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2011 Brickyard 400

The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com, the 18th running of the event, was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 31, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt rectangular oval, it was the 20th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season.

2011 Brickyard 400
Race details[1][2][3][4]
Race 20 of 36 in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2011 Brickyard 400 program cover, featuring Jamie McMurray.
Date July 31, 2011 (2011-07-31)
Location Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Distance 160 laps, 400 mi (643.73 km)
Weather Mostly sunny with a high around 90; wind out of the NNW at 4 mph[5]
Average speed 140.762 miles per hour (226.534 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Roush Fenway Racing
Time 49.182
Most laps led
Driver Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team
Laps 48
Winner
No. 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree
The race logo used for the 2011 Brickyard 400.

There were five cautions and 22 lead changes among 13 different drivers throughout the course of the race. Paul Menard won his only Cup Series race, driving for Richard Childress Racing, while Jeff Gordon finished second, and Regan Smith clinched third. The result moved Menard to the 14th position in the Drivers' Championship. He remained 53 points behind tenth place driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and two ahead of Kasey Kahne in fifteenth. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, 20 points ahead of Ford and 28 ahead of Toyota, with 16 races remaining in the season. A total of 138,000 people attended the race, while 6.4 million watched it live on television.

Report edit

Background edit

 
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the race track where the race was held.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the others being Michigan International Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.[6] The standard track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[7] The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has none.[7] The racetrack has seats for 250,000 spectators.[8]

Before the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 652 points, and Jimmie Johnson stood in second with 645. Kurt Busch was third in the Drivers' Championship with 641 points, four ahead of Kevin Harvick and nine ahead of Kyle Busch in fourth and fifth. Matt Kenseth with 626 was 39 ahead of Jeff Gordon, as Ryan Newman with 586 points, was nine ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., and 16 in front of Denny Hamlin.[9] In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 127 points, 17 ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 105 points, was 29 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.[10] Jamie McMurray was the defending winner of the race.[11]

Practice and qualifying edit

 
David Ragan recorded his second pole position with a fastest time of 49.182 seconds

Three practice sessions were held before the race; the first two on Friday, both lasting 75 minutes. The third practice session was held on Saturday, and lasted 90 minutes.[12] Kenseth was quickest with a time of 49.668 seconds in the first session, around seven thousandths of a second faster than second place Kasey Kahne.[13][14] Hamlin followed in third place ahead of Edwards, David Ragan, and Kurt Busch. Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh, still within a second of Kenseth's time.[14]

In the second practice session, Greg Biffle was fastest with a time of 50.474 seconds, less than four-hundredths of a second quicker than second-placed Martin Truex Jr. Johnson took third place, ahead of Casey Mears, Harvick and Edwards. Kenseth was only quick enough for the 29th position.[15][16] Also during the second session, Hamlin's engine failed, prompting the session to halt with three minutes remaining.[17] In the third and final practice, Biffle remained quickest with a time of 49.297 seconds. Kahne followed in second, ahead of Kurt Busch and Ragan. Edwards was fifth quickest, with a time of 49.583 seconds. Montoya, A. J. Allmendinger, Kenseth, Brian Vickers, and Johnson rounded out the first ten positions.[18]

Forty-eight drivers were entered for qualifying,[19] but only forty-three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Ragan clinched the second pole position of his career, with a time of 49.182 seconds.[20] He was joined on the front row of the grid by Kahne.[20] Johnson qualified third, Kurt Busch took fourth, and Brad Keselowski started fifth.[20] Allmendinger, Montoya, Gordon, Kenseth and Edwards rounded out the top ten. The five drivers who failed to qualify for the race were David Stremme, Travis Kvapil, Erik Darnell, J. J. Yeley, and Scott Wimmer.[20] Following the conclusion of the session, Ragan commented, "We're working as hard as we ever have. It's finally just showing. We've always had a lot of confidence in our team. The last couple years we've really underperformed. That has not been a secret.[21]"

Race edit

 
Paul Menard won the race.

