The 2016 Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200 was the fourth stock car race of the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and the 12th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 12, 2016, in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Kyle Busch, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would dominate the race to win his 79th career NASCAR Xfinity Series race and his third win of the season. To fill out the podium, Erik Jones and Daniel Suárez, both driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

Entry list

(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Garrett SmithleyJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports1Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevroletOneMain Financial01Ryan Preece (R)JD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports2Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevroletRuud3Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevroletBass Pro Shops, Tracker Boats4Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevroletJD Motorsports6Bubba WallaceRoush Fenway RacingFordCheez-It7Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevroletBrandt Professional Agriculture07Ray Black Jr. (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevroletScubaLife10Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsToyotaTriStar Motorsports11Blake KochKaulig RacingChevroletLeafFilter Gutter Protection13D. J. KenningtonMBM MotorsportsDodgeNorthern Provincial Pipelines14J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyotaTriStar Motorsports15Ryan Ellis*Rick Ware RacingFordX-treme pH Sports Water16Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFordLilly Diabetes18Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaNOS Energy19Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaJuniper Networks20Erik Jones (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyotaReser's Fine Foods21Spencer Gallagher (i)GMS RacingChevroletAllegiant Air, Kingman Chevrolet22Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFordDiscount Tire24T. J. BellJGL RacingToyotaJGL Racing Young Guns25Timmy HillTeam Kapusta RacingChevroletWrap Nation28Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyotaJGL Racing33Brandon Jones (R)Richard Childress RacingChevroletE-Z-GO39Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing40Josh ReaumeMBM MotorsportsToyotaMBM Motorsports42Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevroletKaterra43Jeb BurtonRichard Petty MotorsportsFordJ. Streicher44David StarrTriStar MotorsportsToyotaZachry48Brennan Poole (R)Chip Ganassi RacingChevroletDC Solar51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevroletJeremy Clements Racing52Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevroletDonate Life Arizona62Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevroletSouth Point Hotel, Casino & Spa70Derrike CopeDerrike Cope RacingChevroletAshurst American Honey, E-Hydrate74Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodgeMike Harmon Racing78B. J. McLeod (R)B. J. McLeod MotorsportsFordX-treme pH Sports Water88Chase Elliott (i)JR MotorsportsChevroletTaxSlayer89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevroletRacing with Jesus90Mario GosselinKing AutosportChevroletBuckedUp Apparel93Dylan LuptonRSS RacingChevroletRSS Racing97Harrison RhodesObaika RacingChevroletVroom! Brands99Todd PeckB. J. McLeod MotorsportsFordX-treme pH Sports WaterOfficial entry list *Driver changed to Todd Peck after Ellis wrecked in qualifying.

Practice

First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, March 11, at 9:30a.m. MST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 26.840 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Erik Jones (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota26.840134.12823Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet26.881133.924339Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet26.988133.393Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session was held on Friday, March 11, at 1:00p.m. MST. The session would last for one hour and 25 minutes. Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 26.855 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed120Erik Jones (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota26.855134.053219Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota26.888133.889318Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota27.096132.861Full second practice results

Third and final practice The final practice session, sometimes known as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, March 11, at 3:30p.m. MST. The session would last for 55 minutes. Ty Dillon of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.050 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed13Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.050133.087219Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota27.111132.787320Erik Jones (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota27.125132.719Full Happy Hour practice results

Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 12, at 9:45a.m. MST. Since Phoenix International Raceway is under 2 miles (3.2 km), the qualifying system was a multi-car system that included three rounds. The first round was 15 minutes, where every driver would be able to set a lap within the 15 minutes. Then, the second round would consist of the fastest 24 cars in Round 1, and drivers would have 10 minutes to set a lap. Round 3 consisted of the fastest 12 drivers from Round 2, and the drivers would have 5 minutes to set a time. Whoever was fastest in Round 3 would win the pole.

Erik Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole after advancing from both preliminary rounds and setting the fastest lap in Round 3, with a time of 26.318 and an average speed of .

