The 2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on September 18, 2016, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Contested over 270 laps on the intermediate speedway, it was the 27th race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, first race of the Chase and first race of the Round of 16.
Furniture Row Racing's Martin Truex Jr. won his third race of the 2016 season ahead of Team Penske's Joey Logano, winning for the first time at Chicagoland, to advance to the second round of the Chase. The race had 17 lead changes among 9 different drivers and 4 cautions for 22 laps.
Report Background
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago.
Entry list The preliminary entry list for the race included 40 cars and was released on September 12, 2016, at 11:36 a.m. Eastern time.
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 RacingChevrolet14Tony StewartStewart–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 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 RacingToyota88Alex Bowman (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet95Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet98Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list
Qualifying
Qualifying for Friday was cancelled due to rain. Kyle Busch was awarded the pole position as a result.
Starting lineup Driver Team Manufacturer 118Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 22Brad KeselowskiTeam PenskeFord 311Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 44Kevin HarvickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 519Carl EdwardsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 678Martin Truex Jr.Furniture Row RacingToyota 720Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota 848Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 922Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord 1042Kyle LarsonChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet 1114Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 1241Kurt BuschStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 1334Chris Buescher (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord 1424Chase Elliott (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 153Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet 161Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet 1788Alex Bowman (i)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 1831Ryan NewmanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet 195Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet 206Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord 2147A. J. AllmendingerJTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet 2221Ryan Blaney (R)Wood Brothers RacingFord 2317Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord 2416Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord 2510Danica PatrickStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet 2627Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet 2743Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord 2815Clint BowyerHScott MotorsportsChevrolet 2913Casey MearsGermain RacingChevrolet 3095Michael McDowellCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet 3138Landon CassillFront Row MotorsportsFord 3223David RaganBK RacingToyota 337Regan SmithTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet 3444Brian Scott (R)Richard Petty MotorsportsFord 3583Matt DiBenedettoBK RacingToyota 3698Cole WhittPremium MotorsportsChevrolet 3746Michael AnnettHScott MotorsportsChevrolet 3832Joey Gase (i)Go FAS RacingFord 3955Reed SorensonPremium MotorsportsChevrolet 4030Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevroletOfficial starting lineup
Practice First practice Jimmie Johnson was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 29.383 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.383 183.780 2 19 Carl Edwards Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.460 183.299 3 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.520 182.927Official first practice results
Second practice Kyle Larson was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 29.033 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 29.033 185.995 2 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 29.067 185.778 3 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Toyota 29.156 185.211Official second practice results
Final practice Kyle Larson was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.460 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 42 Kyle Larson Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 29.460 183.299 2 24 Chase Elliott (R) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.527 182.883 3 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 29.536 182.828Official final practice results
Race First half
Under clear blue Illinois skies, Kyle Busch led the field to the green flag at 2:49 p.m. He led the first 22 laps before Martin Truex Jr. powered by on the outside exiting turn 2 to take the lead on lap 23. Green flag stops commenced on lap 48, and a tire that came from the stall of Aric Almirola and came to a stop in the frontstretch grass area brought out the first caution of the race on lap 49. Jimmie Johnson, who made it across the start/finish line on pit road before Truex crossed the line on the track, remained on the lead lap and assumed the lead after he opted to stay out when Truex pitted. Kevin Harvick, who worked his way up to eighth after starting the race from the rear end of the field for an unapproved adjustment, didn't beat Truex back to the line and was trapped a lap down for much of the race.
The race restarted on lap 56. Truex, who was running second, made an unscheduled stop on lap 70 for a flat right-rear tire. He rejoined the race in 21st one lap down. Green flag stops started again on lap 103. Johnson hit pit road the next lap and handed the lead to Brad Keselowski. He pitted the next lap and the lead cycled back to Johnson. Casey Mears was issued a pass through penalty for speeding on pit road and then was issued a stop and go penalty for speeding on his pass through.
