2015 Food City 500
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 8 of 2015 in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season | |||
 Logo of the race | |||
| Date | April 19, 2015 | ||
| Location | Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility .533 mi (.858 km) | ||
| Distance | 511 laps, 272.363 mi (438.438 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.29 km) | ||
| Weather | Rain and cloudy skies with a temperature of 64 °F (18 °C); wind out of the northeast at 11 mph (18 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 74.997 mph (120.696 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Time | 14.917 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | |
| Laps | 184 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 |
Matt Kenseth |
Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox & PRN | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, and Darrell Waltrip (Television) Doug Rice and Mark Garrow (Booth) Rob Albright (Backstretch) (Radio) | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 2.9/6 (Overnight)[11] 2.9/6 (Final)[12] 2.6 Million viewers[12] | ||
The 2015 Food City 500 In Support Of Steve Byrnes And Stand Up To Cancer was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on April 19, 2015, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 511 laps - extended from 500 laps due to a Green-white-checkered finish - on the .533 mile (.858 km) concrete short track, it was the eighth race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
Report
Background
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating.
Kevin Harvick entered Bristol with a 26-point lead over Joey Logano. Martin Truex Jr. entered 40 back. Brad Keselowski entered 60 back. Kasey Kahne entered 76 back.
Changes to the track
In the wake of the wreck in the Alert Today Florida 300 two months earlier at Daytona International Speedway that resulted in Kyle Busch breaking both his legs, Bristol Motor Speedway announced on April 3, 2015 that SAFER barriers had been installed along the entire circumference of the outer wall.[13] Previously, the track had barriers only in the turns. "The safety of our fans and competitors continues to be a focal point for Bristol Motor Speedway," said Jerry Caldwell, general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. "SMI engineers and NASCAR reevaluated the track and made additional recommendations. We’ve been able to secure an additional 600 feet of SAFER barriers and will complete the build out of the front and backstretch outside walls before the Food City 500 race weekend."[13]
Name change
On April 10, Bristol Motor Speedway announced that the Food City 500 would be renamed the Food City 500 In Support of Steve Byrnes and Stand Up To Cancer.[14] This change was made to honor longtime NASCAR broadcaster Steve Byrnes who was battling head and neck cancer.[14] "We stand with the NASCAR community in being Steve Byrnes Strong," said President and CEO of Food City, Steve Smith. "By banding together, we can drive even more awareness and support for our friend Steve, his family and everyone who Stands Up to Cancer."[14] Byrnes died two days after the race.[15]
Entry list
The entry list for the Food City 500 was released on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 11:21 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-five cars were entered for the race. The only new entry that wasn't entered for the previous week's race at Texas Motor Speedway is Ron Hornaday Jr. in the No. 30 Chevrolet by The Motorsports Group.
First practice
Kasey Kahne was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 14.971 and a speed of 128.168 mph (206.266 km/h).[16]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 14.971 | 128.168 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 14.972 | 128.159 |
| 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 14.994 | 127.971 |
| Official first practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Matt Kenseth won the pole with a time of 14.917 and a speed of 128.632 mph (207.013 km/h).[17] "I got it all that first lap," Kenseth said. "Good job. That was about as good as we were going to get…it was the best we could do with what we got. It was our best lap of the day."[17] "It’s still very, very early in the weekend and the track is really not indicative of what we’re gonna have to race, so as it continues to change you’ll see some comers and goers from what we saw today," Brad Keselowski explained. "Either way, we’re reasonably happy with our day to qualify second. You get that close and it seems to sting a little bit more because it didn’t take much to find the next place, but it could be worse and we’re thankful for a decent starting spot and hopefully a great spot on pit road to help us all day on Sunday."[17] "We will be very good this weekend," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "We love racing here, love this race track. We just have to improve how the car drives. We have decent speed there and that is a good result for us in qualifying especially at this track."[17] Brendan Gaughan and Ron Hornaday Jr. failed to qualify for the race.[17]
Qualifying results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | R1 | R2 | R3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 14.928 | 14.953 | 14.917 |
| 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 14.926 | 15.006 | 14.939 |
| 3 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 15.036 | 15.026 | 14.953 |
| 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.019 | 14.978 | 14.966 |