Two drivers would fail to qualify: Josh Reaume and Todd Peck.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTime (R1)Speed (R1)Time (R2)Speed (R2)Time (R3)Speed (R3)120Erik Jones (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota26.996133.35326.507135.81326.318136.789219Daniel SuárezJoe Gibbs RacingToyota26.768134.48926.695134.85726.346136.643318Kyle Busch (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota27.217132.27026.637135.15026.390136.41543Ty DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.083132.92526.866133.99826.588135.399588Chase Elliott (i)JR MotorsportsChevrolet27.022133.22526.876133.94926.622135.22762Austin Dillon (i)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet27.318131.78126.838134.13826.631135.181722Brad Keselowski (i)Team PenskeFord27.043133.12126.819134.23326.637135.150833Brandon Jones (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet27.229132.21226.845134.10326.674134.96396Bubba WallaceRoush Fenway RacingFord27.102132.83226.685134.90726.683134.917107Justin AllgaierJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.056133.05726.820134.22826.714134.7611162Brendan GaughanRichard Childress RacingChevrolet27.209132.30926.943133.61526.797134.3431211Blake KochKaulig RacingChevrolet27.239132.16326.938133.64026.850134.078Eliminated in Round 21316Ryan ReedRoush Fenway RacingFord27.276131.98426.960133.531 - -1442Justin MarksChip Ganassi RacingChevrolet27.207132.31926.983133.417 - -1543Jeb BurtonRichard Petty MotorsportsFord27.238132.16827.001133.328 - -161Elliott SadlerJR MotorsportsChevrolet27.347131.64127.004133.314 - -1748Brennan Poole (R)Chip Ganassi RacingChevrolet27.313131.80527.030133.185 - -1821Spencer Gallagher (i)GMS RacingChevrolet27.059133.04327.120132.743 - -194Ross ChastainJD MotorsportsChevrolet27.188132.41127.129132.699 - -2051Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet27.361131.57427.239132.163 - -2139Ryan SiegRSS RacingChevrolet27.294131.89727.309131.825 - -2244David StarrTriStar MotorsportsToyota27.395131.41127.375131.507 - -2314J. J. YeleyTriStar MotorsportsToyota27.382131.47327.449131.152 - -2401Ryan Preece (R)JD MotorsportsChevrolet27.180132.45027.526130.785 - -Eliminated in Round 12507Ray Black Jr. (R)SS-Green Light RacingChevrolet27.395131.411 - - - -2628Dakoda ArmstrongJGL RacingToyota27.440131.195 - - - -2724T. J. BellJGL RacingToyota27.462131.090 - - - -2893Dylan LuptonRSS RacingChevrolet27.489130.961 - - - -2910Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsToyota27.496130.928 - - - -3089Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesChevrolet27.637130.260 - - - -3125Timmy HillTeam Kapusta RacingChevrolet27.648130.208 - - - -3290Mario GosselinKing AutosportChevrolet27.701129.959 - - - -3313D. J. KenningtonMBM MotorsportsDodge27.731129.819 - - - -Qualified by owner's points340Garrett Smithley (R)JD MotorsportsChevrolet27.895129.055 - - - -3578B. J. McLeod (R)B. J. McLeod MotorsportsFord27.977128.677 - - - -3652Joey GaseJimmy Means RacingChevrolet28.071128.246 - - - -3770Derrike CopeDerrike Cope RacingChevrolet28.104128.096 - - - -3897Harrison RhodesObaika RacingChevrolet28.241127.474 - - - -3974Mike HarmonMike Harmon RacingDodge28.460126.493 - - - -4015Ryan EllisRick Ware RacingFord - - - - - -Failed to qualify4140Josh ReaumeMBM MotorsportsToyota28.414126.698 - - - -4299Todd PeckB. J. McLeod MotorsportsFord28.426126.645 - - - -Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup

Race results