The race, the 20th in the season, began at 1:00 pm EDT and was televised live in the United States on ESPN.[1] Weather conditions were dry before the race, the air temperature at 80 °F (27 °C); clear skies were expected.[22] Representative Howard Brammer began pre-race ceremonies, by giving the invocation. Next, Rascal Flatts performed the national anthem, and Mari Hulman George gave the command for drivers to start their engines.[22]

Ragan retained his pole position lead into the first corner, followed by Kahne, who started second. Kahne managed to take first before the conclusion of the first lap. Two laps later, Allmendinger moved up to third. On the sixth lap of the race, Trevor Bayne was forced to go to the pit lane after overheating. After starting eighth on the grid, Gordon had moved up to fourth, as Kurt Busch fell to seventh. By the 11th lap of the race, Kahne had extended his lead to three seconds over Ragan. Three laps later, Gordon moved into the second position. By lap 17, Kahne had extended his lead to 4.5 seconds. On the 22nd lap, Kenseth passed Allmendinger for fourth. After 25 laps, Allmendinger and Kahne made pit stops, two laps before Kurt Busch. Everyone had made pit stops by the 30th lap of the race, which moved Kahne back into first.[22]

Four laps later, the first caution was given because of debris on the racing surface. Most of the front runners made pit stops, except Kahne and Gordon. At the restart on the 38th lap, Kahne was the leader ahead of Gordon and Johnson. By the 42nd lap, Gordon had passed Kahne and expanded his lead to 1.3 seconds. On the following lap, Hamlin moved up to fifth, as Kenseth took over seventh. On lap 45, Earnhardt Jr. made a pit stops to remove grass from his front grille. Five laps later, the second caution was given after David Reutimann collided into the wall. All of the front runners made pit stops during the caution, as Earnhardt Jr. became the leader. On the 57th lap, Kenseth and Johnson passed Kyle Busch for fourth and fifth place respectively. On the following lap, Gordon moved up to second after overtaking Ragan. Gordon passed Earnhardt Jr. to become the leader on the 60th lap.[22]

Four laps later, Kahne moved up to fourth. On lap 68, Johnson passed teammate Earnhardt Jr. to take second. On the 72nd lap, Jamie McMurray made a pit stop for some adjustments. On the next lap, Keselowski made a pit stop, three laps before Tony Stewart. While making a pit stop, Stewart had to do a pass through penalty for going faster than the proposed speed on pit road. After everyone made pit stops, Gordon reclaimed the lead on lap 84. Ten laps later, debris on the track prompted the third caution. Most of the leaders made pit stops during the caution. At the restart on lap 97, Paul Menard was the leader, ahead of Kenseth and Ragan. On the 101st lap, Kahne took sixth from Hamlin, as Menard remained the leader. Six laps later, Kenseth passed Menard to become the leader. On the 108th lap, Montoya moved up to third, as Johnson moved up to 11th. On lap 114, the fourth caution was given after Kyle Busch collided into the wall. Most of the front runners made pit stops during the caution, while Keselowski did not.[22]

At the restart on lap 117, Keselowski was the leader. On the following lap, Montoya moved up to third, as Marcos Ambrose received a drive-through penalty after switching lanes before the start, finish line. On the 120th lap, Landon Cassill spun sideways, prompting the fifth caution to be given. None of the front runners made pit stops during the caution. Keselowski continued to lead on the lap 126 restart, as Clint Bowyer moved into second. On the 130th lap, Jeff Burton made a pit stop, as Gordon overtook Kenseth for fourth. On the following lap, Johnson made a pit stop, one lap before Keselowski, Montoya and Kahne. At lap 133, Earnhardt Jr. and Joey Logano made a pit stop, a lap before Bowyer, and two laps before Gordon. Afterwards, Ragan made a pit stop, moving Stewart into first. By lap 140, Stewart had a four-second lead over second placed Brian Vickers.[22]

Six laps later, Stewart made a pit stop for fuel, moving Menard into first. With ten laps remaining, Trevor Bayne moved up to tenth, three laps before McMurray became the leader as Menard was saving fuel. By the 155th lap, Gordon had moved up to fifth, as the drivers in front of him were at a slower pace from trying to get better fuel mileage. With three laps remaining, Menard reclaimed first from McMurray, as Gordon moved up to third. On the final lap, Gordon moved into second, and Menard crossed the finish line first to score his first Sprint Cup Series victory. Gordon was second, ahead of Regan Smith, McMurray, and Kenseth.[22]

Post-race edit

"My first year here was 1989, that I can remember anyway. I think I was here when I was 3 or 4 years old, too. I just spent a lot of time in the garage area. I didn't miss an Indy 500 from 1989 to 2003. I was here for the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994. It's just a really special place for my family and myself.

