2011 Brickyard 400
Race details[1][2][3][4]
Race 20 of 36 in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2011 Brickyard 400 program cover, featuring Jamie McMurray.
The 2011 Brickyard 400 program cover, featuring Jamie McMurray.
Date July 31, 2011 (2011-07-31)
Location Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Distance 160 laps, 400 mi (643.73 km)
Weather Mostly sunny with a high around 90; wind out of the NNW at 4 mph[5]
Average speed 140.762 miles per hour (226.534 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Roush Fenway Racing
Time 49.182
Most laps led
Driver Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team
Laps 48
Winner
No. 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree

The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com, the 18th running of the event, was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 31, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt rectangular oval, it was the 20th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season.

The race logo used for the 2011 Brickyard 400.

There were five cautions and 22 lead changes among 13 different drivers throughout the course of the race. Paul Menard won his only Cup Series race, driving for Richard Childress Racing, while Jeff Gordon finished second, and Regan Smith clinched third. The result moved Menard to the 14th position in the Drivers' Championship. He remained 53 points behind tenth place driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and two ahead of Kasey Kahne in fifteenth. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, 20 points ahead of Ford and 28 ahead of Toyota, with 16 races remaining in the season. A total of 138,000 people attended the race, while 6.4 million watched it live on television.

Report

Background

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the race track where the race was held.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.[6] The standard track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[7] The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has none.[7] The racetrack has seats for 250,000 spectators.[8]

Before the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 652 points, and Jimmie Johnson stood in second with 645. Kurt Busch was third in the Drivers' Championship with 641 points, four ahead of Kevin Harvick and nine ahead of Kyle Busch in fourth and fifth. Matt Kenseth with 626 was 39 ahead of Jeff Gordon, as Ryan Newman with 586 points, was nine ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and 16 in front of Denny Hamlin.[9] In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 127 points, 17 ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 105 points, was 29 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.[10] Jamie McMurray was the defending winner of the race.[11]

Practice and qualifying

David Ragan recorded his second pole position with a fastest time of 49.182 seconds

Three practice sessions were held before the race; the first two on Friday, both lasting 75 minutes. The third practice session was held on Saturday, and lasted 90 minutes.[12] Kenseth was quickest with a time of 49.668 seconds in the first session, around seven thousandths of a second faster than second place Kasey Kahne.[13][14] Hamlin followed in third place ahead of Edwards, David Ragan, and Kurt Busch. Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh, still within a second of Kenseth's time.[14]

In the second practice session, Greg Biffle was fastest with a time of 50.474 seconds, less than four-hundredths of a second quicker than second-placed Martin Truex Jr. Johnson took third place, ahead of Casey Mears, Harvick and Edwards. Kenseth was only quick enough for the 29th position.[15][16] Also during the second session, Hamlin's engine failed, prompting the session to halt with three minutes remaining.[17] In the third and final practice, Biffle remained quickest with a time of 49.297 seconds. Kahne followed in second, ahead of Kurt Busch and Ragan. Edwards was fifth quickest, with a time of 49.583 seconds. Montoya, A. J. Allmendinger, Kenseth, Brian Vickers, and Johnson rounded out the first ten positions.[18]

Forty-eight drivers were entered for qualifying,[19] but only forty-three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Ragan clinched the second pole position of his career, with a time of 49.182 seconds.[20] He was joined on the front row of the grid by Kahne.[20] Johnson qualified third, Kurt Busch took fourth, and Brad Keselowski started fifth.[20] Allmendinger, Montoya, Gordon, Kenseth and Edwards rounded out the top ten. The five drivers who failed to qualify for the race were David Stremme, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell, J. J. Yeley, and Scott Wimmer.[20] Following the conclusion of the session, Ragan commented, "We're working as hard as we ever have. It's finally just showing. We've always had a lot of confidence in our team. The last couple years we've really underperformed. That has not been a secret.[21]"

Race

Paul Menard won the race.

