2009 Aaron's 312

The 2009 Aaron's 312 was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama on April 25, 2009. The race was the 18th iteration of the event and the 8th race of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Ryan Newman won the pole while Kyle Busch led the most laps. But it would be David Ragan who made a last lap pass against Newman and beat him by .030 seconds to score his first career Nationwide Series victory. But the race was most notable when Matt Kenseth flipped during the race.

Background

The track, Talladega Superspeedway, is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Daytona International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway. The standard track at the speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is long. The track's turns are banked at thirty-three degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 16.5 degrees. The back stretch has a two-degree banking. Talladega Superspeedway can seat up to 143,231 people.

Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver #DriverTeamMake 0 Mike Wallace JD Motorsports Chevrolet 01 Danny O'Quinn Jr. JD Motorsports Chevrolet 1 Mike Bliss Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 04 Mark Green JD Motorsports Chevrolet 05 Jeff Green Day Enterprise Racing Chevrolet 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsports Chevrolet 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 07 David Green SK Motorsports Toyota 09 John Wes Townley (R) RAB Racing Ford 10 David Reutimann Braun Racing Toyota 11 Scott Lagasse Jr. (R) CJM Racing Toyota 12 Justin Allgaier (R) Penske Racing Dodge 15 Michael Annett (R) Germain Racing Toyota 16 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 23 Robert Richardson Jr. R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 24 Eric McClure Rensi-Hamilton Racing Ford 26 Brian Keselowski Whitney Motorsports Dodge 27 Jason Keller Baker Curb Racing Ford 28 Kenny Wallace Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet 29 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Kerry Earnhardt Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 32 Brian Vickers Braun Racing Toyota 33 Ryan Newman Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet 34 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 38 Jason Leffler Braun Racing Toyota 40 Scott Wimmer Key Motorsports Chevrolet 42 Kenny Hendrick Smith-Ganassi Racing Dodge 47 Michael McDowell (R) JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 49 Kertus Davis Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet 52 Donnie Neuenberger Means Racing Chevrolet 60 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 61 Brandon Whitt Specialty Racing Ford 62 Brendan Gaughan (R) Rusty Wallace Racing Chevrolet 66 Steve Wallace Rusty Wallace Racing Chevrolet 70 Shelby Howard ML Motorsports Chevrolet 75 Bobby Gerhart Bob Schacht Racing Chevrolet 81 D. J. Kennington MacDonald Motorsports Dodge 83 Johnny Borneman III Borneman Racing Ford 84 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 88 Brad Keselowski JR Motorsports Chevrolet 89 Morgan Shepherd Faith Motorsports Chevrolet 90 Johnny Chapman MSRP Motorsports Chevrolet 91 Justin Hobgood MSRP Motorsports Chevrolet 99 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing ToyotaOfficial Entry list

Qualifying Ryan Newman won the pole for the race with a time of 51.518 and a speed of 185.877. The biggest surprise from qualifying was when ARCA series legend Bobby Gerhardt qualified in 5th driving for Bob Schacht.

