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota74Reed SorensonTurn One RacingChevrolet78Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet83Landon CassillBK RacingToyota87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet93Travis KvapilBK RacingToyota98Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFord99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord

Practice and qualifying

Two practice sessions were held before the race on Friday, both lasting 90 minutes each. Jeff Gordon was quickest with a time of 19.512 seconds in the first session, less than two-hundredths of a second faster than Kyle Busch. Hamlin was just off Burton's pace, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Newman, and Martin Truex Jr. Stewart was seventh, still within two-tenths of a second of Gordon's time. In the second and final practice session, Gordon was quickest with a time of 19.516 seconds. Kurt Busch followed in the second position, ahead of Brad Keselowski, Newman, and David Stremme. Landon Cassill was sixth after posting a time of 19.844 seconds, while Josh Wise and Juan Pablo Montoya followed in seventh and eighth. Scott Riggs and Aric Almirola rounded out the first ten positions.

Forty-six cars are entered for qualifying, but only forty-three raced because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure.

Race

Results

Qualifying Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.496 97.128 2 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.512 97.048 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.521 97.003 4 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.521 97.003 5 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.524 96.988 6 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.569 96.765 7 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 19.572 96.750 8 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.573 96.746 9 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.576 96.731 10 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.581 96.706 11 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.582 96.701 12 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.597 96.627 13 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.606 96.583 14 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.637 96.430 15 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.659 96.322 16 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 19.681 96.215 17 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 19.684 96.200 18 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.688 96.180 19 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.715 96.049 20 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.715 96.049 21 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.731 95.971 22 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.755 95.854 23 98 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford 19.756 95.849 24 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.760 95.830 25 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 19.767 95.796 26 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.778 95.743 27 22 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 19.779 95.738 28 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.806 95.607 29 10 David Reutimann Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 19.806 95.607 30 26 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.811 95.583 31 83 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota 19.826 95.511 32 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.833 95.477 33 23 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 19.859 95.352 34 93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 19.860 95.347 35 74 Reed Sorenson Turn One Racing Chevrolet 19.886 95.223 36 32 Ken Schrader FAS Lane Racing Ford 19.906 95.127 37 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 19.946 94.936 38 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.979 94.780 39 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota 20.015 94.609 40 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 20.024 94.567 41 33 Hermie Sadler Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20.041 94.486 42 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 20.322 93.180 43 49 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota 20.315 93.212 Failed to Qualify 52 Scott Speed Hamilton Means Racing Ford 20.560 92.101 19 Mike Bliss Humphrey-Smith Motorsports Toyota 22.318 84.846 37 Tony Raines Rick Ware Racing/Max Q Motorsports Ford Time disallowedSource:

Yeley was awarded the start after Raines failed post-qualifying inspection.

Race results

Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Led Points 1 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 515 12 47 2 22 A. J. Allmendinger Penske Racing Dodge 515 0 42 3 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 515 3 42 4 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 515 1 41 5 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 515 0 39 6 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 515 31 39 7 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 515 0 37 8 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 515 3 37 9 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 515 2 36 10 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 515 2 35 11 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 515 0 33 12 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 515 112 33 13 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 514 0 31 14 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 514 328 32 15 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 513 0 29 16 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 513 0 28 17 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 513 0 27 18 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 513 0 26 19 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 513 21 26 20 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 513 0 24 21 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 512 0 23 22 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 512 0 22 23 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 511 0 21 24 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 511 0 20 25 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 511 0 19 26 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 510 0 18 27 93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 510 0 17 28 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 509 0 16 29 83 Landon Cassill BK Racing Toyota 507 0 15 30 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota 506 0 14 31 33 Hermie Sadler Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 505 0 13 32 32 Ken Schrader FAS Lane Racing Ford 503 0 12 33 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 497 0 11 34 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 439 0 10 35 10 David Reutimann Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 436 0 9 36 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 435 0 8 37 49 J. J. Yeley Robinson-Blakeney Racing Toyota 359 0 7 38 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 256 0 6 39 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 74 0 – 40 98 Michael McDowell Phil Parsons Racing Ford 60 0 4 41 26 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 49 0 3 42 23 Scott Riggs R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 30 0 2 43 74 Reed Sorenson Turn One Racing Chevrolet 25 0 –Source:

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Wins Points 1 Greg Biffle 0 226 2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 0 220 3 Tony Stewart 214 4 Matt Kenseth 214 5 Kevin Harvick 0 214

Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Wins Points 1 Chevrolet 3 42 2 Ford 1 33 3 Toyota 1 30 4 Dodge 1 27

Note: Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings.

References