The 2016 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 6, 2016 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race, postponed a day because of persistent rain, was contested over 160 laps on the triangular racecourse, and was the fourteenth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Kurt Busch scored his first and only victory of the 2016 season, his third career victory at Pocono and first win at the track since 2007. the race had 14 lead changes among different drivers and ten cautions for 40 laps.
Background
Pocono Raceway is a tri-oval track in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. Entering the race, Kevin Harvick leads the points with 457, while Kurt Busch is 36 points back, Jimmie Johnson is 48 points back, Kyle Busch is 52 points back, and Carl Edwards is 53 points back. Harvick, Johnson, Kyle Busch, Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Denny Hamlin have already clinched a Chase position.
Entry list The preliminary entry list for the race included forty cars and was released on May 30, 2016 at 12:48 pm ET. Driver Team Manufacturer1Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord7Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet10Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota13Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet14Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord23David RaganBK RacingToyota24Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet31Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Jeb Burton (i)Go FAS RacingFord34Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord38Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord41Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord44Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord46Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet47A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet55Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet78Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota83Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet95Ty Dillon (i)Circle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet98Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet Official entry list Key Meaning (R) Running for Rookie of the Year (i) Not eligible for Sprint Cup Series points
Practice
First practice Carl Edwards was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 50.055 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.055 179.802 2 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 50.328 178.827 3 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 50.378 178.649 First practice results
Final practice Kyle Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 50.876 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime118Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50.876176.901241Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet50.905176.800348Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50.931176.710Final practice results
Qualifying
Brad Keselowski scored the pole for the race with a time of 49.525 and a speed of . He said after qualifying that his car was "really fast. My teammate Joey Logano, he’s really fast. He’s probably not really happy I won the pole, but it goes the other way sometimes where he gets it.” He also added that he "felt really good when we ran the first round and I was third and knew I had a little more speed left. We ran the second round and I didn’t feel I had anything left and was still third. I got down into turn one on my last run there and it kind of bottomed out and shot up the hill a little and I wasn’t very confident at all. I have learned over time that these things have a way of working themselves out when they are meant to be and I guess today was meant to be.”
Joey Logano, who qualified second, said his qualifying performance was "similar to last week when I won the first two rounds and came in second in the last one. It stings a little bit because I really wanted to get a pole. We're mad about second and it's a good thing when you're mad about second because it means your organization and your team is where it needs to be mad." He also added that he's "excited about the race Sunday" and that Pocono "has been a good race track for us in the past.”
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 12Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord50.07349.77649.525 222Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord49.92249.70249.614 320Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50.61349.91449.637 44Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet50.08049.86449.671 519Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50.02849.95749.790 614Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet50.70849.87549.844 748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50.22849.85149.987 888Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50.11650.04250.110 941Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet50.31749.76850.147 1011Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50.47950.10250.153 115Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50.07950.13250.296 1218Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota50.38049.82950.328 1324Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet50.73050.155 1421Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord50.17350.173 1516Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord50.19650.237 1643Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord50.73150.285 1778Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota50.19850.346 1834Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord50.74150.451 193Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50.76850.457 2027Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50.58450.459 2142Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet50.68250.495 2231Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet50.56150.522 2315Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet50.70650.527 246Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord50.45350.531 2517Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord50.771 261Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet50.788 2783Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota50.789 2895Ty Dillon (i)Circle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet50.855 2913Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet50.868 3044Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord50.951 3138Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord51.006 3247A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet51.050 3310Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet51.221 3423David RaganBK RacingToyota51.292 357Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet51.529 3646Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet51.976 3755Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet51.988 3830Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet53.205 3932Jeb Burton (i)Go FAS RacingFord54.001 4098Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet54.849 Official qualifying results
Race The race was scheduled to run on Sunday, June 5 at 1:00 p.m., but rain forced the race to be postponed to Monday.
First half
Start Under mostly sunny Pennsylvania skies, Brad Keselowski led the field to the green flag at 12:13 p.m. Teammate Joey Logano passed him exiting turn 1 to take the lead. The first caution of the race flew on lap 4 for a single-car spin in turn 3. Riding the high line, Matt DiBenedetto got loose and spun out. He managed to save it without touching the wall.
The race restarted on lap 7. The second caution of the race flew on lap 16. It was a scheduled competition caution for overnight rain. Kyle Larson opted not to pit and assumed the lead. Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 20. The third caution of the race flew on lap 22 for a single-car spin in turn 1. Rounding the turn, Brian Scott got loose, made contact with the wall and spun out. Keselowski was called to pit road for unapproved body modifications. More specifically, one of his crew members dented in a side panel that could give the car an aerodynamic advantage.
The race restarted on lap 27. Larson pitted from the lead the same lap and handed the lead to Matt Kenseth. A number of cars began pitting on lap 52. Kenseth made his stop on lap 54 and handed the lead to Harvick. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 60 for a single-car wreck in turn 1 involving DiBenedetto. He would go on to finish 40th. Harvick pitted under the caution and handed the lead back to Kenseth. Aric Almirola was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Second quarter
The race restarted on lap 66. Chase Elliott drove under Kenseth and Kyle Busch to take the lead on lap 67. A number of cars began pitting on lap 86. Elliott hit pit road on lap 87 and handed the lead to Busch. Debris in turn 2 brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 88. Busch pitted under the caution and the lead cycled back to Elliott.
Second half
Halfway The race restarted on lap 93 and a multi-car wreck on the Long Pond Straightaway brought out the sixth caution of the race. Exiting turn 1, Tony Stewart got loose, got into teammate Danica Patrick, hit the wall, came down the track, clipped Landon Cassill and sent him into the wall.
The race restarted with 62 laps to go. The seventh caution of the race flew with 58 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 1. Going into the turn, Michael Annett suffered a left-front tire blowout and slammed the wall.
The race restarted with 52 laps to go. The eighth caution of the race flew with 51 laps to go for a single-car wreck on the Long Pond straightaway. Exiting turn 1, Ryan Newman made contact with Busch and sent him into the wall. Chris Buescher also spun out trying to avoid the wreck.
The race restarted with 47 laps to go. The ninth caution of the race flew with 43 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 1. Going into the turn, Austin Dillon suffered a right-front brake rotor failure and slammed the wall. A. J. Allmendinger opted not to pit under the caution and assumed the lead. He pitted the next lap, however, and handed the lead to Ty Dillon.
Fourth quarter The race restarted with 38 laps to go and a single-car wreck in turn 1 brought out the 10th caution of the race. Rounding the turn, Jimmie Johnson got loose, saved the car but slammed the inside wall. Dillon pitted under the caution and handed the lead to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The race restarted with 33 laps to go. After a drag race to the line, Kurt Busch took the lead from Earnhardt with 32 laps to go. With his remaining fuel load in question, he saved enough to score the victory.
Post-race
Driver comments
"It's tough to balance everything," Busch said in victory lane. "We had a fast car and an interim crew chief. And we didn't know if we had enough fuel to make it. ... This was a wonderful win for us. We've been so close all year. It's just so much fun to drive and be up front."
Earnhardt said afterwards that the race "was a good run for us. The car wasn’t all we hoped it would be, but it was good." However, he felt he "should have been able to hold that 41 off on that final restart. Me and the 24 was racing pretty hard and it gave the 41 the opportunity to get a run on us,” Earnhardt said. “If I could have got in front of him I don’t think he would have got by us."
After finishing third, Keselowski took issue with comments made by Fox Sports color commentator Jeff Gordon saying Fox "need[s] to get some people that aren't inbred to the sport and own teams and have internal knowledge, because that is pretty crappy. It is what it is."