| 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 15.109 | 15.050 | 15.059 |
| 6 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 14.841 | 14.938 | 15.071 |
| 7 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.123 | 14.992 | 15.124 |
| 8 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 14.938 | 15.043 | 15.129 |
| 9 | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 15.068 | 15.032 | 15.129 |
| 10 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 15.169 | 15.073 | 15.155 |
| 11 | 18 | David Ragan | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 14.918 | 15.083 | 15.176 |
| 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 14.998 | 15.073 | 15.197 |
| 13 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.049 | 15.099 | — |
| 14 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 15.112 | 15.100 | — |
| 15 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.054 | 15.161 | — |
| 16 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 15.160 | 15.168 | — |
| 17 | 40 | Landon Cassill (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 15.139 | 15.177 | — |
| 18 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 15.083 | 15.218 | — |
| 19 | 95 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford | 15.139 | 15.235 | — |
| 20 | 47 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 15.117 | 15.236 | — |
| 21 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.068 | 15.249 | — |
| 22 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto | BK Racing | Toyota | 15.091 | 15.253 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.003 | 15.276 | — |
| 24 | 55 | Brett Moffitt (R) | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 15.052 | 15.326 | — |
| 25 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 15.183 | — | — |
| 26 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.189 | — | — |
| 27 | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 15.192 | — | — |
| 28 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.211 | — | — |
| 29 | 23 | JJ Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 15.223 | — | — |
| 30 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 15.250 | — | — |
| 31 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 15.253 | — | — |
| 32 | 38 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 15.274 | — | — |
| 33 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 15.283 | — | — |
| 34 | 26 | Jeb Burton (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 15.288 | — | — |
| 35 | 98 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing | Ford | 15.295 | — | — |
| 36 | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.331 | — | — |
| 37 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 15.348 | — | — |
| 38 | 34 | Chris Buescher (i) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 15.348 | — | — |
| 39 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 15.358 | — | — |
| 40 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 15.405 | — | — |
| 41 | 32 | Mike Bliss (i) | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 15.458 | — | — |
| 42 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 15.468 | — | — |
| 43 | 33 | Alex Kennedy (R) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 15.523 | — | — |
| Failed to qualify | |||||||
| 44 | 62 | Brendan Gaughan | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.470 | — | — |
| 45 | 30 | Ron Hornaday Jr. | The Motorsports Group | Chevrolet | 15.514 | — | — |
| Official qualifying results | |||||||
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice
Kasey Kahne was the fastest in the second practice with a time of 15.129 and a speed of 126.829 mph (204.111 km/h).[18] During the session, Tony Stewart tagged the wall with the right-rear corner of his car. The damage was minor and he returned to the track to finish the session.[18] Towards the end of the session, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact with Carl Edwards. The damage was also minor and both cars returned to the session.[18]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.129 | 126.829 |
| 2 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.181 | 126.395 |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 15.212 | 126.137 |
| Official second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
Kurt Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 15.043 and a speed of 127.554 mph (205.278 km/h).[19]
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 15.043 | 127.554 |
| 2 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.164 | 126.537 |
| 3 | 18 | David Ragan | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 15.168 | 126.503 |
| Official final practice results | ||||||
Race
First-half
Start
