| Type: | CUST |
| Avg: | 131.224mph |
| Announcers: | Allen Bestwick, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree |
| Pole Driver: | Sam Hornish Jr. |
| Pole Team: | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Description: | Race 9 of 33 of the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| Most Driver: | Elliott Sadler |
| Most Team: | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Most Laps: | 40 |
| First Team: | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| First Driver: | Elliott Sadler |
| Car: | 11 |
| Date: | May 3 |
| Location: | Lincoln, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway |
| Official Name: | 23rd Annual Aaron's 312 |
| Race Name: | Aaron's 312 |
| Scheduled Km: | 500.86 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 117 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 311.22 |
| Distance Laps: | 117 |
| Course Km: | 4.28 |
| Course Mi: | 2.66 |
| Distance Km: | 500.86 |
| Year: | 2014 |
| Pole Time: | 51.268 |
| Distance Mi: | 311.22 |
| Network: | ESPN |
The 2014 Aaron's 312 was the ninth car race of the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 3, 2014, Lincoln, Alabama, at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 117 laps to complete. On the final restart with three to go, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Elliott Sadler would manage to hold off the field to take home his 10th career NASCAR Nationwide Series series victory and his only victory of the season.[1] To fill out the podium, Roush Fenway Racing driver Chris Buescher and JR Motorsports driver Regan Smith would finish second and third, respectively.
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
The first practice session was held on Thursday, May 1, at 2:00 PM CST. The session would last for one hour.[2] Trevor Bayne, driving for Roush Fenway Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 50.300 and an average speed of 190.378mph.[3]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 50.300 | 190.378 | |
| 2 | 60 | Chris Buescher (R) | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 50.302 | 190.370 | |
| 3 | 16 | Ryan Reed (R) | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 50.303 | 190.366 | |
| Full first practice results | |||||||
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Thursday, May 1, at 3:30 PM CST. The session would last for one hour and 30 minutes. Tommy Joe Martins, driving for Martins Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 51.514 and an average speed of 185.891mph.[4]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 76 | Tommy Joe Martins (R) | Martins Motorsports | Dodge | 51.514 | 185.891 | |
| 2 | 4 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.518 | 185.877 | |
| 3 | 42 | Kyle Larson (i) | Turner Scott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 51.533 | 185.823 | |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | |||||||
Qualifying was held on Friday, May 2, at 5:40 PM CST. Since Talladega Superspeedway is at least 1.25miles in length, the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 25 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 25 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.[5]
Sam Hornish Jr., driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole after setting a time of 51.268 and an average speed of 186.783mph in the third round.[6]
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Chad Boat and Derrike Cope.
| Pos | Driver | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chase Elliott | 339 | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | Elliott Sadler | 338 (-1) | ||||||
| 1 | 3 | Regan Smith | 336 (-3) | ||||||
| 1 | 4 | Trevor Bayne | 308 (–31) | ||||||
| 1 | 5 | Ty Dillon | 308 (–31) | ||||||
| 6 | Brian Scott | 277 (–62) | |||||||
| 7 | Brendan Gaughan | 250 (–89) | |||||||
| 8 | James Buescher | 244 (–95) | |||||||
| 5 | 9 | Chris Buescher | 229 (–110) | ||||||
| 10 | Ryan Reed | 225 (–114) | |||||||
| Official driver's standings | |||||||||