Paul Menard, speaking after the race.[23]

Menard appeared in victory lane after his victory lap to start celebrating his first win of his career,[24] in front of a crowd of 138,000 people.[25] Jeff Gordon said of Menard's first victory: "I went and saw him. His eyes, he's like a deer in headlights. I'm so happy for him. It's one thing to get your first win here, but it's another when you can appreciate how special it is to win here. I think Paul certainly has that."[24]

Although Stewart was leading the race near the end, he had to pit for fuel.[22] Stewart, who finished sixth, said, "I'm really happy for Paul Menard. Paul's been around this place for a long time, been here since he was a kid. It couldn't have happened to a better guy. It's a pretty deserving win right there. I'm happy for him."[24] In the subsequent press conference, Gordon stated his happiness for Menard by saying, "Just because he's been here so much as a kid experiencing Indy, he knows how special it is to compete here, let alone win here. So I think the feelings are probably very similar. He probably has a greater appreciation for it than I did in '94, because while I was watching from a distance and my heroes were Indy 500 drivers, I wasn't in the garage like he was."[23]

Smith also commented, "I just know what it means to Paul. I know how hard he's worked. He always talks about coming up here. He always talks about how much he loves this place. I know if he had to highlight one race to get his first win, I'm sure he'd tell you in a minute he couldn't be happier. You only get one chance to get your first win. It's a special thing, especially when you do it here."[24] The race result moved Menard up five positions to 14th in the Driver's Championship with 553 points, 53 points behind tenth.[26] Edwards, who finished fourteenth in the race,[4] remained first in the standings, as Johnson followed in second. Harvick followed in third ahead of Kyle Busch and Kenseth.[26] Chevrolet maintained their lead in the Manufacturers' Championship with 136 points.[10] Ford and Toyota placed second and third with 116 and 108 points, while Dodge was fourth with 80.[10] 6.4 million people watched the event live on television.[27] The race took two hours, fifty minutes and thirty seconds to complete, and the margin of victory was 0.725 seconds,[4]

Results edit

Qualifying edit

No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed Grid
6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49.182 182.994 1
4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 49.200 182.927 2
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49.234 182.801 3
22 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 49.269 182.671 4
2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 49.300 182.556 5
43 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 49.330 182.445 6
42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 49.351 182.367 7
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49.385 182.242 8
17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49.392 182.216 9
99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49.437 182.050 10
13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Toyota 49.444 182.024 11
5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49.459 181.969 12
31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49.479 181.895 13
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49.480 181.892 14
27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49.486 181.870 15
1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 49.492 181.848 16
47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 49.528 181.715 17
16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49.537 181.422 18
29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49.550 181.635 19
20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49.608 181.422 20
9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 49.617 181.389 21
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49.632 181.335 22
39 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 49.636 181.320 23
14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 49.655 181.251 24
21 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford 49.687 181.134 25
33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49.729 180.981 26
78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 49.744 180.926 27
00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49.748 180.912 28
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49.764 180.854 29
56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49.829 180.618 30
83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 49.831 180.611 31
51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 49.963 180.133 32
36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 50.021 179.924 33
37 Scott Speed Max Q Motorsports Ford 50.126 179.451 34
66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota 50.153 179.451 35
87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 50.196 179.297 36
34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 50.202 179.276 37
60 Mike Skinner Germain Racing Toyota 50.282 178.990 38
71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford 50.300 178.926 39
50 T. J. Bell LTD Powersports Chevrolet 50.564 177.992 40
7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 50.600 177.866 41
32 Mike Bliss FAS Lane Racing Ford 50.601 177.862 42
23 Terry Labonte(P) FAS Lane Racing Ford 51.577 174.496 43
Failed to Qualify
30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet 50.579 177.939
38 Travis Kvapil Front Row Motorsports Ford 50.729 177.413
46 Erik Darnell Whitney Motorsports Ford 50.734 177.396
55 J. J. Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford 51.009 176.439
77 Scott Wimmer Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 51.415 175.046

