The 2013 Aaron's 312 was the eighth stock car race of the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series and the 22nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 4, 2013, in Lincoln, Alabama, at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66-mile (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race was shortened from 117 laps to 110 due to impending darkness. After a wreck-fest race, Regan Smith, driving for JR Motorsports, would win the race under caution, a controversial win as the caution had been called just barely 200 feet from the finish, as if the drivers had been allowed to race back to the line, eventual-third-place finisher, teammate Kasey Kahne, would have won. The win was Smith's second career NASCAR Nationwide Series win and his first win of the season. To fill out the podium, Joey Logano of Penske Racing would finish second.
Background
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor00Blake KochSR² MotorsportsToyotaVIP Poker, Headrush1Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevroletPhoenix Racing01Mike WallaceJD MotorsportsChevroletG&K Services2Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevroletArmour Vienna Sausage3Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletAdvoCare Spark4Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevroletFlex Seal5Kasey KahneJR MotorsportsChevroletGreat Clips6Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFordCargill "Our Certified Ground Beef"7Regan SmithJR MotorsportsChevroletTaxSlayer10Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsToyotaTriStar Motorsports11Elliott SadlerJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaOneMain Financial12Sam Hornish Jr.Penske RacingFordWürth14Eric McClureTriStar MotorsportsToyotaHefty, Reynolds Wrap15Stanton BarrettRick Ware RacingFordFAIR Girls19Mike BlissTriStar MotorsportsToyotaDixie Chopper20Brian VickersJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaDollar General22Joey LoganoPenske RacingFordDiscount Tire23Robert Richardson Jr.R3 MotorsportsChevroletStalk It24Jason WhiteSR² MotorsportsToyotaJW Demolition25John Wes TownleyVenturini MotorsportsToyotaZaxby's27David Green*SR² MotorsportsToyota#teamBOOM!30Nelson Piquet Jr.Turner Scott MotorsportsChevroletWorx Yard Tools31Justin AllgaierTurner Scott MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture32Kyle LarsonTurner Scott MotorsportsChevroletCessna33Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevroletWESCO34Danica PatrickTurner Scott MotorsportsChevroletAccuDoc Solutions40Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevroletThe Motorsports Group42J. J. Yeley*The Motorsports GroupChevroletThe Motorsports Group43Reed SorensonRichard Petty MotorsportsFordPilot Flying J44Hal MartinTriStar MotorsportsToyotaAmerican Custom Yachts46Chase Miller*The Motorsports GroupChevroletThe Motorsports Group47Scott Riggs*The Motorsports GroupChevroletThe Motorsports Group51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletAll South Electric, Repairable Vehicles52Donnie NeuenbergerJimmy Means RacingChevroletEagle Convenience Stores54Joey CoulterJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaMonster Energy55Jamie DickViva MotorsportsChevroletViva Motorsports60Travis PastranaRoush Fenway RacingFordRoush Fenway Racing70Johanna LongML MotorsportsChevroletForetravel Motorcoach74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodgeStoneBridge Construction, Haag Brown77Parker KligermanKyle Busch MotorsportsToyotaBandit Chippers, Camp Horsin' Around79Jeffrey EarnhardtGo Green RacingFordOath Keepers, Fast Wax85Bobby GerhartGerhart RacingChevroletLucas Oil87Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyotaMaddie's Place Rocks89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodgeRacing with Jesus92Tim AndrewsKH MotorsportsFordMaddie's Place Rocks99Alex BowmanRAB RacingToyotaSchoolTiplineOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Thursday, May 2, at 3:00 PM CST, and would last for 45 minutes. Trevor Bayne of Roush Fenway Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 50.275 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed16Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord50.275190.47225Kasey KahneJR MotorsportsChevrolet50.277190.465330Nelson Piquet Jr.Turner Scott MotorsportsChevrolet50.355190.170Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Thursday, May 2, at 4:00 PM CST, and would last for 50 minutes. Ty Dillon of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 49.841 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed133Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet49.841192.13126Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord49.842192.127360Travis PastranaRoush Fenway RacingFord50.133191.012Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, May 3, at 11:10 PM CST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.
Travis Pastrana of Roush Fenway Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 54.255 and an average speed of , his first career NASCAR pole and the first for owner Jack Roush at Talladega. Pastrana stated, “It sounds like a dream come true. Bringing the guys to the line at the green flag at Talladega is awesome, so I’m definitely excited."
