The 2015 Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on June 7, 2015, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5 mile (4 km) triangular superspeedway, it was the 14th race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Martin Truex Jr. won the race, while Kevin Harvick finished second, Jimmie Johnson finished third, Joey Logano and Kurt Busch rounded out the top five.
Kurt Busch won the pole for the race. He failed to lead a lap. Truex led the most laps for the fourth consecutive race in leading 97 laps. He took the lead with 36 laps to go and scored the victory. The race had twelve lead changes among six different drivers, as well as eight caution flag periods for 31 laps.
This was the third career win for Martin Truex Jr. and first since the 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. It was the second win for Furniture Row Racing and first since the 2011 Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Despite the win, he left Pocono trailing Kevin Harvick by 39 points in the drivers standings. Chevrolet left with a 59-point lead over Ford in the manufacturer standings.
The Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 was carried by Fox Sports on the cable/satellite Fox Sports 1 network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
Report
Background
Pocono Raceway (formerly Pocono International Raceway) also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond. It is the site of two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held just weeks apart in June and August, and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in August. Since 2013, the track is also host to a Verizon IndyCar Series race.
Pocono is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation, the dominant track owners in NASCAR. It is run by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli. Mattco also owns South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Virginia.
Outside of the NASCAR races, Pocono is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.
Kevin Harvick entered Pocono with a 44-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. following a runner-up finish at Dover. Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano entered 76 back. Dale Earnhardt Jr. entered 84 back.
Pit crew apparel Beginning this weekend, all pit crew members were required to wear specially made gloves, head socks and underwear that are certified by the SFI Foundation. Previously, only the gas can man was required to wear all these items.
Entry list The entry list for the Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 was released on Monday, June 1 at 4:45 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-three cars were entered for the race. This was the first race this season in which nobody failed to qualify for the race. The two driver changes from the previous race to this race were the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford that was driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet that was driven by Ty Dillon.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC3) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick (PC1) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Sam Hornish Jr. 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 (PC4) 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 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC6) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC7) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Travis Kvapil (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Ty Dillon (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC5) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 62 Brendan Gaughan (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing FordOfficial initial entry listOfficial final entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional
First practice Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 50.867 and a speed of . Eighty-five minutes into the session, Tony Stewart got loose exiting turn 2, slid down and crashed into the tire barrier on the inside wall. Stewart told Fox Sports 1, “I was already past the bump (from the tunnel turn), got loose on the exit of it and I couldn’t catch it. So, driver error.” The damage sustained forced the team to roll out their backup car. Because this change took place prior to qualifying, he won't be required to start the race from the rear of the field.
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 4 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 50.867 176.932 2 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.913 176.772 3 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.929 176.717Official first practice results
Qualifying
Kurt Busch won the pole with a time of 50.676 and a speed of . “Wow, what a day, today,” Busch said. “I feel like there are six corners out there as hard as I was working; corner entry, corner exit. The car was just off-balance, especially with the new bumps in Turn 2. And then we got way loose. I think we were 30th in practice. And we had to drop back and punt. (Danica Patrick’s crew chief) Daniel Knost, his set-up, is what we reverted to from last year when we qualified outside pole. So, that’s what it’s all about, team communication and working hard together as a group.” “Yeah, I was just disappointed that we didn’t have great speed,” Brad Keselowski said after qualifying seventh. “I’m not really sure why, but that’s just part of it.” Only seven drivers posted a time in the final round after Denny Hamlin spun out in turn 1. The session was stopped with 39 seconds remaining. Because no one would be able to make it around in the remaining time to start a qualifying lap, the session was concluded. “The circumstances though, I’d like to see everybody finish their lap,” Busch said. “I always thought they should freeze the time when somebody spins. That way everybody still gets to get back out there and make their lap."
Questions were raised over Denny Hamlin getting placed ahead of the other four drivers that didn't post a time in the third round since his spin caused the session to end prematurely. In his weekly appearance on the Sirius XM NASCAR Radio program The Morning Drive the Tuesday after the race, NASCAR Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Steve O'Donnell discussed with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone about changing that particular policy.
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 51.116 51.055 50.676 2 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.851 50.996 50.690 3 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 50.873 50.912 50.698 4 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 50.725 51.006 50.787 5 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 50.693 50.645 50.790 6 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 50.872 50.904 50.984 7 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 51.215 51.124 51.146 8 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.863 50.654 0.000 9 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 50.960 50.737 0.000 10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 50.718 50.792 0.000 11 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 51.001 50.905 0.000 12 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51.017 51.116 0.000 13 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 50.950 51.126 — 14 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 51.054 51.135 — 15 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 51.232 51.153 — 16 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 51.094 51.167 — 17 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51.429 51.224 — 18 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 50.986 51.232 — 19 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 51.327 51.273 — 20 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51.044 51.292 — 21 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 51.317 51.306 — 22 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 51.280 51.478 — 23 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 51.452 51.654 — 24 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 51.432 51.778 — 25 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 51.490 — — 26 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 51.496 — — 27 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51.522 — — 28 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 51.531 — — 29 33 Ty Dillon (i) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 51.630 — — 30 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 51.715 — — 31 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 51.762 — — 32 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 51.792 — — 33 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51.815 — — 34 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 51.900 — — 35 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 52.184 — — 36 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 52.193 — — 37 23 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 52.329 — — 38 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Ford 52.360 — — 39 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 52.401 — — 40 26 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 52.748 — — 41 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 53.116 — — 42 32 Travis Kvapil (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 53.216 — — 43 62 Brendan Gaughan (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 0.000 — —Official qualifying results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 51.236 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 51.236 175.658 2 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51.254 175.596 3 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 51.255 175.593Official second practice results
Final practice Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 51.144 and a speed of .