Race results edit

Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points
1 15 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 4713
2 8 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 431
3 27 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 160 41
4 16 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 160 411
5 9 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 401
6 24 14 Tony Stewart Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 160 391
7 18 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 37
8 12 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 36
9 5 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 160 361
10 29 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 34
11 19 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 33
12 23 39 Ryan Newman Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet 160 32
13 26 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 321
14 10 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 30
15 31 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 160 29
16 22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 291
17 17 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 160 27
18 2 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 160 282
19 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 261
20 32 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 160 04
21 4 22 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 160 23
22 6 43 A. J. Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 160 22
23 1 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 221
24 30 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 160 20
25 20 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 19
26 39 71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford 160 18
27 14 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 17
28 7 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 160 16
29 11 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Toyota 160 15
30 25 21 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford 160 04
31 33 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 160 141
32 42 32 Mike Bliss FAS Lane Racing Ford 160 04
33 37 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 157 11
34 21 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 157 10
35 13 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 153 9
36 28 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49 8
37 35 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota 23 7
38 36 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 19 04
39 34 37 Scott Speed Front Row Motorsports Ford 19 04
40 38 60 Mike Skinner Germain Racing Toyota 16 04
41 43 23 Terry Labonte FAS Lane Racing Ford 15 3
42 40 50 T. J. Bell LTD Powersports Chevrolet 10 04
43 41 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 5 1
Source:[4][30]
1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap
2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps
3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race
4 Ineligible for championship points

Standings after the race edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b . ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  2. ^ . In Racing News. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  3. ^ "NASCAR Race Trax — Sprint Cup Race Day — Brickyard 400". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  5. ^ Brown, Brian (July 27, 2011). . RotoWorld. Archived from the original on September 19, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  6. ^ . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  7. ^ a b . NASCAR. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  8. ^ . Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  9. ^ . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d . Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  11. ^ Associated Press (July 28, 2010). "Jamie McMurray wins Brickyard after Juan Pablo Montoya falters". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  12. ^ . Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
  13. ^ Jensen, Tom (July 29, 2011). . Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  14. ^ a b . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  15. ^ . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  16. ^ . Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. July 29, 2011. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  17. ^ Jenson, Tom (July 29, 2011). . Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on March 17, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  18. ^ . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  19. ^ . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  20. ^ a b c d e . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  21. ^ Ryan, Nate (July 30, 2011). "David Ragan continues NASCAR roll with Brickyard 400 pole". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on December 28, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
  23. ^ a b Sporting News Wire Service (August 1, 2011). . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  24. ^ a b c d "Paul Menard earns first career win at Brickyard 400". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  25. ^ "2011 Brickyard 400". Racing-reference. Yardbarker. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  26. ^ a b c . NASCAR. NASCAR Media Group. Archived from the original on October 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  27. ^ . Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  28. ^ . Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  29. ^ . Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  30. ^ . Motor Racing Network. International Speedway Corporation. July 31, 2011. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.