The race, the 20th in the season, began at 1:00 pm EDT and was televised live in the United States on ESPN.[1] Weather conditions were dry before the race, the air temperature at 80 °F (27 °C); clear skies were expected.[22] Representative Howard Brammer began pre-race ceremonies, by giving the invocation. Next, Rascal Flatts performed the national anthem, and Mari Hulman George gave the command for drivers to start their engines.[22]

Ragan retained his pole position lead into the first corner, followed by Kahne, who started second. Kahne managed to take first before the conclusion of the first lap. Two laps later, Allmendinger moved up to third. On the sixth lap of the race, Trevor Bayne was forced to go to the pit lane after overheating. After starting eighth on the grid, Gordon had moved up to fourth, as Kurt Busch fell to seventh. By the 11th lap of the race, Kahne had extended his lead to three seconds over Ragan. Three laps later, Gordon moved into the second position. By lap 17, Kahne had extended his lead to 4.5 seconds. On the 22nd lap, Kenseth passed Allmendinger for fourth. After 25 laps, Allmendinger and Kahne made pit stops, two laps before Kurt Busch. Everyone had made pit stops by the 30th lap of the race, which moved Kahne back into first.[22]

Four laps later, the first caution was given because of debris on the racing surface. Most of the front runners made pit stops, except Kahne and Gordon. At the restart on the 38th lap, Kahne was the leader ahead of Gordon and Johnson. By the 42nd lap, Gordon had passed Kahne and expanded his lead to 1.3 seconds. On the following lap, Hamlin moved up to fifth, as Kenseth took over seventh. On lap 45, Earnhardt Jr. made a pit stops to remove grass from his front grille. Five laps later, the second caution was given after David Reutimann collided into the wall. All of the front runners made pit stops during the caution, as Earnhardt Jr. became the leader. On the 57th lap, Kenseth and Johnson passed Kyle Busch for fourth and fifth place respectively. On the following lap, Gordon moved up to second after overtaking Ragan. Gordon passed Earnhardt Jr. to become the leader on the 60th lap.[22]

Four laps later, Kahne moved up to fourth. On lap 68, Johnson passed teammate Earnhardt Jr. to take second. On the 72nd lap, Jamie McMurray made a pit stop for some adjustments. On the next lap, Keselowski made a pit stop, three laps before Tony Stewart. While making a pit stop, Stewart had to do a pass through penalty for going faster than the proposed speed on pit road. After everyone made pit stops, Gordon reclaimed the lead on lap 84. Ten laps later, debris on the track prompted the third caution. Most of the leaders made pit stops during the caution. At the restart on lap 97, Paul Menard was the leader, ahead of Kenseth and Ragan. On the 101st lap, Kahne took sixth from Hamlin, as Menard remained the leader. Six laps later, Kenseth passed Menard to become the leader. On the 108th lap, Montoya moved up to third, as Johnson moved up to 11th. On lap 114, the fourth caution was given after Kyle Busch collided into the wall. Most of the front runners made pit stops during the caution, while Keselowski did not.[22]

At the restart on lap 117, Keselowski was the leader. On the following lap, Montoya moved up to third, as Marcos Ambrose received a drive-through penalty after switching lanes before the start, finish line. On the 120th lap, Landon Cassill spun sideways, prompting the fifth caution to be given. None of the front runners made pit stops during the caution. Keselowski continued to lead on the lap 126 restart, as Clint Bowyer moved into second. On the 130th lap, Jeff Burton made a pit stop, as Gordon overtook Kenseth for fourth. On the following lap, Johnson made a pit stop, one lap before Keselowski, Montoya and Kahne. At lap 133, Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano made a pit stop, a lap before Bowyer, and two laps before Gordon. Afterwards, Ragan made a pit stop, moving Stewart into first. By lap 140, Stewart had a four-second lead over second placed Brian Vickers.[22]

Six laps later, Stewart made a pit stop for fuel, moving Menard into first. With ten laps remaining, Trevor Bayne moved up to tenth, three laps before McMurray became the leader as Menard was saving fuel. By the 155th lap, Gordon had moved up to fifth, as the drivers in front of him were at a slower pace from trying to get better fuel mileage. With three laps remaining, Menard reclaimed first from McMurray, as Gordon moved up to third. On the final lap, Gordon moved into second, and Menard crossed the finish line first to score his first Sprint Cup Series victory. Gordon was second, ahead of Regan Smith, McMurray, and Kenseth.[22]

Post-race

"My first year here was 1989, that I can remember anyway. I think I was here when I was 3 or 4 years old, too. I just spent a lot of time in the garage area. I didn't miss an Indy 500 from 1989 to 2003. I was here for the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. It's just a really special place for my family and myself.