The race was scheduled to start at 1:13 p.m., but inclement weather delayed the start for over an hour. The track was eventually dried up enough to allow the race to commence at 2:31 p.m.. Matt Kenseth led the first five laps before losing the lead to Kevin Harvick on lap 6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact with the wall exiting turn 2. He saved the car and the race continued under green. The first caution of the race flew on lap 19 when Brad Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano hit the front stretch wall.[20] Exiting turn 4, Keselowski's car got loose trying to pass Alex Kennedy, tapped the wall and turned down towards the apron.[20] Logano was right behind him and was unable to avoid hitting his teammate.[20] "It’s been raining since we started the race; it was a really light sprinkle, the track was barely dry, the car just took off on me," Keselowski said. "I’d like to blame the rain. Usually when a car gets that far sideway, and it’s out of nowhere, there’s a reason behind it. I really hate I tore up my teammate in the process. It’s really a bummer. I felt like I had a normal line, and it just moved crazy sideways."[20] "It happened quick, obviously," Logano said. "You think you get early in this race and kind of want to settle in and just starting to get the top worked in a little bit there and Brad just got loose underneath that lapped car. You start checking up and it looked like he was gonna have it saved and he checked up more than I expected and the next thing you know I’m in the back of him and we’re both headed towards the fence."[20] To add insult to injury for the Penske duo, the rain returned just moments later that red-flagged the race on lap 22.[21]
Driver change
Prior to the restart, Erik Jones made his unofficial debut in the Sprint Cup Series when he stepped in the car for an ailing Denny Hamlin.[22] He stepped out of the car after suffering a neck spasm.[22] "I just pulled something in my neck to upper back about lap 12," Hamlin said during the race telecast. "I started going backwards at that point. ... I stretched it out and we've been working on it the last few hours. I'm not 100 percent. With this format, it's all about winning, and there was no way I would have been able to go out there and compete for a win. It's just doing my team a complete injustice for me to go out there and run a bunch of laps. Instead, I think it's just better to have Erik come here and run some laps, get used to these Cup cars. We know where he is going to be in a few years."[22] Jones, who had competed in the Xfinity Series race the previous day, had already flown back to Charlotte, North Carolina when he received a text message from an unnamed crew member of the No. 11 car to be prepared to fly back down to Bristol.[23] "I got a text from one of the crew members and they let me know that I might need to be on standby," Jones said. "Right then I started packing a bag. I called my dad and said, 'Hey, I think I might be getting to run a Cup race tonight.' He was like, 'Okay, cool keep me updated.' Took off right from there and flew here and helicoptered in and got in and drove."[23] He arrived by helicopter at the track just five minutes before the race restarted.[23]
Restart
While the race was still under its first caution, the scoring pylon and digital leaderboards all changed the positions to 24 on the 24th lap in honor of Jeff Gordon. The race restarted shortly after 7:00 p.m. on lap 35 with Kevin Harvick in the lead.[24] The race proceeded orderly until the second caution of the race flew on lap 61. This was a scheduled competition caution because of the rain. Kurt Busch took the lead from his teammate Harvick with the latter pitted on the backstretch. Greg Biffle opted not to pit and assumed the lead. Brett Moffitt and David Ragan were both tagged for speeding on pit road. They restarted the race from the rear of the field.
Green flag run
The race restated on lap 69. While Greg Biffle got a huge jump on the restart - on old tires - he was no match for Kurt Busch on four new tires. He took the lead on lap 70 and would hold the lead for the next 55 laps. Kevin Harvick was tapped exiting turn 2 by Michael McDowell and made lite contact with the wall. It was cosmetic and he continued on. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made an unscheduled stop on lap 103 for a flat tire. Landon Cassill brushed the wall and began to slow down on the backstretch and about took out a whole mess of cars on lap 108. Kevin Harvick took the lead on lap 126. Kurt Busch took back the lead on lap 162. Harvick passed his teammate on the outside to take back the lead on lap 167. Weepers (water that fills up the gaps in the SAFER barriers that leaks out through the bottom of the walls) on the track brought out the third caution of the race on lap 168. They both swapped the lead on pit road, but it was Kevin who exited with the lead. The race restarted on lap 176. Jeff Gordon made an unscheduled stop on lap 205 for a loose wheel that was also going flat. He went from seventh to 29th down two laps. In a show of support for Steve Byrnes, the fans and crews all stood up on the 250th lap holding up signs reading "I Stand Up For Steve." The Fox crew went silent for the next three laps to show their support for their ill co-hort. Jeff Gordon, on much fresher tires, managed to pull up to and pass leader Harvick to earn back one of his laps. This allowed Carl Edwards to pass Kevin for the lead on lap 257. Gordon was hit with a double-whammy. Not only was he put back two laps down, the caution flew for the fourth time on lap 266 for rain. Edwards and Busch swapped the lead on pit road, but the No. 19 Toyota exited pit road with the lead. David Gilliland and Ryan Newman were tagged for speeding on pit road. Both restarted the race from the tail-end of the field. The rain picked up and the race was red flagged for the second time on lap 273.[25]
Second-half
Halfway
The race restated on lap 278 and trouble in turn 4 brought out the fifth caution. Going into turn 3, Kurt Busch pushed up into Jimmie Johnson out his outside. Johnson made moderate contact with the wall. While Busch spun out in front of the oncoming field. Other than a few pushed in fenders and Alex Bowman spinning out behind Kurt, this avoided turning into major calamity.
