The 2014 STP 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on March 30, 2014, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps on the oval, it was the sixth race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Kurt Busch won the race, his first win with Stewart–Haas Racing, breaking an 83-race winless streak. Jimmie Johnson finished second, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, and Marcos Ambrose rounded out the top five. The top rookies of the race were Austin Dillon (15th), Justin Allgaier (23rd), and Kyle Larson (27th).
Previous week's race On the final lap of the Auto Club 400, Kyle Busch passed his brother Kurt Busch and held off a hard charging rookie Kyle Larson to win the race. "Holy cow, what do you expect when you have a green-white-checkered finish and everyone comes down pit road to put on four tires," Busch said. "That's a Days of Thunder thing right there. What do you mean, there's two laps to go, everybody is to pit, Cole. I came off the fourth turn in disbelief that we won this thing, because we were mediocre all day. It was really weird for us, not a race that we're typically used to. But now there's a load off your shoulders that you can go out the rest of the season and race the way you want to." After winning his first Nationwide Series race the previous day, Larson stated that it had "been a really good weekend" and that he had been battling "probably a 12th place car for most of the day".
Report Background
The track, Martinsville Speedway, is a four-turn short track that is long. The track's turns are banked at eleven degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has a zero degree banking. Like the front stretch, the backstraightaway also doesn't have a banked surface. The race consisted of 500 laps, equivalent to a race distance of . The defending race winner was Jimmie Johnson.
Entry list The entry list for the STP 500 was released on Monday, March 24 at 9:03 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-four drivers were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC2) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC3) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC5) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Cole Whitt (R) Swan Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 30 Parker Kligerman (R) Swan Racing Toyota 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Travis Kvapil Go FAS Racing Ford 33 David Stremme Circle Sport Chevrolet 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 David Reutimann Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC1) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 66 Joe Nemechek (i) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional
Practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the first and ultimately, only practice session of the weekend with a time of 18.932 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 18.932 100.021 2 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 19.067 99.313 3 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.094 99.173Official first practice results
Qualifying
Kyle Busch won the pole with a time of 18.998 and a speed of . Busch felt that his car seemed "to be working well right now, whatever is working" but felt that he had "to be a little bit faster. There's still some speed to be gained and some consistency throughout races as well keeping speed throughout a run. There's room for improvement still". David Reutimann failed to qualify for the race. Rain washed out the two other practice sessions that were due to be held the day before the race.
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.008 18.988 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 18.960 19.022 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 18.898 19.045 4 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.053 19.093 5 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.048 19.118 6 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.037 19.118 7 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.133 19.150 8 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.057 19.157 9 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.018 19.200 10 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.096 19.290 11 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.089 19.369 12 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.074 19.445 13 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 19.134 — 14 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 19.141 — 15 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 19.149 — 16 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.151 — 17 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.183 — 18 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.184 — 19 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 19.193 — 20 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 19.200 — 21 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.203 — 22 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.203 — 23 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 19.205 — 24 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.205 — 25 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 19.238 — 26 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.248 — 27 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 19.252 — 28 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 19.257 — 29 32 Travis Kvapil Go FAS Racing Ford 19.274 — 30 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 19.282 — 31 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 19.283 — 32 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Toyota 19.322 — 33 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 19.331 — 34 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 19.345 — 35 26 Cole Whitt (R) Swan Racing Toyota 19.358 — 36 40 Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet 19.370 — 37 33 David Stremme Circle Sport Chevrolet 19.385 — 38 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 19.402 — 39 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.430 — 40 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 19.478 — 41 30 Parker Kligerman (R) Swan Racing Toyota 19.506 — 42 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 19.511 — 43 66 Joe Nemechek Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 19.657 —Did not qualify 44 35 David Reutimann Front Row Motorsports Ford 19.370 —Official qualifying results
Race First half Start The race began at 1:13 p.m. Eastern time with Kyle Busch leading the field to the green flag from the outside line on the initial start. With the tight confines of Martinsville, it did not take long for the first caution of the race to wave. It flew on lap 2 after Parker Kligerman hit the back of Martin Truex Jr. and spun out in turn 3. A number of cars towards the back were on pit road for damage sustained in a classic Martinsville accordion effect. The race restarted on lap 11, before Matt Kenseth took the lead on lap 17. Jimmie Johnson took the lead on lap 21 and held the lead to the competition caution on lap 41 due to overnight rain. Travis Kvapil stayed out to lead a lap before giving the lead back to Johnson. Brad Keselowski was exiting pit road when he collided with Kasey Kahne who was entering. The bulk of the damage came when Kurt Busch clipped the right side of Keselowski's car. He was forced to take his car to the garage. Keselowski felt that Busch "just accelerated and drove through us, absolutely drove through us" and that he was "tired of his recklessness".
Tempers flaring The race restarted on lap 48, with Kenseth retaking the lead on lap 56. Kyle Busch took back the lead on lap 59, before the lead cycled to Joey Logano on lap 65, and back to Johnson on lap 82. Keselowski returned to the track for a payback move at Kurt Busch; he gave out the middle finger until Kurt Busch bumped him out of the way. Keselowski's car ultimately left a tire mark on the left side of Kurt Busch's car. After the race, Kurt Busch stated that he had "steered right to go around Brad and he clobbers our left-side door" and later described Keselowski's move as "punk-ass" and that he "will get what he gets back when I decide to give it back". The two drivers battled for 17 laps in total. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wheel-hopped the curb in turn 1 trying to avoid ramming Kurt Busch and scraped the wall, which brought out the third caution of the race on lap 103. Matt Kenseth beat Jimmie Johnson off pit road to take the lead for the restart, on lap 110.
Cautions breed cautions Logano took back the lead on lap 111, before the fourth caution of the race flew on lap 114 after Kvapil clipped Michael Annett going into turn 3, with the incident also involving David Gilliland. From the restart at lap 120, Logano maintained the lead until lap 133, when Johnson returned to the head of the race. Greg Biffle became the race's next leader on lap 155, and held the lead until the fifth caution of the race flew on lap 170 after Casey Mears got tapped by Gilliland in turn 1 and sent him spinning. Marcos Ambrose beat Biffle off pit road to take the lead for the restart on lap 179. Ambrose led until on lap 195 when Kenseth passed him. The sixth caution of the race flew on lap 200 after Dale Earnhardt Jr. tapped Jamie McMurray in turn 2 and sent his car into the wall. Kenseth led the field to the restart on lap 208, before Johnson returned to the lead on lap 213.
Second half Halfway
The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 219 after Alex Bowman got hit in the rear by Gilliland and rear-ended the wall in turn 4. Earnhardt Jr. stayed out on track while others pitted for tires, and thus took the lead for the restart, on lap 226. A short green-flag run followed before debris in turn 1 brought out the eighth caution of the race on lap 231. Kevin Harvick's run of mechanical mishaps continued when he was forced to pit because of a broken rear-end chain. Earnhardt Jr. still led the field for the restart on lap 238, before Kurt Busch took the lead on lap 243. Johnson returned to the front on lap 245, before the ninth caution of the race flew at the halfway mark, after Ryan Truex was sent spinning into the turn 4 wall. Harvick stayed out to lead a lap before pitting and the lead cycled back to Kenseth for the restart, on lap 258.
Closing stages