2011 Goody's Fast Relief 500 Explained

The 2011 Goody's Fast Relief 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on April 3, 2011 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps, it was the sixth race of the 2011 season. Kevin Harvick from the Richard Childress Racing team won the race, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in the second position ahead of Kyle Busch. Scenes from this particular race are shown in The Simpsons episode "Steal This Episode".

Report

Background

Martinsville Speedway is one of five short tracks to hold NASCAR races.[1] The standard track at Martinsville Speedway is a four-turn short track oval that is 0.526miles long.[2] 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 had seats for 63,000 spectators.

Before the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 187 points, and Ryan Newman stood in second with 178. Kurt Busch followed in third with 177 points, one ahead of Kyle Busch and four ahead of Jimmie Johnson in fourth and fifth. Tony Stewart with 170 was six points ahead of Paul Menard, as Juan Pablo Montoya with 161 points, was four ahead of Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth in ninth and tenth.[3] In the Manufacturers' Championship, Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford were in the first three positions with 31 points, 14 ahead of Dodge in fourth.[4] Denny Hamlin was the race's defending champion after winning it in 2010.[5]

Practice and qualifying

Two practice sessions were held in preparation for the race; both on Friday. The first session lasted 80 minutes long, while the second was 90 minutes long.[6] Kyle Busch was quickest with a time of 19.804 seconds in the first session, 0.001 seconds faster than Joey Logano.[7] Harvick was just off Logano's pace, followed by Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, and Jeff Burton. Menard was seventh, still within a second of Busch's time. Also in the first practice session, Johnson spun sideways after the second turn.[8]

In the second and final practice, David Ragan was quickest with a time of 19.670 seconds. Jeff Gordon followed in second, ahead of Keselowski and David Reutimann. Kasey Kahne was fifth quickest, with a time of 19.764 seconds. Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Marcos Ambrose, Brian Vickers, and A. J. Allmendinger rounded out the first ten positions. Kyle Busch, who was first in the first session, could only manage 23rd.[9] The second session also had cautions because of spins. The drivers involved were Logano and Dennis Setzer.

Forty-four cars are entered for qualifying, but only forty-three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure.[10] McMurray clinched his first pole position of the season, with a time of 19.621 seconds.[11] He was joined on the front row of the grid by Newman. Kasey Kahne qualified third, Logano took fourth, and Hamlin started fifth. Allmendinger, Labonte, Reutimann, Harvick and Regan Smith rounded out the top ten. However, in the qualifying session, only 43 cars attempted to qualify (Setzer and Derrike Cope withdrew). Following the session, McMurray commented, "We've had really good cars. It just seems like we've had really bad luck, so I'm hoping. ... I've always been a little superstitious of green, and I showed up, and I saw my car, and I was like, 'Wow, that's not really what I was expecting to see.' But I hope this turns it around for us."[12]

Results

Qualifying

+ Qualifying results
GridCarDriverTeamManufacturer
11Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet19.62196.509
239Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet19.65596.342
34Kasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamToyota19.66596.293
420Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.68096.220
511Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.72695.995
643A. J. AllmendingerRichard Petty MotorsportsFord19.73595.951
747Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota19.74595.951
800David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota19.75595.854
929Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.76195.825
1078Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet19.76895.791
1118Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.76995.786
125Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.78495.714
1383Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota19.78895.694
146David RaganRoush Fenway RacingFord19.79295.675
1533Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.79795.651
1627Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.81795.554
1748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.82095.540
1856Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota19.83395.477
199Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord19.83595.468
2022Kurt BuschPenske RacingDodge19.83695.463
2124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.84395.429
222Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge19.85295.386
2399Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord19.87595.275
2417Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord19.87995.256
2521Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord19.87995.256
2688Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.89495.184
2742Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet19.90895.118
2814Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet19.91495.089
2936Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet19.91695.079
3013Casey MearsGermain RacingToyota19.93219.932
3138Travis KvapilFront Row MotorsportsFord19.94294.955
3231Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet20.00294.671
3316Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord20.00494.661
347Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge20.02894.548
3566Michael McDowellHP RacingToyota20.04494.472
3634David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord20.06694.369
3787Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota20.10094.209
3809Landon CassillPhoenix RacingChevrolet20.13594.045
3960Mike SkinnerGermain RacingToyota20.17193.877
4032Ken SchraderFAS Lane RacingFord20.22893.613
4137Tony RainesFront Row MotorsportsFord20.30693.253
4246J. J. YeleyWhitney MotorsportsChevrolet20.30693.253
4371Hermie SadlerTRG MotorsportsChevrolet20.64091.744
Failed to qualify
WD92Dennis SetzerDodge

