Matt Kenseth took the win at New Hampshire despite Kevin Harvick's race-high lead, while a black flag on Brad Keselowski sparked a debate about restarts.
The 2015 Sylvania 300 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup race held on 27 September 2015 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Matt Kenseth won after Kevin Harvick ran out of fuel with three laps to go, and the race was remembered for a black flag given to Brad Keselowski on the last restart.
Matt Kenseth won the 2015 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, although Kevin Harvick had led a race-high 216 laps before fuel trouble cost him the lead late on. A black flag for Brad Keselowski on the final restart added to the day's talking points. Denny Hamlin finished second and Joey Logano third in a race that kept Kenseth at the head of the Drivers' Championship.
Where and when was the race run?
The Sylvania 300 was the 28th race of the 2015 Sprint Cup season, the second race of the Chase and the second event of the Challenger Round. It ran 300 laps on the 1.058 mile oval at Loudon, New Hampshire, on 27 September 2015.
Kenseth entered the weekend with a two-point lead over Hamlin, while Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch were tied for third, three points back. Jeff Gordon, who had started every race at Loudon, sat 21 points back in 12th.
NBC Sports carried the race on NBCSN in the United States, and radio coverage came from PRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
A fuel-starved leader, a black flag on the final restart and a Kenseth win that settled the debate at Loudon.
Who was on the entry list?
The entry list was released on Monday, 21 September, with 44 cars entered. Every car had also run the previous week at Chicagoland, but four driver changes were made for Loudon. Josh Wise took the No. 26 BK Racing Toyota, Jeffrey Earnhardt the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford, and B. J. McLeod made his first Sprint Cup start in the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport Chevrolet.
Timmy Hill was back in the No. 62 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet, and Ryan Preece, the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, debuted in the Cup series in the No. 98 Premium Motorsports Ford.
How did qualifying set the grid?
Carl Edwards won the pole with a lap of 27.604 seconds, clocked 137.980 mph (222.057 km/h). Kevin Harvick qualified second and Brad Keselowski fourth, while Travis Kvapil failed to make the race. Edwards said Loudon punishes even small mistakes, which makes it hard to judge how aggressive to be.
In practice Edwards had been fastest in the first session at 27.823 seconds, while Harvick topped the final session at 28.302. Jeffrey Earnhardt locked his brakes and hit the wall in turn 1 during the second session.
How did the first half unfold?
Edwards started on the front under clear skies at 2:19 p.m. Harvick held second for ten laps, got under Edwards on lap 18 without completing the move, and then took the lead on lap 21 when Edwards ran wide. Lapped traffic let Harvick build a one-second lead by lap 25.
A caution on lap 37 followed Aric Almirola's wreck, which left him 43rd. A lap-48 caution came when Landon Cassill's engine failed, and a lap-60 caution followed Tony Stewart's left-front blowout on the restart after contact with Martin Truex Jr.
On lap 120 Alex Bowman's right-front tyre blew, and a fifth caution on lap 158 came after Kyle Busch suffered the same failure in turn 4.
What happened in the second half?
A sixth caution on lap 192 came from debris in turn 3, and Matt Kenseth took the lead on that stop by taking only right-side tyres. Jimmie Johnson lost a tyre on lap 200 when a lug nut hit a valve stem, and he rejoined one lap down in 29th.
A seventh caution followed a two-car wreck in turn 1 that involved Danica Patrick. The red flag stayed out for six minutes after blue foam blocks from the roll cage were scattered across the turn. Harvick passed Kenseth on lap 210 just as Brett Moffitt's wreck on the backstretch brought an eighth caution, and Kenseth regained the lead by staying out.
Denny Hamlin, Kenseth's teammate, moved ahead in turn 3 with 81 laps left. A ninth caution with 63 laps left came from Justin Allgaier's tyre blowout, and Greg Biffle took the lead by staying out.
How did the final restart shape the result?
With 58 laps to go NASCAR black-flagged Brad Keselowski for a restart violation, forcing a drive-through penalty. Keselowski said he had never been penalised for jumping a restart without passing anyone. NASCAR's managing director, Richard Buck, said the call was clear-cut.
With 48 laps left Harvick regained first place after a drag race with Biffle down the back straight. He was on a fuel window of 76 laps and had last pitted on lap 212, but he could not stretch it. Kenseth stalked him in the closing laps, took the lead and scored his 36th career win.
What did the top finishers say?