2011, brickyard, presented, bigmachinerecords, 18th, running, event, nascar, sprint, series, stock, race, held, july, 2011, indianapolis, motor, speedway, indianapolis, indiana, contested, over, laps, mile, asphalt, rectangular, oval, 20th, race, 2011, sprint,. The 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords com the 18th running of the event was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on July 31 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis Indiana Contested over 160 laps on the 2 5 mile 4 0 km asphalt rectangular oval it was the 20th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season 2011 Brickyard 400Race details 1 2 3 4 Race 20 of 36 in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesThe 2011 Brickyard 400 program cover featuring Jamie McMurray DateJuly 31 2011 2011 07 31 LocationIndianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis IndianaCoursePermanent racing facility2 5 mi 4 0 km Distance160 laps 400 mi 643 73 km WeatherMostly sunny with a high around 90 wind out of the NNW at 4 mph 5 Average speed140 762 miles per hour 226 534 km h Pole positionDriverDavid RaganRoush Fenway RacingTime49 182Most laps ledDriverKasey KahneRed Bull Racing TeamLaps48WinnerNo 27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingTelevision in the United StatesNetworkESPNAnnouncersAllen Bestwick Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree The race logo used for the 2011 Brickyard 400 There were five cautions and 22 lead changes among 13 different drivers throughout the course of the race Paul Menard won his only Cup Series race driving for Richard Childress Racing while Jeff Gordon finished second and Regan Smith clinched third The result moved Menard to the 14th position in the Drivers Championship He remained 53 points behind tenth place driver Dale Earnhardt Jr and two ahead of Kasey Kahne in fifteenth Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers Championship 20 points ahead of Ford and 28 ahead of Toyota with 16 races remaining in the season A total of 138 000 people attended the race while 6 4 million watched it live on television Contents 1 Report 1 1 Background 1 2 Practice and qualifying 1 3 Race 1 4 Post race 2 Results 2 1 Qualifying 2 2 Race results 3 Standings after the race 4 ReferencesReport editBackground edit nbsp Indianapolis Motor Speedway the race track where the race was held Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races the others being Michigan International Speedway Auto Club Speedway Daytona International Speedway Pocono Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway 6 The standard track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a four turn rectangular oval track that is 2 5 miles 4 0 km long 7 The track s turns are banked at 9 degrees while the front stretch the location of the finish line has no banking The back stretch opposite of the front also has none 7 The racetrack has seats for 250 000 spectators 8 Before the race Carl Edwards led the Drivers Championship with 652 points and Jimmie Johnson stood in second with 645 Kurt Busch was third in the Drivers Championship with 641 points four ahead of Kevin Harvick and nine ahead of Kyle Busch in fourth and fifth Matt Kenseth with 626 was 39 ahead of Jeff Gordon as Ryan Newman with 586 points was nine ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr and 16 in front of Denny Hamlin 9 In the Manufacturers Championship Chevrolet was leading with 127 points 17 ahead of Ford Toyota with 105 points was 29 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third 10 Jamie McMurray was the defending winner of the race 11 Practice and qualifying edit nbsp David Ragan recorded his second pole position with a fastest time of 49 182 secondsThree practice sessions were held before the race the first two on Friday both lasting 75 minutes The third practice session was held on Saturday and lasted 90 minutes 12 Kenseth was quickest with a time of 49 668 seconds in the first session around seven thousandths of a second faster than second place Kasey Kahne 13 14 Hamlin followed in third place ahead of Edwards David Ragan and Kurt Busch Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh still within a second of Kenseth s time 14 In the second practice session Greg Biffle was fastest with a time of 50 474 seconds less than four hundredths of a second quicker than second placed Martin Truex Jr Johnson took third place ahead of Casey Mears Harvick and Edwards Kenseth was only quick enough for the 29th position 15 16 Also during the second session Hamlin s engine failed prompting the session to halt with three minutes remaining 17 In the third and final practice Biffle remained quickest with a time of 49 297 seconds Kahne followed in second ahead of Kurt Busch and Ragan Edwards was fifth quickest with a time of 49 583 seconds Montoya A J Allmendinger Kenseth Brian Vickers and Johnson rounded out the first ten positions 18 Forty eight drivers were entered for qualifying 19 but only forty three could qualify for the race because of NASCAR s qualifying procedure Ragan clinched the second pole position of his career with a time of 49 182 seconds 20 He was joined on the front row of the grid by Kahne 20 Johnson qualified third Kurt Busch took fourth and Brad Keselowski started fifth 20 Allmendinger Montoya Gordon Kenseth and Edwards rounded out the top ten The five drivers who failed to qualify for the race were David Stremme Travis Kvapil Erik Darnell J J Yeley and Scott Wimmer 20 Following the conclusion of the session Ragan commented We re working as hard as we ever have It s finally just showing We ve always had a lot of confidence in our team The last couple years we ve really underperformed That has not been a secret 21 Race edit nbsp Paul Menard won the race The race the 20th in the season began at 1 00 pm EDT and was televised live in the United States on ESPN 1 Weather conditions were dry before the race the air temperature