The 2015 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on November 15, 2015, at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 219 laps – shortened from 312 due to rain – on the oval, it was the 35th race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, ninth race of the Chase and final race of the Eliminator Round. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race, his third of the season. Kevin Harvick finished second, while Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-five.
Johnson won the pole for the race and led 44 laps on his way to a fifth-place finish. Harvick led a race high of 143 laps on his way to a runner-up finish. There were eight lead changes among seven different drivers, as well as two cautions for 29 laps.
This was the 26th career victory for Earnhardt, third of the season, third at Phoenix International Raceway and 10th at the track for Hendrick Motorsports. It moved him to seventh in the points standings. The win clinched Chevrolet its 13th consecutive manufacturers' championship and 39th overall. It would ultimately prove to be Earnhardt's final career victory before his retirement in 2017.
The Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 was carried by NBC Sports on the cable/satellite NBCSN 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
Phoenix International Raceway (Jeff Gordon Raceway) is a , low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. Jeff Gordon entered with a two-point lead over Kyle Busch, a three-point lead over third-placed Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. entered fourth six points back. Carl Edwards entered fifth 13 points back, Brad Keselowski was a further six points back in sixth, with the top eight placings completed by Kurt Busch (seventh; thirty-four points behind) and Joey Logano (eighth; sixty-nine points behind).
Jeff Gordon Raceway On June 11, 2015, Phoenix International Raceway announced that it would be renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for the Sprint Cup Series race. Track President Bryan Sperber said that they "were thinking of it like an athlete getting the keys to the city. It (the idea) took off from there. Starting with the quirky layout of our track, it seems like Phoenix always does things a little different. We're the next-to-last race so a lot of good ideas will already have been implemented at other venues. We thought, 'We better step up our game' and do something really cool, that the fans can be a part of, that what we do for Jeff is remembered."
Chase-clinching scenarios The following Chase-clinching scenarios were in play for the weekend's race.
Jeff Gordon: Clinched by virtue of his Martinsville victory. Kyle Busch: Would have clinched with either a finish of third or better, fourth and at least one lap led or fifth and most laps led. (Finished fourth with one lap led) Kevin Harvick: Would have clinched with a finish of second or better, third and at least one lap led or fourth and most laps led. (Finished second with most laps led) Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch: All four could only guarantee advancement with a win, but could also qualify on points depending on how the rest of the Chase drivers do. (Truex Jr. finished 14th, Edwards 12th, Keselowski ninth and Kurt Busch seventh) Joey Logano: Could only advance via a win (point deficit too big for advancement on points). Finished third.
Entry list The entry list for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 was released on Monday, November 9 at 1:23 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-three cars were entered for the race. Ryan Ellis made his Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 33 Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet. Ryan Preece drove the No. 98 Premium Motorsports Ford. Erik Jones drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota while Matt Kenseth served the second of his two-race suspension.
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 Erik Jones (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Joey Gase (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Ryan Ellis (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 Timmy Hill 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 Ryan Preece Premium Motorsports FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional
Practice
First practice Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 25.383 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25.383 141.827 2 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 25.391 141.783 3 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 25.429 141.571Official first practice results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Kurt Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 25.783 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime141Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet25.783139.627219Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota25.851139.260342Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet25.871139.152Official second practice results
Final practice Kurt Busch was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 25.709 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime141Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet25.709140.029248Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.827139.389388Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25.875139.130Official final practice results
Qualifying
Jimmie Johnson won the pole with a new track record time of 25.147 and a speed of . He said that his team "didn’t have the summer that we wanted, but these guys have been working so hard on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports. So, I’m very happy to see the progress and the direction things are going. It’s been a little bit, everywhere. If we keep doing that, we’re going to close this season out just like we want to and be ready for 2016.” Kurt Busch, who qualified second, said he felt that he "let the team down a little on that lap because our car is better than that. But starting upfront here is a big advantage and we’ll work on the car a little tomorrow to fine tune and be ready to go out and race on Sunday and hope for a win.” Joey Logano, who qualified 14th, said that he "just missed it a little bit. I wish we were in the next round and going for a pole, but the fact of the matter is we’re gonna start 14th and we’re gonna work on our car tomorrow and get it ready to win a race on Sunday.”
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25.688 25.306 25.147 2 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 25.445 25.178 25.196 3 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25.661 25.309 25.249 4 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 25.610 25.310 25.263 5 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 25.765 25.386 25.300 6 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 25.448 25.305 25.301 7 20 Erik Jones (i) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 25.655 25.344 25.313 8 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 25.552 25.319 25.340 9 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25.561 25.397 25.341 10 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 25.489 25.404 25.382 11 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 25.399 25.319 25.458 12 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 25.804 25.385 25.458 13 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 25.440 25.412 — 14 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 25.489 25.419 — 15 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 25.747 25.461 — 16 3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 25.604 25.470 — 17 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 25.629 25.481 — 18 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 25.672 25.483 — 19 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 25.725 25.542 — 20 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 25.708 25.588 — 21 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 25.580 25.645 — 22 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 25.736 25.663 — 23 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 25.746 25.668 — 24 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 25.736 25.763 — 25 51 Justin Allgaier HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 25.808 — — 26 6 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Racing Ford 25.814 — — 27 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 25.850 — — 28 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 25.878 — — 29 55 David Ragan Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 25.916 — — 30 83 Matt DiBenedetto (R) BK Racing Toyota 25.918 — — 31 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 25.948 — — 32 40 Landon Cassill (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 26.047 — — 33 26 J. J. Yeley (i) BK Racing Toyota 26.056 — — 34 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 26.110 — — 35 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 26.112 — — 36 46 Michael Annett HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 26.125 — — 37 23 Jeb Burton (R) BK Racing Toyota 26.278 — — 38 35 Cole Whitt Front Row Motorsports Ford 26.312 — — 39 32 Joey Gase (i) Go FAS Racing Ford 26.326 — — 40 34 Brett Moffitt (R) Front Row Motorsports Ford 26.381 — — 41 98 Ryan Preece Premium Motorsports Ford 26.571 — — 42 33 Ryan Ellis (i) Hillman-Circle Sport LLC Chevrolet 26.724 — — 43 62 Timmy Hill (i) Premium Motorsports Chevrolet 27.375 — —Official qualifying results
Race
First half
Start