Trouble in turn 1
The race restarted on lap 292. Martin Truex Jr. cut down his left-front tire after making contact with Mike Bliss exiting turn 2. The sixth caution of the race flew on lap 310 for a multi-car wreck in turn 1. Jeb Burton got turned into the wall by Jimmie Johnson. David Ragan slammed into the back of Johnson and then t-boned the side of Burton's car. Johnson slid down the track. Kevin Harvick, who was running third in the race at the time, couldn't stop in time, got sideways and slammed into Ragan. "Sometimes when you race back there with the squirrels, you find a nut sometimes," said Ragan. "That's just Bristol. When you're racing hard, the 26 (Burton) was a little slower, Jimmie was probably a little impatient trying to get back to the front, I see he just touched him there. As soon as my spotter said they're wrecking, I'm all into the 48. That's just one of those things you have in short track racing."[26] Kurt Busch was tagged for an uncontrolled tire and restarted from the tail-end of the field.
Restart
The race restarted on lap 325. Debris in turn 1 brought out the seventh caution of the race on lap 344. The debris was a piece of metal lying down in turn 1 that came off Danica Patrick's car. Edwards swapped the lead with teammate Matt Kenseth on pit road. Kyle Larson opted not to pit and assumed the lead.
The race restated on lap 350. The eighth caution of the race flew on lap 367 for a heavy crash involving Landon Cassill. Trying to get around him on the front stretch, Kyle Larson moved up and clipped the No. 40 car. He clipped J. J. Yeley, turned up and slammed hard into the turn 1 wall. He got out of the car on his own power.
Fourth quarter
The race restarted on lap 381. Matt Kenseth caught up to Kyle Larson and the two duked it out fighting for the lead for a good ten laps before Larson began to pull away with 81 laps to go. He hit pit road with 64 laps to go and Matt Kenseth took back the lead. Kurt Busch went to the bottom of Kenseth. He used Martin Truex Jr. as a pick to take the lead with 56 laps to go. After being down two laps, Jeff Gordon muscled his way to third with 50 laps to go. The ninth caution of the race flew with 29 laps to go for a multi-car wreck in turn 4. In a classic Bristol accordion effect, it started when Jamie McMurray blew a right-front tire running next to the wall in turn 3. Josh Wise, who was running right behind him, rear-ended him and was rear-ended by Clint Bowyer. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was slowing down to avoid the wreck ahead when he was hit in the rear by Erik Jones. Michael Annett rear-ended Jones. Danica Patrick, who was also trying to avoid the wreck, got hit in the rear and turned by Michael McDowell. Bowyer sprained his wrist trying to avoid hitting Wise again. Kurt Busch was left hanging when he pitted from the lead alone. Matt Kenseth assumed the lead.
The race restarted with 19 laps to go. The tenth caution of the race flew with 18 laps to go for a multi-car wreck on the backstretch. Tony Stewart clipped Kasey Kahne who turned down into A. J. Allmendinger. Both hit the inside wall before turning back onto the racing surface taking out Casey Mears and Martin Truex Jr. in the process.
