The 2016 STP 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on April 3, 2016, at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Contested over 500 laps on the .526 mile (.847 km) paperclip-shaped short track, it was the sixth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Kyle Busch won the race. A. J. Allmendinger finished second, while Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-five.
Joey Logano won the pole for the race and led 21 laps on his way to an 11th-place finish. Busch led a race high of 352 laps on his way to scoring the victory. The race had 11 lead changes among five different drivers and eight caution flag periods for 51 laps.
This was the 35th career victory for Busch, first of the season, first at Martinsville Speedway and ninth at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing. With the win, he moved up to third in the points standings. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Toyota left Martinsville trailing Chevrolet by three points in the manufacturer standings.
The STP 500 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
Martinsville Speedway is a oval short track in Ridgeway, Virginia, United States, a community of Martinsville, Virginia. Entering the race, Kevin Harvick leads the points with 195, while Jimmie Johnson is 11 points back, Carl Edwards is 24 points back, and both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are 25 points back.
Entry list The entry list for the STP 500 was released on Monday, March 28 at 1:50 p.m. Eastern time. Forty cars were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer1Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord7Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet10Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota13Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet14Brian VickersStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota20Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota21Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord22Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord23David RaganBK RacingToyota24Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27 Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet31Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Joey Gase (i)Go FAS RacingFord34Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord38Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord41Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet42Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord44Brian Scott (R) Richard Petty MotorsportsFord46Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet47A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet55Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet78Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row RacingToyota83Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet95Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet98Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet Official entry list
Practice
First practice Brian Vickers was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 19.485 and a speed of . Trevor Bayne went to his backup car after crashing his primary in the final 30 seconds of the session.
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 14 Brian Vickers Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 19.485 97.182 2 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 19.500 97.108 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 19.504 97.088Official first practice results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Kasey Kahne was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 19.710 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime15Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.71096.073231Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.75695.849378Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota19.78895.694Official second practice results
Final practice Kyle Larson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 19.835 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime142Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet19.83595.468218Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.86295.338314Brian VickersStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19.86995.304Official final practice results
Qualifying
Joey Logano scored the pole for the race with a time of 19.513 and a speed of . He joined Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Darrell Waltrip and Glen Wood as the only drivers to have earned three-consecutive poles at Martinsville. He said afterwards that it was "nice to be able to go up here and do what we know how to do - execute qualifying like we know how to at this racetrack. Ever since we unloaded this morning it was top of the board, it was a fast racecar. We knew that. We just had to keep our heads in the game and do what we know how to do." He also added that he was "excited, pumped up, jacked up to come to this racetrack and show what we’re made of." After qualifying second, Kasey Kahne said that his performance felt "good. The car was really fast, this Great Clips Chevrolet. The guys did a nice job in practice and in qualifying. I just kept getting better with my laps...The car is fine. Just let me get my laps a little better. I feel good about it (the car). We had a top-10 here the last race, last year; with the backup car because I crashed it in qualifying and this car is better than our primary car was last time.” He also added that Logano "barely got us. But it is definitely a good starting spot. That was one of my goals today was to help out on pit road. Pit road is huge here. We have the best pit crew for stops, than anyone, in my opinion. And if I can help them on pit road, myself, and get a better spot, I think all that will be beneficial on Sunday." After qualifying third, Brian Vickers said he was "so close; the No. 22 was really strong. I thought we had it when he ran a 51 (19.51) I thought we could beat that. We made a small adjustment going into the last round and I don't know maybe that hurt us a little bit. It is so tight. We are fighting for hundredths of a second, thousandths of a second, but everybody on the No. 14 Chevrolet did a good job. I'm really proud of everyone. Mike (Bugarewicz, crew chief) gave me a great race car. Everyone at Stewart–Haas Racing, Chevy, it's an honor to put the Arnie’s Army and Janssen Chevrolet in the top three.”
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 122Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord19.47419.38619.513 25Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.65519.51619.515 314Brian VickersStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19.47919.51319.549 427Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.53319.45819.551 531Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.59719.55219.575 647A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet19.52719.52219.587 718Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.59219.57919.591 811Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.64019.57219.594 920Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.58819.55219.635 1024Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.62319.58819.679 112Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord19.58419.57419.683 1221Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord19.56519.57119.690 1317Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord19.64419.595 — 1416Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord19.57819.598 — 151Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet19.70019.599 — 1678Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota19.58019.609 — 1742Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet19.60219.628 — 1813Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet19.63119.629 — 194Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19.54019.651 — 2043Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord19.69819.675 — 2188Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.67819.715 — 2223David RaganBK RacingToyota19.66319.729 — 2341Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19.64019.767 — 2448Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet19.70119.784 — 2519Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19.708 — — 2644Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord19.742 — — 2795Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet19.743 — — 2810Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet19.748 — — 293Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet19.751 — — 3015Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet19.758 — — 3198Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet19.775 — — 326Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord19.805 — — 3338Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord19.809 — — 347Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet19.819 — — 3583Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota19.871 — — 3634Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord19.880 — — 3732Joey Gase (i)Go FAS RacingFord19.971 — — 3846Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet20.092 — — 3930Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet20.098 — — 4055Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet0.000 — —Official qualifying results
Race First half Start Under clear blue Virginia skies, Joey Logano led the field to the green flag at 1:19 p.m. The first caution of the race flew on the fifth lap for a single-car spin in turn 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. bounced off the side of David Ragan's car and spun out.
The race restarted on lap 10. Going into turn 3, Paul Menard dove under Logano to take the lead on lap 22. Kyle Busch dove under Menard going into turn 3 to take the lead on lap 33. The second caution of the race flew on lap 91 for a single-car spin in turn 2. Menard got into the left-rear corner of Brian Scott, sent him into Michael Annett and sent him spinning. Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 98. Kevin Harvick drove under Busch to take the lead on lap 101. He retook the lead on lap 107. Matt Kenseth drove by his teammate exiting turn 2 to take the lead on lap 133. The third caution of the race flew on lap 136 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Regan Smith sent Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spinning into the wall.
Second quarter The race restarted on lap 145. Busch drove by the outside of Kenseth going into turn 3 to retake the lead on lap 147. Harvick drove by Busch going into turn 1 to take the lead on lap 156. Aric Almirola retired from the race on lap 208 due to engine issues and would go on to finish last. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 222 for a single-car wreck in turn 1. Hamlin's wheel hopped going into the turn and slammed the wall. He said afterwards that it was the "first time ever doing it here, so it’s a little embarrassing, but I mean we were the fastest car those last 30 laps and we got back to the top-five and I was making up a lot of my speed on entry. As the tires wear, the rears get hotter, less grip, you can’t brake at the same amount – it was really out of the blue. I didn’t ever have a hint of it up until that moment, so a bit of a rookie move on my part. Been around here too much to do something like that, but learning for the fall and I’m really encouraged about how good our car came up through the pack and I really thought we had a car that could win.” Harvick and Kenseth swapped the lead on pit road and the latter exited with the lead.
The race restarted on lap 228. Busch retook the lead on lap 230. The fifth caution of the race flew on lap 312 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Josh Wise suffered a tire blowout and slammed the wall. Reed Sorenson was tagged for having too many crew members over the wall and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Second half Halfway