Matt Kenseth led 352 laps and survived a controversial final restart at Richmond, a result that shook up the Chase standings.
On 12 September 2015 Richmond Raceway staged this Sprint Cup race, the final event before the Chase. Matt Kenseth took the win, his fourth of the year, ahead of Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. The race also featured the controversial final restart.
Richmond Raceway hosted this Sprint Cup event on 12 September 2015, and the race was decided by a contentious final restart late in the event. Matt Kenseth took the checkered flag after leading a race-high 352 laps, with Kyle Busch second and Joey Logano third.
What was at stake before the race?
The race was the 26th of the 2015 Sprint Cup season and the last regular-season event before the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Several drivers still needed a result to secure their place. Jamie McMurray clinched a spot simply by starting, while Ryan Newman needed a finish of 31st or better, and Jeff Gordon needed 17th or better.
The scenarios became more complicated depending on who won. If a driver repeated as the winner, McMurray, Newman and Gordon would clinch regardless of their finish, and Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer would need specific results. A list of drivers, including Greg Biffle, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Tony Stewart, had to win the race to clinch a place.
Kenseth led 352 laps and won on a restart that Roger Penske called a sign of inconsistent officiating.
What was the track like at Richmond?
The circuit sits in Henrico County just outside the city and is a D-shaped asphalt oval of three-quarters of a mile. The race was contested over 400 laps on the 1.2 km short track.
Kevin Harvick entered the race with a 42-point lead over Joey Logano. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 93 points back, Brad Keselowski 111 back and Jimmie Johnson 131 back.
Who was in the entry list?
The entry list was released on Monday, 7 September, at 1:05 p.m. Eastern time, and Forty-five cars were entered for the event at Richmond. All but Michael McDowell in the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford had been entered for the previous week's race at Darlington.
Josh Wise had the No. 30 Chevrolet for The Motorsports Group, and Brian Scott took the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport LLC car. Jeffrey Earnhardt was aiming for his first Cup start in the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford.
How fast were the cars in practice and qualifying?
Kyle Larson was fastest in the first practice session, with a time of 21.508 seconds at 125.535 mph (202.029 km/h). In the final session Kevin Harvick was quickest, with 21.526 seconds at 125.430 mph (201.860 km/h),
Joey Logano won the pole at 21.349 seconds, or 126.470 mph (203.534 km/h). Matt Kenseth qualified second and said the team had the best qualifying tyres. David Ragan qualified fifth, and Jeff Gordon qualified 23rd for his 46th and final career start at Richmond, saying the team was better than that position. Dale Earnhardt Jr. started 29th and said the team had struggled in qualifying all year, and Jeffrey Earnhardt, the grandson of Dale Earnhardt, qualified 42nd for his first Sprint Cup start.
How did the race start?
The field took the green flag at 7:57 p.m. under mostly cloudy skies, with Logano on the front. Logano got in front of Kenseth and held the opening lap, but Kenseth soon began to close. By lap 14, Kenseth had pulled up to Logano, and he passed him going into turn one to take the lead on lap 16. By lap 28 he had caught the tail-end of the field and was using lap traffic to build a gap.
The first caution flew on lap 37 when Martin Truex Jr. hit the wall in turn one. He was tagged for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the back of the field. The race restarted on lap 47, and Logano led a single lap before Kenseth retook the lead from him. After 30 laps Kenseth had a four-second lead over Brad Keselowski.
Debris in turn one brought out the second caution on lap 97. Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt were both penalised, and they had to restart from the rear of the field.
What happened in the second quarter?
The race restarted on lap 104, and Logano rode the outside line to grab the lead the following lap. Kenseth went around him on the outside and took it back on lap 110. A third caution then flew when Michael Annett was hooked by Jeb Burton, bounced off McDowell and slammed the inside wall. Logano chose not to pit under the caution and assumed the lead.
After the restart on lap 126, Denny Hamlin passed Logano easily a lap later for the lead. After five laps the Joe Gibbs Racing team ran first through fourth and pulled away from the field. Kenseth ran down Hamlin and took the lead back on lap 139. Debris brought out the fourth caution on lap 210.