The race restarted with eight laps to go. The eleventh caution of the race flew with six laps to go for a multi-car wreck on the backstretch. In another classic Bristol accordion effect, Edwards gets loose exiting turn 2 and makes contact with the wall. Kurt Busch has no time to react and slams into his rear. Justin Allgaier clips and turns with Paul Menard trying to avoid the No. 19 car. Sam Hornish Jr. gets turned by Matt DiBenedetto while trying to avoid the wreck ahead. The race was red flagged on lap 505 (five laps past the scheduled distance) as rain returned to the track again. The top three cars in the closing stages were borderline on fuel with the fuel window being 130 laps and their last stop being over 20 laps more than the window. The cars were brought down pit road and the race was red flagged for the third time for rain. After an additional 20-minute delay, the field began rolling off pit road. After three laps, the race restarted and pole-sitter Matt Kenseth took the victory on a Green–white–checker finish, his first victory in 51 races going back to 2013.[27] "I’m glad we were able to finish this tonight and we had the car to stay ahead at the end," Kenseth said. "It was a crazy night for sure but it feels good to be back here in Victory Lane."[27] "It was a wild night, but I’ve just got to thank my crew for all the hard work," Johnson said. "We rallied back and got us second. We maybe had a shot at the win, but just thrilled to get such a great finish here at really one of the tougher tracks for me as a driver. Very stoked to be here. The Chevy was fast."[27]
Race results
| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 511 | 47 |
| 2 | 28 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 511 | 42 |
| 3 | 23 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 511 | 41 |
| 4 | 25 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 511 | 40 |
| 5 | 18 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 39 |
| 6 | 21 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 38 |
| 7 | 14 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 38 |
| 8 | 15 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 511 | 36 |
| 9 | 26 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 35 |
| 10 | 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 34 |
| 11 | 9 | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 511 | 33 |
| 12 | 37 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 511 | 32 |
| 13 | 30 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 511 | 31 |
| 14 | 10 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 510 | 30 |
| 15 | 7 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 510 | 30 |
| 16 | 13 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 509 | 28 |
| 17 | 24 | 55 | Brett Moffitt (R) | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 509 | 27 |
| 18 | 32 | 38 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 508 | 26 |
| 19 | 39 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 508 | 25 |
| 20 | 40 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 508 | 24 |
| 21 | 22 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto | BK Racing | Toyota | 508 | 23 |
| 22 | 19 | 95 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford | 507 | 22 |
| 23 | 36 | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 507 | 21 |
| 24 | 3 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 507 | 21 |
| 25 | 38 | 34 | Chris Buescher (i) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 505 | 0 |
| 26 | 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 505 | 18 |
| 27 | 42 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 504 | 17 |
| 28 | 31 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 504 | 16 |
| 29 | 16 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 504 | 15 |
| 30 | 33 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 504 | 15 |
| 31 | 41 | 32 | Mike Bliss (i) | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 502 | 0 |
| 32 | 29 | 23 | J.J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 496 | 0 |
| 33 | 43 | 33 | Alex Kennedy (R) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 490 | 11 |
| 34 | 20 | 47 | A.J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 489 | 10 |
| 35 | 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 489 | 9 |
| 36 | 27 | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 487 | 8 |
| 37 | 8 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 482 | 7 |
| 38 | 4 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 468 | 8 |
| 39 | 35 | 98 | Josh Wise | Phil Parsons Racing | Ford | 466 | 5 |
| 40 | 6 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 452 | 4 |
| 41 | 11 | 18 | David Ragan | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 435 | 3 |
| 42 | 34 | 26 | Jeb Burton (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 416 | 2 |
| 43 | 17 | 40 | Landon Cassill (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 288 | 0 |
| Official Food City 500 results | |||||||
Race statistics
- 21 lead changes among 6 different drivers
- 11 cautions for 117 laps
- Time of race: 3 hours, 37 minutes, 54 seconds
- Average speed: 74.997 mph (120.696 km/h)
- Matt Kenseth took home $217,961 in winnings
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Race awards
- Coors Light Pole Award: Matt Kenseth (14.917, 128.632 mph (207.013 km/h))
- 3M Lap Leader: Kevin Harvick (184 laps)
- American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Matt Kenseth (15.753, 121.805 mph (196.026 km/h))
- Duralast Brakes "Bake In The Race" Award: Kevin Harvick
- Freescale "Wide Open": Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Kyle Larson, 11 positions
- MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Toyota Racing Development, #20
- Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Matt Kenseth (129.8 driver rating)
- Moog Steering and Suspension Problem Solver of The Race: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (crew chief Nicholas Sandler (0.238 seconds))
- NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus: No winner: rolls over to $50,000 at next event
- Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Matt Kenseth (Lap 385, 15.028, 127.685 mph (205.489 km/h))
- Sunoco Rookie of The Race: Brett Moffitt
Media
Television
Fox Sports covered their 15th race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip, the all-time wins leader at Bristol Motor Speedway with twelve victories, whad the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Chris Neville, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side.
