The 2020 Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart was a NASCAR Cup Series race held on July 12, 2020, at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky. Contested over 267 laps on the speedway, it was the 17th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series. Cole Custer became the 1st rookie in series history to claim his 1st career win at the track as well as the 33rd different driver to have won a race in all three NASCAR national touring series.
Report
Background
The tenth running of the Quaker State 400 was held in Sparta, Kentucky at Kentucky Speedway on July 9, 2016. The track is a tri-oval speedway owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Kentucky Speedway, which has also hosted the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and the Indy Racing League, has a grandstand seating capacity of 107,000.
Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.
Driver Team Manufacturer 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing ToyotaOfficial entry list
Qualifying Kyle Busch was awarded the pole for the race as determined by a random draw.
Starting Lineup Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 3 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 4 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 5 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 9 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 10 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 11 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 12 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 14 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 15 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 17 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 18 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 19 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 20 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 21 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 22 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 23 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 24 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 25 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 26 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 27 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 28 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 29 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 30 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 31 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 32 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 33 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 34 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 35 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 36 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 37 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 38 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports ToyotaOfficial starting lineup
Race
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 102 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 93 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 84 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 75 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 66 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 57 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 48 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 39 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 210 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage one results
Stage Two Laps: 80
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Points1 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 102 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 93 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 84 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 75 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 66 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 57 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 48 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 39 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 210 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 1Official stage two results
Final Lap
With 7 laps to go, Kevin Harvick was leading the race but a caution came out when Matt Kenseth spun in turn 4. As a result, the field would be bunched up and the race would go into overtime. Harvick was the leader and chose the outside for the restart with Martin Truex Jr. in 2nd, Ryan Blaney in 3rd, Brad Keselowski in 4th, Kurt Busch in 5th, and Cole Custer in 6th. On the restart, Custer made a move on the outside of Keselowski and took the 4th spot from Keselowski. Off of 2, Kevin Harvick took the lead from Martin Truex Jr. but Truex came up into Harvick causing Harvick to get loose. In turn 3, Truex made a move to the outside to take the lead from Harvick but the two left the inside open and Ryan Blaney went to the inside to make it 3 wide heading to the white flag. As the white flag flew, Custer made a move to the outside and made it 4 wide for the lead. Custer took the lead in turn 1 and never gave it up scoring his first Cup Series victory in his 20th Cup Series start and becoming the first rookie to score a win at Kentucky.
Final Stage Results
Stage Three Laps: 107
Pos Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 29 41 Cole Custer (R) Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 482 9 19 Martin Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 423 10 21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing Ford 267 434 3 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 385 7 1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 267 356 11 12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Ford 267 467 34 95 Christopher Bell (R) Leavine Family Racing Toyota 267 308 4 10 Aric Almirola Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 399 6 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 267 3810 24 8 Tyler Reddick (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 267 2711 21 24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 2612 12 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 2513 19 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 267 2814 15 14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing Ford 267 2515 2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 267 3716 33 13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing Chevrolet 267 2117 23 6 Ryan Newman Roush Fenway Racing Ford 267 2018 20 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 2219 5 88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 2720 13 17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing Ford 267 1721 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 1622 16 20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 267 1623 8 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 267 2324 30 34 Michael McDowell Front Row Motorsports Ford 267 1325 17 42 Matt Kenseth Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 267 1226 37 96 Daniel Suárez Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota 267 1127 18 43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet 265 1028 27 32 Corey LaJoie Go Fas Racing Ford 264 929 14 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 264 830 36 27 J. J. Yeley (i) Rick Ware Racing Ford 260 031 31 15 Brennan Poole (R) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 259 632 26 77 Josh Bilicki (i) Spire Motorsports Chevrolet 257 033 25 53 Garrett Smithley (i) Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 257 034 35 51 Joey Gase (i) Petty Ware Racing Ford 257 035 28 00 Quin Houff (R) StarCom Racing Chevrolet 255 236 22 38 John Hunter Nemechek (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 248 137 38 66 Timmy Hill (i) MBM Motorsports Toyota 170 038 32 37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 159 1Official race results
Race statistics Lead changes: 13 among 9 different drivers Cautions/Laps: 8 for 42 Red flags: 0 Time of race: 2 hours, 59 minutes and 49 seconds Average speed:
Media
Television Fox Sports televised the race in the United States on FS1. Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon covered the race from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte. Jamie Little handled the pit road duties. Larry McReynolds provided insight from the Fox Sports studio in Charlotte.
FS1Booth announcersPit reporterIn-race analyst Lap-by-lap: Mike JoyColor-commentator: Jeff Gordon Jamie Little Larry McReynolds
Radio PRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the action from the booth when the field raced down the front straightaway. Doug Turnbull called the action from turns 1 & 2 and Pat Patterson called the action from turns 3 & 4. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Wendy Venturini called the duties on pit lane.
PRNBooth announcersTurn announcersPit reporters Lead announcer: Doug RiceAnnouncer: Mark Garrow Turns 1 & 2: Doug TurnbullTurns 3 & 4: Pat Patterson Brad GillieBrett McMillanWendy Venturini
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Kevin Harvick 675 1 2 Brad Keselowski 587 (–88) 1 3 Ryan Blaney 580 (–95) 2 4 Chase Elliott 575 (–100) 1 5 Joey Logano 564 (–111) 1 6 Denny Hamlin 553 (–122) 7 Martin Truex Jr. 543 (–132) 1 8 Aric Almirola 504 (–171) 1 9 Alex Bowman 498 (–177) 1 10 Kurt Busch 492 (–183) 1 11 Kyle Busch 477 (–198) 12 Matt DiBenedetto 456 (–219) 13 Clint Bowyer 435 (–240) 14 William Byron 418 (–257) 15 Jimmie Johnson 412 (–263) 16 Austin Dillon 388 (–287)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Ford 639 2 Toyota 593 (–46) 3 Chevrolet 569 (–70)
Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings. . – Driver has clinched a position in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
References