at 80 F 27 C clear skies were expected 22 Representative Howard Brammer began pre race ceremonies by giving the invocation Next Rascal Flatts performed the national anthem and Mari Hulman George gave the command for drivers to start their engines 22 Ragan retained his pole position lead into the first corner followed by Kahne who started second Kahne managed to take first before the conclusion of the first lap Two laps later Allmendinger moved up to third On the sixth lap of the race Trevor Bayne was forced to go to the pit lane after overheating After starting eighth on the grid Gordon had moved up to fourth as Kurt Busch fell to seventh By the 11th lap of the race Kahne had extended his lead to three seconds over Ragan Three laps later Gordon moved into the second position By lap 17 Kahne had extended his lead to 4 5 seconds On the 22nd lap Kenseth passed Allmendinger for fourth After 25 laps Allmendinger and Kahne made pit stops two laps before Kurt Busch Everyone had made pit stops by the 30th lap of the race which moved Kahne back into first 22 Four laps later the first caution was given because of debris on the racing surface Most of the front runners made pit stops except Kahne and Gordon At the restart on the 38th lap Kahne was the leader ahead of Gordon and Johnson By the 42nd lap Gordon had passed Kahne and expanded his lead to 1 3 seconds On the following lap Hamlin moved up to fifth as Kenseth took over seventh On lap 45 Earnhardt Jr made a pit stops to remove grass from his front grille Five laps later the second caution was given after David Reutimann collided into the wall All of the front runners made pit stops during the caution as Earnhardt Jr became the leader On the 57th lap Kenseth and Johnson passed Kyle Busch for fourth and fifth place respectively On the following lap Gordon moved up to second after overtaking Ragan Gordon passed Earnhardt Jr to become the leader on the 60th lap 22 Four laps later Kahne moved up to fourth On lap 68 Johnson passed teammate Earnhardt Jr to take second On the 72nd lap Jamie McMurray made a pit stop for some adjustments On the next lap Keselowski made a pit stop three laps before Tony Stewart While making a pit stop Stewart had to do a pass through penalty for going faster than the proposed speed on pit road After everyone made pit stops Gordon reclaimed the lead on lap 84 Ten laps later debris on the track prompted the third caution Most of the leaders made pit stops during the caution At the restart on lap 97 Paul Menard was the leader ahead of Kenseth and Ragan On the 101st lap Kahne took sixth from Hamlin as Menard remained the leader Six laps later Kenseth passed Menard to become the leader On the 108th lap Montoya moved up to third as Johnson moved up to 11th On lap 114 the fourth caution was given after Kyle Busch collided into the wall Most of the front runners made pit stops during the caution while Keselowski did not 22 At the restart on lap 117 Keselowski was the leader On the following lap Montoya moved up to third as Marcos Ambrose received a drive through penalty after switching lanes before the start finish line On the 120th lap Landon Cassill spun sideways prompting the fifth caution to be given None of the front runners made pit stops during the caution Keselowski continued to lead on the lap 126 restart as Clint Bowyer moved into second On the 130th lap Jeff Burton made a pit stop as Gordon overtook Kenseth for fourth On the following lap Johnson made a pit stop one lap before Keselowski Montoya and Kahne At lap 133 Earnhardt Jr and Joey Logano made a pit stop a lap before Bowyer and two laps before Gordon Afterwards Ragan made a pit stop moving Stewart into first By lap 140 Stewart had a four second lead over second placed Brian Vickers 22 Six laps later Stewart made a pit stop for fuel moving Menard into first With ten laps remaining Trevor Bayne moved up to tenth three laps before McMurray became the leader as Menard was saving fuel By the 155th lap Gordon had moved up to fifth as the drivers in front of him were at a slower pace from trying to get better fuel mileage With three laps remaining Menard reclaimed first from McMurray as Gordon moved up to third On the final lap Gordon moved into second and Menard crossed the finish line first to score his first Sprint Cup Series victory Gordon was second ahead of Regan Smith McMurray and Kenseth 22 Post race edit My first year here was 1989 that I can remember anyway I think I was here when I was 3 or 4 years old too I just spent a lot of time in the garage area I didn t miss an Indy 500 from 1989 to 2003 I was here for the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 It s just a really special place for my family and myself Paul Menard speaking after the race 23 Menard appeared in victory lane after his victory lap to start celebrating his first win of his career 24 in front of a crowd of 138 000 people 25 Jeff Gordon said of Menard s first victory I went and saw him His eyes he s like a deer in headlights I m so happy for him It s one thing to get your first win here but it s another when you can appreciate how special it is to win here I think Paul certainly has that 24 Although Stewart was leading the race near the end he had to pit for fuel 22 Stewart who finished sixth said I m really happy for Paul Menard Paul s been around this place for a long time been here since he was a kid It couldn t have happened to a better guy It s a pretty deserving win right there I m happy for him 24 In the subsequent press conference Gordon stated his happiness for Menard by saying Just because he s been here so much as a kid experiencing Indy he knows how special it is to compete here let alone win here So I think the feelings are probably very similar He probably has a greater appreciation for it than I did in 94 because while I was watching from a distance and my heroes were Indy 500 drivers I wasn t in the garage like he was 23 Smith also commented I just know