The 2016 Food City 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race that was held on April 17, 2016, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. Contested over 500 laps on the concrete short track, it is the eighth race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, The race had 16 lead changes among different drivers and fifteen cautions for 102 laps.
Report
Background
Bristol Motor Speedway (formerly known as the Bristol International Raceway from 1978 to 1996 and as the Bristol International Speedway from 1961 to 1978) is a oval short track in Bristol, Tennessee. Entering the race, Kyle Busch leads the points with 259, while Jimmie Johnson is 6 points back, Kevin Harvick is 7 points back, Carl Edwards is 18 points back, and Joey Logano is 25 points back.
Entry list The entry list for the Food City 500 was released on Monday, April 11 at 11:39 a.m. Eastern time. Forty cars are 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 RacingChevrolet14Ty Dillon (i)Stewart–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 MotorsportsChevrolet27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet31Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Jeffrey Earnhardt (R)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 Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 14.913 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14.913 128.666 2 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota 14.944 128.399 3 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 14.970 128.374Official first practice results
Practice (post-qualifying)
Second practice Kyle Busch was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 15.184 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime118Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.184126.370224Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.196126.253341Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15.212126.137Official second practice results
Final practice Denny Hamlin was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 15.213 and a speed of . PosDriverTeamManufacturerTime111Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.213126.129224Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.250125.823378Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota15.259125.749Official final practice results
Qualifying Carl Edwards scored the pole for the race with a time of 14.991 and a speed of . He said afterwards that winning the pole was "just awesome. This place is really complicated and my guys did a good job making the car drive well on all different segments.” Matt Kenseth, who qualified second, said that he was "just a little off. These guys did a great job with our Dollar General Camry today. Obviously, all of the JGR cars were fast again so thanks to everyone who’s building these things and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) with the engines. In the first round we were pretty good we thought and then the second round we tried something and we were too tight and then the third round we were a little too loose really. We were just that much off, but overall it was a great day and we’ll still get a good pit stop and a good place to start and hopefully we’ll get it driving good tomorrow and we can race them on Sunday.” During round 1, Ty Dillon got loose exiting turn 3 and slammed into the back of Landon Cassill.
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 119Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14.97415.12914.991 220Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.00215.13715.059 322Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord14.94315.08015.086 411Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14.99615.16515.132 518Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15.04615.07815.162 648Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.12615.16615.173 74Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15.14515.17815.215 878Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota15.10615.23915.226 947A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet15.16515.29015.251 106Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord15.15515.27715.251 115Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.21215.28115.261 122Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord15.09815.16015.266 131Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet15.05215.291 — 1427Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.15415.294 — 153Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.06115.297 — 1613Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet15.12215.299 — 1731Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.22115.307 — 1821Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord15.06815.310 — 1924Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.15415.334 — 2088Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.18615.344 — 2134Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord15.20815.351 — 2243Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord15.16615.353 — 2316Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord15.13915.400 — 2423David RaganBK RacingToyota15.18815.417 — 2542Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet15.226 — — 2641Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15.249 — — 2744Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord15.256 — — 2838Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord15.268 — — 297Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet15.272 — — 3083Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota15.278 — — 3195Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet15.316 — — 3217Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord15.325 — — 3310Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15.350 — — 3414Ty Dillon (i)Stewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15.427 — — 3530Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet15.444 — — 3615Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet15.456 — — 3732Jeffrey Earnhardt (R)Go FAS RacingFord15.561 — — 3855Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet15.569 — — 3998Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet15.625 — — 4046Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet15.694 — —Official qualifying results
Race
First half
Start
Under clear skies, Carl Edwards led the field to the green flag at 1:19 p.m. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made an unscheduled stop on the first lap after reporting he had no power. “Yeah, we got the Roush system on our cars for the stuck throttle issue, and just warming the brakes up I engaged that system to kill the throttle,” Earnhardt said. “I was warming the brakes up like I always do, and apparently I applied too much pressure and it killed the motor. If your throttle is stuck and you mash the brake, you’re going to mash the [expletive] out of that brake when the throttle sticks. It will shut the motor off.” He rejoined the race in 40th two laps down. It only took 25 laps for Edwards to run into lapped traffic. This allowed Joey Logano to pull up to him and make a run on him. He was unable to pass him on the bottom and fell back. Logano caught Edwards behind a lapped car and passed him for the lead on lap 39. Matt Kenseth passed Logano to take the lead on lap 45. The first caution of the race flew on lap 52 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Rounding the turn, Kyle Busch suffered a right-front tire blowout and slammed the wall. Kenseth and Logano swapped the lead on pit road, but Kenseth exited with the lead. Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski were tagged for speeding and David Ragan was tagged for crew over the wall too soon. All three restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 59. The second caution of the race flew on lap 70 for a single-car wreck on the backstretch. Exiting turn 2, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose and spun out.
The race restarted on lap 78. Logano made an unscheduled stop for a vibration on lap 109. To add insult to injury, he was tagged for an uncontrolled tire and was forced to serve a pass-through penalty. The third caution of the race flew for a single-car spin in turn 2. Busch got turned by Chris Buescher. Kenseth and Edwards traded the lead on pit road, but Kenseth exited with the lead. Ragan was tagged for having too many men over the wall and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Second quarter The race restarted on lap 122. The fourth caution of the race flew on lap 147 for a single-car wreck involving Kyle Larson.
The race restarted on lap 155. The fifth caution of the race flew on lap 187 for a single-car wreck in turn 2 involving race leader Kenseth who suffered a tire blowout and slammed the wall. This handed the lead back to Edwards.
The race restarted on lap 195. The sixth caution of the race flew on lap 219 after Ragan lost an engine in turn 4. Greg Biffle and Austin Dillon were tagged for speeding and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
The race restarted on lap 227. The seventh caution of the race flew on lap 259 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Rounding the turn, Busch slammed the wall for the third time. Landon Cassill opted not to pit and assumed the lead.
Second half
Halfway The race restarted on lap 274. Edwards got under Cassill and retook the lead on lap 282. Johnson was running third when he made and unscheduled stop on lap 302. He rejoined the race in 31st two laps down. Kevin Harvick took the lead from Edwards on lap 320. The eighth caution of the race flew on lap 331 for a single-car wreck in turn 1 involving Josh Wise. Harvick swapped the lead with Edwards on pit road and Edwards exited in the lead.
The race restarted on lap 338. The ninth caution of the race flew for a single-car spin in turn 2. Entering turn 1, Casey Mears got tapped in the side by A. J. Allmendinger and sent him spinning.
The race restarted on lap 345. The tenth caution of the race flew on lap 349 for a single-car wreck in turn 2 involving Brian Scott.
The race restarted on lap 356. Kurt Busch cleared Edwards exiting turn 4 to take the lead on lap 357. Keselowski was running fourth when he made an unscheduled stop on lap 389. He rejoined the race in 27th two laps down. Edwards passed Busch in turn 2 to retake the lead on lap 399. The 11th caution of the race flew with 90 laps to go after Hamlin slammed the wall exiting turn 2. Larson was tagged for speeding and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.
Fourth quarter The race restarted with 84 laps to go. The 12th caution of the race flew with 63 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 4. Rounding turn 3, Martin Truex Jr. got into the side of Aric Almirola and sent him spinning into the wall.
The race restarted with 52 laps to go. The 13th caution of the race flew with 40 laps to go for a two-car wreck in turn 2 involving Cassill and Ty Dillon.
The race restarted with 34 laps to go. The 14th caution of the race flew with 15 laps to go for a single-car spin on the backstretch involving Michael Annett.