The second caution of the race flew on lap 119 for Brian Scott getting loose and spinning out in turn 4. Matt Kenseth was sent to the tail end of the field on the ensuing restart for speeding on pit road.
Second half The race restarted on lap 126. This run was much like the second run in which the field settled into a rhythm of green flag racing. During this run, Harvick came up and hit the 78 car. Truex said after the race in his media availability that "nothing led up to it. We hadn't been around each other all day, really. I passed him once earlier. I had fresh tires, he was lapped and that was after I had my flat (so) I was racing to get my lap back." The next round of green flag stops began on lap 172. Johnson pitted from the lead the same lap and handed the lead to Keselowski. He pitted on lap 174 and the lead cycled back to Johnson. Busch was issued a pass through penalty for speeding on pit road.
Busch worked his back onto the lead lap by driving around race leader Johnson on lap 182. That same lap, teammate Chase Elliott passed him for the lead exiting turn 4. Debris on the backstretch brought out the third caution of the race on lap 193.
The race restarted on lap 199. Not much happened until the final round of green flag pit stops with 33 laps to go. Elliott pitted with 32 to go and handed the lead to Denny Hamlin. He pitted with 30 to go and handed the lead to Ryan Blaney. He pitted with 25 to go and handed the lead to Alex Bowman. He pitted with 19 to go and the lead cycled back to Elliott. During the pit cycle, Johnson was issued a pass through penalty for speeding. He said after the race that he "just can’t believe I got in trouble down there leaving the pits. I feel terrible for these guys. It should have been a top-five day, but I will back down on pit road even more and try not to make that mistake. Hats off to the team for our fast Lowe’s Chevrolet, I just screwed up.”
Truex was gaining ground on Elliott in the closing laps of the race, but not enough to catch him with the laps remaining. Unfortunately for Elliott, a shredded right-front tire from the No. 95 car of Michael McDowell brought out the fourth caution of the race with five laps to go and forced overtime. Three drivers: Blaney, who assumed the lead, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards, opted to stay out while the rest of the lead lap cars pitted. Truex exited pit road ahead of Elliott.
Overtime The race restarted with two laps to go. Blaney was no match on old tires against Truex on new tires. Truex passed him on the backstretch with two to go and drove on to score the victory.
Post-race
Driver comments “The racing gods want to make it difficult on us,” Truex said in victory lane. “Man, this feels good. I’m a lucky guy to be able to drive this black 78. (Crew chief) Cole Pearn, Jazzy (Team Engineer Jeff Curtis), everybody on this team, the pit crew, Barney (Team Owner Visser) for giving us everything we need. This is the way we wanted to start the Chase. It feels awesome.” “On one hand the bad luck was going to bite us and on the other we had a lot of time to battle back,” he added. “We’re lucky it happened early and we were able to have an awesome racecar all day.”
Truex's car failed post-race LIS (Laser Inspection Station) after the race. The failure was not considered "encumbered" and he was allowed to keep the benefits of his win.
Joey Logano, who finished runner-up, said his day saw "awesome execution by the 22 team. From every angle. We had a very fast race car and were awesome on pit road. You want to talk about pressure, not just Chase pressure, but coming down at the end of the race to try to win, they executed and had an awesome pit stop and beat the 11 out and ultimately gives us a second place finish. I couldn’t be more proud of the team and the way we executed and attacked today. We will take this momentum and run with it the next nine weeks.”
Elliott, who was leading the race with five to go and finished third, said he "felt like we did a good job as a team today trying to control the things that we could control. And you can't control when a caution is going to come out. Granted, you can expect one a lot of the time, but you can't control when it's going to happen, and you certainly can't control how many guys are going to stay out on tires and try to make something happen at the end of a race. That's just a part of life, part of racing." He added that he was "proud of that (speed his car showed); we are proud of the run we had today,” he said. “Obviously, hate to come up short, but that is part of life some days. We were fast and I think that is something to be happy about and we can move forward to Loudon (next week) with some motivation.”