Paul Menard, speaking after the race.[23]

Menard appeared in victory lane after his victory lap to start celebrating his first win of his career,[24] in front of a crowd of 138,000 people.[25] Jeff Gordon said of Menard's first victory: "I went and saw him. His eyes, he's like a deer in headlights. I'm so happy for him. It's one thing to get your first win here, but it's another when you can appreciate how special it is to win here. I think Paul certainly has that."[24]

Although Stewart was leading the race near the end, he had to pit for fuel.[22] Stewart, who finished sixth, said, "I'm really happy for Paul Menard. Paul's been around this place for a long time, been here since he was a kid. It couldn't have happened to a better guy. It's a pretty deserving win right there. I'm happy for him."[24] In the subsequent press conference, Gordon stated his happiness for Menard by saying, "Just because he's been here so much as a kid experiencing Indy, he knows how special it is to compete here, let alone win here. So I think the feelings are probably very similar. He probably has a greater appreciation for it than I did in '94, because while I was watching from a distance and my heroes were Indy 500 drivers, I wasn't in the garage like he was."[23]

Smith also commented, "I just know what it means to Paul. I know how hard he's worked. He always talks about coming up here. He always talks about how much he loves this place. I know if he had to highlight one race to get his first win, I'm sure he'd tell you in a minute he couldn't be happier. You only get one chance to get your first win. It's a special thing, especially when you do it here."[24] The race result moved Menard up five positions to 14th in the Driver's Championship with 553 points, 53 points behind tenth.[26] Edwards, who finished fourteenth in the race,[4] remained first in the standings, as Johnson followed in second. Harvick followed in third ahead of Kyle Busch and Kenseth.[26] Chevrolet maintained their lead in the Manufacturers' Championship with 136 points.[10] Ford and Toyota placed second and third with 116 and 108 points, while Dodge was fourth with 80.[10] 6.4 million people watched the event live on television.[27] The race took two hours, fifty minutes and thirty seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.725 seconds,[4]

Results

Qualifying

No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed Grid
6David RaganRoush Fenway RacingFord49.182182.9941
4Kasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamToyota49.200182.9272
48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49.234182.8013
22Kurt BuschPenske RacingDodge49.269182.6714
2Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge49.300182.5565
43A. J. AllmendingerRichard Petty MotorsportsFord49.330182.4456
42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet49.351182.3677
24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49.385182.2428
17Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord49.392182.2169
99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord49.437182.05010
13Casey MearsGermain RacingToyota49.444182.02411
5Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49.459181.96912
31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.479181.89513
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.480181.89214
27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.486181.87015
1Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet49.492181.84816
47Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota49.528181.71517
16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord49.537181.42218
29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.550181.63519
20Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.608181.42220
9Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord49.617181.38921
88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49.632181.33522
39Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet49.636181.32023
14Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet49.655181.25124
21Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord49.687181.13425
33Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.729180.98126
78Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet49.744180.92627
00David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota49.748180.91228
18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota49.764180.85429
56Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota49.829180.61830
83Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota49.831180.61131
51Landon CassillPhoenix RacingChevrolet49.963180.13332
36Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet50.021179.92433
37Scott SpeedMax Q MotorsportsFord50.126179.45134
66Michael McDowellHP RacingToyota50.153179.45135
87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota50.196179.29736
34David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord50.202179.27637
60Mike SkinnerGermain RacingToyota50.282178.99038
71Andy LallyTRG MotorsportsFord50.300178.92639
50T. J. BellLTD PowersportsChevrolet50.564177.99240
7Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge50.600177.86641
32Mike BlissFAS Lane RacingFord50.601177.86242
23Terry Labonte(P)FAS Lane RacingFord51.577174.49643
Failed to Qualify
30David StremmeInception MotorsportsChevrolet50.579177.939
38Travis KvapilFront Row MotorsportsFord50.729177.413
46Erik DarnellWhitney MotorsportsFord50.734177.396
55J. J. YeleyFront Row MotorsportsFord51.009176.439
77Scott WimmerRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge51.415175.046