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Stanton Barrett and John Wes Townley, who despite qualifying in tenth, was disallowed after his car was found to be too low.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed160Travis PastranaRoush Fenway RacingFord54.255176.50023Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.359176.16236Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord54.387176.071434Danica PatrickTurner Scott MotorsportsChevrolet54.447175.877531Justin AllgaierTurner Scott MotorsportsChevrolet54.450175.868612Sam Hornish Jr.Penske RacingFord54.480175.771711Elliott SadlerJoe Gibbs RacingToyota54.492175.73282Brian ScottRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.537175.58791Kurt BuschPhoenix RacingChevrolet54.558175.5201054Joey CoulterJoe Gibbs RacingToyota54.617175.330115Kasey KahneJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.619175.3241222Joey LoganoPenske RacingFord54.636175.2691310Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsToyota54.652175.2181499Alex BowmanRAB RacingToyota54.655175.2081543Reed SorensonRichard Petty MotorsportsFord54.657175.2021630Nelson Piquet Jr.Turner Scott MotorsportsChevrolet54.660175.1921733Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet54.685175.1121877Parker KligermanKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota54.729174.9711932Kyle LarsonTurner Scott MotorsportsChevrolet54.744174.923207Regan SmithJR MotorsportsChevrolet54.750174.9042120Brian VickersJoe Gibbs RacingToyota54.792174.770224Landon CassillJD MotorsportsChevrolet54.914174.3822314Eric McClureTriStar MotorsportsToyota54.920174.3632419Mike BlissTriStar MotorsportsToyota54.984174.1602570Johanna LongML MotorsportsChevrolet54.997174.1192685Bobby GerhartGerhart RacingChevrolet55.035173.9982779Jeffrey EarnhardtGo Green RacingFord55.079173.8592874Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge55.091173.8212955Jamie DickViva MotorsportsChevrolet55.137173.6763087Joe NemechekNEMCO MotorsportsToyota55.170173.5733124Jason WhiteSR² MotorsportsToyota55.229173.3873244Hal MartinTriStar MotorsportsToyota55.341173.0363323Robert Richardson Jr.R3 MotorsportsChevrolet55.399172.8553400Blake KochSR² MotorsportsToyota55.429172.7623589Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge55.556172.3673652Donnie NeuenbergerJimmy Means RacingChevrolet55.686171.9643751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet55.698171.9273801Mike WallaceJD MotorsportsChevrolet55.806171.594Qualified by owner's points3940Josh WiseThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet55.992171.024Last car to qualify on time4092Tim AndrewsKH MotorsportsFord55.751171.764Failed to qualify or withdrew4115Stanton BarrettRick Ware RacingFord56.144170.5614225John Wes TownleyVenturini MotorsportsToyota—*—*WD27David GreenSR² MotorsportsToyota——WD42J. J. YeleyThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet——WD46Chase MillerThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet——WD47Scott RiggsThe Motorsports GroupChevrolet——Official starting lineup
Race Pole sitter Travis Pastrana led the first lap of the race. On lap 5, Pastrana and Roush Racing teammate Trevor Bayne decided to swap tandems but fell back as the pack caught up to the 2 cars. Ty Dillon took the lead from Bayne and Pastrana with a push by Kurt Busch. Busch swapped positions with Dillon on the next lap but fell back as Kasey Kahne took the lead after Busch led lap 6. Elliott Sadler took the lead from Kahne on lap 13 and Kahne took it back the next lap. The first caution flew on lap 14 when Danica Patrick crashed in turn 3. Joey Logano won the race off of pit road making him the race leader. Allgaier passed Logano for the lead on lap 19 but soon both began to swap the lead with Logano getting pushed by Sam Hornish Jr. and Allgaier getting pushed by Kurt Busch. Brian Vickers took the lead from Logano on lap 26 but Logano took it back on the next lap of the race. On lap 34, Kasey Kahne passed Logano for the lead but gave it back to Logano on the next lap. On lap 35, the second caution flew for a 2 car crash in turn 3 involving Kyle Larson and Jeffery Earnhardt. Logano won the race off of pit road keeping his lead. On lap 42, Logano got passed by Elliott Sadler giving Sadler the lead. Logano took it back on lap 44 and led the next 11 laps of the race. On lap 55, Logano and his drafting partner Kasey Kahne switched positions to prevent Kahne from overheating and gave the lead to Elliott Sadler. On lap 57, Brian Scott took the lead from Sadler. On lap 58, Reed Sorenson took the lead followed by Trevor Bayne on lap 59. On lap 60, Kasey Kahne took the lead from Bayne. On lap 63, Regan Smith took the lead and both Smith and Kahne began to swap the lead from each other. With 46 laps to go, the third caution flew when Reed Sorenson got turned by Brian Scott on the backstretch and got run into by Travis Pastrana lifting Sorenson's rear end into the air. Joey Logano once again won the race off of pit road to keep his lead. The race restarted with 39 to go. With 37 to go, Parker Kligerman took the lead. Both Kligerman and Kurt Busch began to swap the lead from each other before with 31 laps to go, Kasey Kahne took the lead. With 30 to go, Kurt Busch took the lead back from Kahne. On the same lap, Blake Koch got turned by Justin Allgaier and hit the outside wall coming out of turn 2. The race restarted with 27 laps to go and Kurt Busch leading the race. Justin Allgaier tried to take the lead but failed and Busch led with 26 to go.
Final laps