Grid Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed 1 33 Ryan Newman Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet 51.518 185.877 2 32 Brian Vickers Braun Racing Toyota 51.614 185.531 3 16 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51.681 185.291 4 38 Jason Leffler Braun Racing Toyota 51.705 185.205 5 75 Bobby Gerhart Bob Schacht Racing Chevrolet 51.722 185.144 6 60 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51.788 184.908 7 29 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 51.880 184.580 8 11 Scott Lagasse Jr. (R) CJM Racing Toyota 51.880 184.580 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 51.893 184.534 10 88 Brad Keselowski JR Motorsports Chevrolet 51.914 184.459 11 81 D. J. Kennington MacDonald Motorsports Dodge 51.915 184.455 12 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. JR Motorsprots Chevrolet 51.932 184.395 13 99 Michael Waltrip Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 52.006 184.133 14 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 52.014 184.104 15 42 Kenny Hendrick Smith-Ganassi Racing Dodge 52.059 183.945 16 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 52.067 183.917 17 26 Brian Keselowski Whitney Motorsports Dodge 52.110 183.765 18 62 Brendan Gaughan (R) Rusty Wallace Racing Chevrolet 52.161 183.585 19 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet 52.180 183.519 20 31 Kerry Earnhardt Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet 52.208 183.420 21 27 Jason Keller Baker Curb Racing Ford 52.214 183.399 22 15 Michael Annett (R) Germain Racing Toyota 52.216 183.392 23 34 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 52.255 183.255 24 10 David Reutimann Braun Racing Toyota 52.273 183.192 25 0 Mike Wallace JD Motorsports Chevrolet 52.345 182.940 26 70 Shelby Howard ML Motorsports Chevrolet 52.348 182.930 27 49 Kertus Davis Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet 52.348 182.930 28 12 Justin Allgaier (R) Penske Racing Dodge 52.401 182.745 29 04 Mark Green JD Motorsports Chevrolet 52.408 182.720 30 28 Kenny Wallace Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet 52.413 182.703 31 09 John Wes Townley (R) RAB Racing Ford 52.421 182.675 32 83 Johnny Borneman III Borneman Racing Ford 52.491 182.431 33 52 Donnie Neuenberger Means Racing Chevrolet 52.506 182.379 34 89 Morgan Shepherd Faith Motorsports Chevrolet 52.538 182.268 35 66 Steve Wallace Rusty Wallace Racing Chevrolet 52.617 181.994 36 24 Eric McClure Rensi-Hamilton Racing Ford 52.688 181.749 37 07 David Green SK Motorsports Toyota 52.688 181.749 38 01 Danny O'Quinn Jr. JD Motorsports Chevrolet 52.722 181.632 39 23 Robert Richardson Jr. R3 Motorsports Chevrolet 52.776 181.446 40 1 Mike Bliss Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 52.816 181.309 41 47 Michael McDowell (R)* JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 53.079 180.410 42 61 Brandon Whitt* Specialty Racing Ford 53.107 180.315 43 05 Jeff Green** Day Enterprise Racing Chevrolet 52.941 180.881 Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes 44 90 Johnny Chapman MSRP Motorsports Chevrolet 52.590 182.088 45 91 Justin Hobgood MSRP Motorsports Chevrolet 52.772 181.460 46 40 Scott Wimmer Key Motorsports Chevrolet 52.981 180.744 47 84 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet 54.138 176.881Official Starting grid

* - Made the field via owners points.

** - Made the field via past champions provisional.

Race Outside pole sitter Brian Vickers took the lead from pole sitter Ryan Newman and Vickers led the first lap. On lap 2, rookie Scott Lagasse Jr. took the lead from Vickers. On lap 4, Dale Earnhardt Jr. attempted to take the lead from Lagasse and led that lap but could not get in front of him. On lap 7, Carl Edwards took the lead from Lagasse. On lap 17, another rookie in Justin Allgaier took the lead but was immeadietly passed by Michael Waltrip and Waltrip took the lead. On lap 18, Carl Edwards retook the lead from Waltrip. On lap 24, Joey Logano took the lead from Edwards. On lap 25, Ryan Newman took the lead from Logano. On lap 29, Carl Edwards took the lead back. Soon by lap 32, it began to be a lead changing frenzy for the next 5 laps. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead on lap 32, Ryan Newman took the lead on lap 33, Kyle Busch took the lead on lap 34, Carl Edwards took the lead on lap 35, and Brian Vickers took the lead on lap 36 but was passed by Michael Waltrip on the same lap and Waltrip led lap 36 before he was passed by both Steve Wallace and Michael McDowell and both Wallace and McDowell battled for the lead on lap 37. But McDowell left the inside open for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Junior passed McDowell and Junior would pass Wallace and take the lead. On lap 39, green flag pitstops began. On the next lap, Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to pit handing the lead to Brad Keselowski. Unfortunately, for Junior, he missed his pit box and had to come back the next lap to pit. Keselowski pitted on lap 41 giving the lead to Morgan Shepherd. Shepherd pitted on lap 43 giving the lead to David Ragan. Ragan did not lead a lap and went to pit which gave the lead to Matt Kenseth after everything had cycled through. On lap 47, Kyle Busch took the lead. On lap 48, Clint Bowyer took the lead from Busch. Busch would take it back on lap 50. On lap 51, Brian Vickers took the lead from Busch. On lap 52, Kyle Busch took the lead back from Vickers. On lap 54, the first caution would fly for a three car accident down the backstretch. It started when Joey Logano was pushing the lapped car of Michael Waltrip when Logano hit Waltrip at the wrong angle turning Waltrip around. Waltrip spun down and collected Clint Bowyer and the two hit the inside wall on the backstretch.

Final laps