Kenseth said he had to be on the spot to take it, and that Harvick had the better car but was perhaps short on fuel. Logano, third, said it was a blue-collar day in a car that was not always a top-five machine. Greg Biffle finished fourth after saving fuel and called the Ford Fusion a strong runner in clean air.
Jimmie Johnson recovered from 23rd, one lap down, to finish sixth, and Jeff Gordon took seventh in his 789th consecutive start, a record. Gordon credited a four-tyre stop and a decent restart for the result.
How did the restart debate develop?
The black flag kept restart enforcement in the news. Dave Moody of the Motor Racing Network warned fans to be careful what they wished for, and Darrell Waltrip thought the incident should have been treated as no harm, no foul. Several commentators questioned whether the penalty fitted the offence.
Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR's top racing development executive, said the sanctioning body had a job to use all of its technology and make a call, even if not everyone agreed with it.
Race results at a glance
| Measure | 2015 Sylvania 300 |
|---|---|
| Winner | Matt Kenseth, 36th career win |
| Second and third | Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano |
| Fourth and fifth | Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards |
| Pole | Carl Edwards, 27.604 seconds |
| Race-high laps led | Kevin Harvick, 216 |
| Cautions | 9 cautions for 41 laps |
| Red flag | 1, for 6 minutes 4 seconds |
| Average speed | 106.480 mph (171.363 km/h) |
| Fastest lap | Denny Hamlin, lap 218, 28.612 seconds |
How did the awards and bonuses fall?
The race had a set of side awards. Kevin Harvick won the Duralast Brakes award for the hottest brakes and the Mobil 1 Driver of the Race honour, with a driver rating of 130.8. Tony Stewart gained five positions for the Ingersoll Rand Power Move, and Brett Moffitt took the Sunoco Rookie of the Race.
Carl Edwards was given the Coors Light Pole Award, and Brad Keselowski took the American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award. Greg Biffle earned the Moog problem solver prize with his crew chief, while Denny Hamlin took the Sherwin-Williams fastest lap. Kenseth also collected the NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus of $240,000.
How did the media judge the restart penalty?
Reporters split on the call. Ricky Craven said NASCAR had made the wrong decision to black-flag a leader who had gained nothing, while Ryan McGhee said it was right by the letter of the rule but not a real penalty without intent or advantage. Bob Pockrass said the drive-through did not fit the offence and that the sport needed a rule that let drivers give back a gain.
Pete Pistone of the Motor Racing Network said that he did not think Keselowski had jumped the start, but that with restarts under closer scrutiny the penalty was inevitable. Matt Weaver said that NASCAR had now set a standard by which every future restart would be judged.
What did the teams and drivers say afterwards?
Neither Harvick nor his crew chief Rodney Childers spoke to the media after the race, as only the top three finishers are obliged to. Childers instead posted a note on social media about the team's fuel situation, with a message to the fans who supported the team.
Gordon said his team had a bunch of things go against them during the afternoon, but that a late pit stop for four tyres and a decent restart brought them the seventh place. Kenseth left without speaking to reporters and posted a short message that summed up the day as a fast car and a bad ending.
How did the television and radio crews cover the race?
NBCSN broadcast the race with Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte in the booth, and pit road was covered by Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast. Burton, a four-time winner at New Hampshire, added analysis from the booth.
On radio, Wendy Venturini and Mark Garrow called the race from the booth on the front straight, while Rob Albright, Pat Patterson and others worked the other corners. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan, Steve Richards and Hermie Sadler covered pit road for the radio audience.
How did the lead changes and cautions shape the race?
The race had 16 lead changes among seven different drivers, which spread the front-running across the field. Harvick's 216 laps led the race, while Edwards led 19 laps on his way to a fifth-place finish.
There were nine cautions for 41 laps in total, and a single red flag lasted six minutes and four seconds. Kenseth's late move, after Harvick ran short of fuel, took him to his fifth win of 2015 and built his points lead to six points.
How did the Ford and Chevrolet cars fare?
Biffle, who finished fourth, said the Ford Fusion ran really well once it got into clean air. He credited the team's sponsor, Kleen Performance, and said the other cars on the lead lap had somewhat better tyres at the end.
Johnson's flat-tyre setback showed how quickly a race could change. He rejoined one lap down and still rallied to sixth.
Hamlin's fastest lap of 28.612 seconds came on lap 218, at 133.119 mph. Biffle and crew chief Matt Puccia earned the Moog problem-solver award.