Race

+ Race results
PosStartCarDriverTeamManufacturerLaps RunPoints
19 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 51
226 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 44
311 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 45
427 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 40
521 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 41
624 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 500 38
71 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 500 39
814 6 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 500 36
915 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 500 37
1012 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 34
1117 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 500 35
125 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 500 34
134 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 499 31
146 43 A.J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 499 32
158 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 499 29
1620 22 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 499 28
1718 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 499 27
1823 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 499 27
19222 Brad Keselowski Penske RacingDodge 498 25
20239 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas RacingChevrolet 498 25
213316 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway RacingFord 498 23
223932 Ken Schrader FAS Lane RacingFord 497 22
23347 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon MotorsportsDodge 497 21
243231 Jeff Burton Richard Childress RacingChevrolet 495 20
254037 Tony Raines Front Row MotorsportsFord 493 19
263709 Landon Cassill Phoenix RacingChevrolet 493 0
27747 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty RacingToyota 489 17
284271 Hermie Sadler TRG MotorsportsChevrolet 488 0
29199 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty MotorsportsFord 487 15
302936 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet 486 14
311078 Regan Smith Furniture Row RacingChevrolet 476 13
323566 Michael McDowell HP RacingToyota 470 12
333634 David Gilliland Front Row MotorsportsFord 468 11
342814 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas RacingChevrolet 462 10
352521 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers RacingFord 460 0
363013 Casey Mears Germain RacingToyota 457 8
373138 Travis Kvapil Front Row MotorsportsFord 443 0
381627 Paul Menard Richard Childress RacingChevrolet 261 6
3934 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing TeamToyota 219 6
401856 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip RacingToyota 219 4
414146 J.J. Yeley Whitney MotorsportsChevrolet 33 3
423860 Mike Skinner Germain RacingToyota 31 0
434387 Joe Nemechek NEMCO MotorsportsToyota 25 0

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Kyle Busch219
2Carl Edwards214
3Jimmie Johnson207
4Kurt Busch205
5Kevin Harvick204
Manufacturers' Championship standings
PosManufacturerPoints
1Chevrolet40
2Toyota37
3Ford35
4Dodge20

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NASCAR Race Tracks . April 2, 2011 . . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110402110221/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/ . April 2, 2011 . dead .
  2. Web site: About the Track — Martinsville Speedway. martinsvillespeedway.com. Martinsville Speedway. April 2, 2011. October 7, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101007095733/http://www.martinsvillespeedway.com/About-The-Track/About-The-Track.aspx. dead.
  3. Web site: Driver's Championship Classification. NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. April 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110407074921/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/5/data/standings_official.html. April 7, 2011.
  4. Web site: 2011 Manufactures' Championship. Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. April 2, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110517161436/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2011/manu2011.htm. May 17, 2011. dead.
  5. Web site: 2010 Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500. Racing-reference. April 2, 2011.
  6. Web site: Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site – Sprint Cup Race Info / Rundown Page . Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures . April 2, 2011.
  7. Web site: Practice Speeds: Goody's Fast Relief 500 (Practice 1). NASCAR . Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110404020800/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/6/data/practice1_speeds.html. April 4, 2011 . April 2, 2011.
  8. Web site: Spinning out in Martinsville – April 01, 2011 – NASCAR.COM Video . NASCAR . Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. . April 1, 2011 . April 2, 2011.
  9. Web site: Practice Speeds: Goody's Fast Relief 500 (Practice 2) . NASCAR . Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. . https://web.archive.org/web/20110404020807/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/6/data/practice2_speeds.html . April 4, 2011 . April 2, 2011.
  10. Web site: Qualifying Order: Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500. NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110404111110/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/6/data/qual_order.html. April 4, 2011. April 2, 2011.
  11. Web site: Race Lineup: Goody's Fast Relief 500 . NASCAR . Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. . https://web.archive.org/web/20110404042940/http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/6/data/lineup.html. April 4, 2011 . December 18, 2015.
  12. Web site: Sporting News Wire Service. McMurray earns his first pole of '11 at Martinsville. NASCAR. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. December 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20110405050559/http://www.nascar.com/news/110402/jmcmurray-martinsville-pole/index.html. April 5, 2011. April 2, 2011.

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