Race results

Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
11527Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1604713
2824Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet160431
32778Regan SmithFurniture Row RacingChevrolet16041
4161Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet160411
5917Matt KensethRoush Fenway RacingFord160401
62414Tony StewartStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet160391
71816Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord16037
8125Mark MartinHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet16036
952Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingDodge160361
102918Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota16034
111929Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet16033
122339Ryan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingChevrolet16032
132633Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet160321
141099Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord16030
153183Brian VickersRed Bull Racing TeamToyota16029
162288Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet160291
171747Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota16027
1824Kasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamToyota160282
19348Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet160261
203251Landon CassillPhoenix RacingChevrolet16004
21422Kurt BuschPenske RacingDodge16023
22643A. J. AllmendingerRichard Petty MotorsportsFord16022
2316David RaganRoush Fenway RacingFord160221
243056Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota16020
252020Joey LoganoJoe Gibbs RacingToyota16019
263971Andy LallyTRG MotorsportsFord16018
271411Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota16017
28742Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet16016
291113Casey MearsGermain RacingToyota16015
302521Trevor BayneWood Brothers RacingFord16004
313336Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet160141
324232Mike BlissFAS Lane RacingFord16004
333734David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord15711
34219Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord15710
351331Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet1539
362800David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota498
373566Michael McDowellHP RacingToyota237
383687Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota1904
393437Scott SpeedFront Row MotorsportsFord1904
403860Mike SkinnerGermain RacingToyota1604
414323Terry LabonteFAS Lane RacingFord153
424050T. J. BellLTD PowersportsChevrolet1004
43417Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsDodge51
Source:[4][30]
1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap
2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps
3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race
4 Ineligible for championship points

Standings after the race

References

  1. 1 2 "2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  2. "Ragan takes Brickyard pole". In Racing News. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  3. "NASCAR Race Trax — Sprint Cup Race Day — Brickyard 400". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "2011 Official Race Results: Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  5. Brown, Brian (July 27, 2011). "The Brickyard 400". RotoWorld. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  6. "NASCAR Race Tracks". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  7. 1 2 "NASCAR Tracks—The Indianapolis Motor Speedway". NASCAR. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  8. "Indianapolis Motor Speedway Fun Facts". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  9. "2011 Official Driver Standings: Lenox Industrial Tools 301". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Manufactures' Championship Classification". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  11. Associated Press (July 28, 2010). "Jamie McMurray wins Brickyard after Juan Pablo Montoya falters". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  12. "Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site – Sprint Cup Race Info / Rundown Page". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  13. Jensen, Tom (July 29, 2011). "CUP: Kenseth Tops First Session". Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  14. 1 2 "Practice One Speeds". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  15. "Practice Two Speeds". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  16. "Brickyard 400 2nd Practice Speeds". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. July 29, 2011. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  17. Jenson, Tom (July 29, 2011). "CUP: Biffle Fastest in P2". Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  18. "Practice Three Speeds". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  19. "Qualifying Entry List". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 "Race Lineup". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  21. Ryan, Nate (July 30, 2011). "David Ragan continues NASCAR roll with Brickyard 400 pole". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Lap-by-Lap: Indianapolis". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  23. 1 2 Sporting News Wire Service (August 1, 2011). "Menard stretches fuel to win Brickyard 400". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "Paul Menard earns first career win at Brickyard 400". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  25. "2011 Brickyard 400". Racing-reference. Yardbarker. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  26. 1 2 3 "2011 Official Driver Standings: Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com". NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  27. "2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  28. "Lineup Statistics". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  29. "Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site — Indianapolis Sprint Cup Qualifying Order/Results, Lineup". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  30. "Brickyard 400 Race Results". Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. July 31, 2011. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.