what it means to Paul I know how hard he s worked He always talks about coming up here He always talks about how much he loves this place I know if he had to highlight one race to get his first win I m sure he d tell you in a minute he couldn t be happier You only get one chance to get your first win It s a special thing especially when you do it here 24 The race result moved Menard up five positions to 14th in the Driver s Championship with 553 points 53 points behind tenth 26 Edwards who finished fourteenth in the race 4 remained first in the standings as Johnson followed in second Harvick followed in third ahead of Kyle Busch and Kenseth 26 Chevrolet maintained their lead in the Manufacturers Championship with 136 points 10 Ford and Toyota placed second and third with 116 and 108 points while Dodge was fourth with 80 10 6 4 million people watched the event live on television 27 The race took two hours fifty minutes and thirty seconds to complete and the margin of victory was 0 725 seconds 4 Results editQualifying edit No Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed Grid6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49 182 182 994 14 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 49 200 182 927 248 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49 234 182 801 322 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 49 269 182 671 42 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 49 300 182 556 543 A J Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 49 330 182 445 642 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 49 351 182 367 724 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49 385 182 242 817 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49 392 182 216 999 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49 437 182 050 1013 Casey Mears Germain Racing Toyota 49 444 182 024 115 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49 459 181 969 1231 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49 479 181 895 1311 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49 480 181 892 1427 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49 486 181 870 151 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 49 492 181 848 1647 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 49 528 181 715 1716 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 49 537 181 422 1829 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49 550 181 635 1920 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49 608 181 422 209 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 49 617 181 389 2188 Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 49 632 181 335 2239 Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet 49 636 181 320 2314 Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet 49 655 181 251 2421 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford 49 687 181 134 2533 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 49 729 180 981 2678 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 49 744 180 926 2700 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49 748 180 912 2818 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 49 764 180 854 2956 Martin Truex Jr Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49 829 180 618 3083 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 49 831 180 611 3151 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 49 963 180 133 3236 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 50 021 179 924 3337 Scott Speed Max Q Motorsports Ford 50 126 179 451 3466 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota 50 153 179 451 3587 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 50 196 179 297 3634 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 50 202 179 276 3760 Mike Skinner Germain Racing Toyota 50 282 178 990 3871 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford 50 300 178 926 3950 T J Bell LTD Powersports Chevrolet 50 564 177 992 407 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 50 600 177 866 4132 Mike Bliss FAS Lane Racing Ford 50 601 177 862 4223 Terry Labonte P FAS Lane Racing Ford 51 577 174 496 43Failed to Qualify30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet 50 579 177 93938 Travis Kvapil Front Row Motorsports Ford 50 729 177 41346 Erik Darnell Whitney Motorsports Ford 50 734 177 39655 J J Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford 51 009 176 43977 Scott Wimmer Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 51 415 175 046Source 20 28 29 Race results edit Pos Grid Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Points1 15 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 47132 8 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 4313 27 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 160 414 16 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 160 4115 9 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 4016 24 14 Tony Stewart Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet 160 3917 18 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 378 12 5 Mark Martin Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 369 5 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge 160 36110 29 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 3411 19 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 3312 23 39 Ryan Newman Stewart Haas Racing Chevrolet 160 3213 26 33 Clint Bowyer Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 160 32114 10 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 3015 31 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 160 2916 22 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 29117 17 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 160 2718 2 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Racing Team Toyota 160 28219 3 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 160 26120 32 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 160 0421 4 22 Kurt Busch Penske