How did the lead change in the third quarter?
The race restarted on lap 218, and Kyle Busch slipped underneath Kenseth for the lead the following lap. Kenseth re-took the front spot on lap 228. Debris on the backstretch then brought out the fifth caution on lap 290.
Under that caution McDowell struck a service truck on the track, and the impact tore away his rear bumper. He took full responsibility, saying he had not known the truck was sitting there and that everyone had braked at once. Speeding penalties on pit road sent Keselowski and Jamie McMurray to the back of the field for the restart.
What was the final restart?
On the lap 297 restart Logano moved in front of Kenseth, and Kenseth went back past him the next lap. A sixth caution with 26 laps to go followed, and the race restarted with 18 laps to go, the restart that drew the criticism.
On that last restart, Kenseth appeared to start accelerating before the restart zone. Team owner Roger Penske mocked the call, suggesting that race control must have shut its window and drawn the blind. He cited a penalty NASCAR had given to Ryan Blaney in the Truck Series race at Bristol three weeks earlier, and called the call an inconsistency. Penske said the restart rules were discussed in the drivers meeting, and that officials needed a clearer way of saying what was right and what was wrong.
NASCAR's Steve O'Donnell explained on the Sirius XM NASCAR Radio programme why the sanctioning body had decided not to penalise Kenseth, and the question of whether control of restarts should stay with the race leader was raised afterwards. Kenseth drove off to score the victory.
Which drivers finished in the top positions?
| Position | Driver | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matt Kenseth | Led 352 laps, won from the restart |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | Second; led briefly on lap 218 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | Pole winner who led 25 laps |
| 4 | Aric Almirola | Best finish of his season |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Fifth from 29th on the grid |
| 6 | Denny Hamlin | Sixth with a torn right ACL |
What did the result mean for the Chase?
Kenseth's win was his fourth of the 2015 season, his 35th career victory and his second at Richmond. It was also the tenth track win for Joe Gibbs Racing at the track. With the win, Kenseth moved into a points tie with Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson for the lead after the Chase reset.
Chevrolet still led the manufacturers' standings, with Toyota left trailing by 54 points after the race. Almirola's fourth place was his best finish of the season, and Earnhardt Jr. recovered from 29th on the grid to fifth.
What did the drivers say after the race?
Kenseth said the car had been superb in the long run, though they had to work hard for it in the short run. He was disappointed to see the final caution, but he said the team had been able to get the jump and get out front.
Almirola called his result a fourth-place finish that felt like a disappointment, because his team wanted to be back in the Chase. Hamlin finished sixth with a torn right ACL, saying he had felt fine during the race because the knee had been drained before it started. Gordon, seventh, said the team had found a solid night on pit road and on track, and that the next ten races would be a catch-up challenge.
Kyle Larson said the team had run about where it typically does at Richmond, around the top ten, and that nobody was beating Kenseth that night. Kasey Kahne, who finished 18th two laps down, said his main problem all year had been getting the front of the car to turn, and that he could take off well on restarts before the car tightened up.
Clint Bowyer's tenth place secured his spot in the Chase, which he described as a monumental result for his organisation. Kyle Larson finished twelfth and missed the Chase, while Kasey Kahne finished 18th two laps down and missed it too. Paul Menard finished 26th, three laps down, and said he was still happy because his team was in the Chase.
What were the race statistics and awards?
The race had 13 lead changes among four drivers and six cautions for 47 laps. The total time was 2 hours, 59 minutes and 22 seconds, and the average speed was 100.353 mph (161.502 km/h). Kenseth took home $262,451 in winnings.
Kenseth also collected several awards. He earned the Mobil 1 award for Driver of the Race, rated 149.7, and he was the lap leader with 352 laps. He also set the fastest lap on lap 3 at 21.272 seconds, 126.927 mph (204.269 km/h). Logano took the Coors Light Pole Award.
How was the race covered?
NBCSN carried the race on television in the United States, with Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte in the booth. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road. The Motor Racing Network provided radio coverage, simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, with Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace calling the race from the booth.