| Fox | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap: Mike Joy Color-commentator: Larry McReynolds Color commentator: Darrell Waltrip | Jamie Little Chris Neville Vince Welch Matt Yocum |
Radio
PRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice and Mark Garrow called the race in the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch. Rob Albright called the race from atop the suites in turn 3 when the field was racing down the backstretch. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Jim Noble and Steve Richards worked pit road for PRN.
| PRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Doug Rice Announcer: Mark Garrow | Backstretch: Rob Albright | Brad Gillie Brett McMillan Jim Noble Steve Richards |
Standings after the race
|
 Kevin Harvick left Bristol with a 30-point lead over Joey Logano.
|
Note
- ↑ Michael McDowell dropped to the rear for unapproved adjustments.
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2015 Food City 500. |
- ↑ "2015 NASCAR Schedule" (PDF). NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. August 26, 2014. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Bristol Motor Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. January 3, 2013. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Entry List". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "First Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Qualifying Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ↑ "Second Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Final Practice Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ "Food City 500 Results". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. NASCAR Statistics. April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Manufacturer standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications. April 20, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ↑ Paulsen (April 20, 2015). "Ratings Roundup: NASCAR on FOX, Premier League, FA Cup". SportsMediaWatch.com. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Paulsen (April 23, 2015). "Ratings Roundup: NASCAR on FS1, MLB on ESPN, Formula 1". SportsMediaWatch.com. Sports Media Watch. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Moody, Dave (April 3, 2015). "Bristol Latest Track To Add New SAFER Barriers". GodfatherMotorsports.com. Godfather Motorsports. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Pistone, Pete (April 10, 2015). "Bristol Race Renamed to Honor Steve Byrnes". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
- ↑ "NASCAR on FOX anchor Steve Byrnes dies after long bout with cancer". FOX Sports. FOX Sports. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
- ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (April 17, 2015). "Kasey Kahne squeezes past Dale Earnhardt Jr. for fastest in Friday Sprint Cup practice at Bristol". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 Pistone, Pete (April 17, 2015). "Kenseth Captures Bristol Pole". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Bonkowski, Jerry (April 18, 2015). "Kasey Kahne fastest in first of 2 Saturday Sprint Cup practices at Bristol". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (April 18, 2015). "Kurt Busch overtakes Kasey Kahne to lead Sprint Cup Happy Hour at Bristol". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Pistone, Pete (April 19, 2015). "Penske Teammates Collide Early". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ Ryan, Nate (April 19, 2015). "Bristol race delayed by rain after 22 laps; Kevin Harvick is leading the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Pockrass, Bob (April 19, 2015). "Denny Hamlin removes self from Food City 500 after suffering neck spasm". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Pistone, Pete (April 19, 2015). "Jones Steps In for Hamlin". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ Bonkowski, Jerry (April 19, 2015). "Rain-delayed Food City 500 In Support Of Steve Byrnes to resume by 7 pm ET at Bristol". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ McFadin, Daniel (April 19, 2015). "Carl Edwards leads Food City 500 in Support of Steve Byrnes in second red flag". nascartalk.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ Pennell, Jay (April 19, 2015). "Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick involved in Bristol wreck". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Pistone, Pete (April 19, 2015). "Kenseth Back in Victory Lane". MRN.com. Motor Racing Network. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
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