Racing Dodge 160 2322 6 43 A J Allmendinger Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 160 2223 1 6 David Ragan Roush Fenway Racing Ford 160 22124 30 56 Martin Truex Jr Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 160 2025 20 20 Joey Logano Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 1926 39 71 Andy Lally TRG Motorsports Ford 160 1827 14 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 160 1728 7 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 160 1629 11 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Toyota 160 1530 25 21 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford 160 0431 33 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 160 14132 42 32 Mike Bliss FAS Lane Racing Ford 160 0433 37 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 157 1134 21 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 157 1035 13 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 153 936 28 00 David Reutimann Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 49 837 35 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota 23 738 36 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 19 0439 34 37 Scott Speed Front Row Motorsports Ford 19 0440 38 60 Mike Skinner Germain Racing Toyota 16 0441 43 23 Terry Labonte FAS Lane Racing Ford 15 342 40 50 T J Bell LTD Powersports Chevrolet 10 0443 41 7 Robby Gordon Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge 5 1Source 4 30 1 Includes one bonus point for leading a lap2 Includes two bonus points for leading the most laps3 Includes three bonus points for winning the race4 Ineligible for championship pointsStandings after the race editDrivers Championship standings 26 Pos Driver Points1 Carl Edwards 6822 Jimmie Johnson 6713 Kevin Harvick 6704 Kyle Busch 6665 Matt Kenseth 666 nbsp Carl Edwards led the Drivers Championship standings after the race with 682 points Manufacturers Championship standings 10 Pos Manufacturer Points1 Chevrolet 1362 Ford 1163 Toyota 1084 Dodge 80Note Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings References edit a b 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on January 20 2012 Retrieved October 11 2014 Ragan takes Brickyard pole In Racing News July 30 2011 Archived from the original on July 23 2012 Retrieved July 31 2011 NASCAR Race Trax Sprint Cup Race Day Brickyard 400 Fox Sports Retrieved August 13 2011 a b c d 2011 Official Race Results Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords com NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved August 13 2011 Brown Brian July 27 2011 The Brickyard 400 RotoWorld Archived from the original on September 19 2011 Retrieved July 28 2011 NASCAR Race Tracks NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved July 8 2011 a b NASCAR Tracks The Indianapolis Motor Speedway NASCAR Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved July 8 2011 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Fun Facts Indianapolis Motor Speedway Archived from the original on October 7 2014 Retrieved July 8 2011 2011 Official Driver Standings Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved July 22 2011 a b c d Manufactures Championship Classification Jayski s Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on July 13 2011 Retrieved July 22 2011 Associated Press July 28 2010 Jamie McMurray wins Brickyard after Juan Pablo Montoya falters ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures Retrieved July 31 2011 Jayski s NASCAR Silly Season Site Sprint Cup Race Info Rundown Page Jayski s Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on July 21 2011 Retrieved July 22 2011 Jensen Tom July 29 2011 CUP Kenseth Tops First Session Speed Fox Sports Archived from the original on March 17 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 a b Practice One Speeds NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on April 7 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 Practice Two Speeds NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on April 7 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 Brickyard 400 2nd Practice Speeds Motor Racing Network International Speedway Corporation July 29 2011 Archived from the original on June 14 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 Jenson Tom July 29 2011 CUP Biffle Fastest in P2 Speed Fox Sports Archived from the original on March 17 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 Practice Three Speeds NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on April 7 2012 Retrieved July 30 2011 Qualifying Entry List NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on May 2 2012 Retrieved July 29 2011 a b c d e Race Lineup NASCAR NASCAR Media Group July 30 2011 Archived from the original on April 7 2012 Retrieved July 30 2011 Ryan Nate July 30 2011 David Ragan continues NASCAR roll with Brickyard 400 pole USA Today Gannett Company Retrieved July 30 2011 a b c d e f g h Lap by Lap Indianapolis NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on December 28 2011 Retrieved July 31 2011 a b Sporting News Wire Service August 1 2011 Menard stretches fuel to win Brickyard 400 NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on December 6 2011 Retrieved August 13 2011 a b c d Paul Menard earns first career win at Brickyard 400 ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures Associated Press August 1 2011 Retrieved August 13 2011 2011 Brickyard 400 Racing reference Yardbarker Retrieved August 1 2011 a b c 2011 Official Driver Standings Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords com NASCAR NASCAR Media Group Archived from the original on October 15 2012 Retrieved August 13 2011 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings Jayski s Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on July 13 2011 Retrieved August 13 2011 Lineup Statistics Motor Racing Network International Speedway Corporation Archived from the original on June 14 2012 Retrieved July 30 2011 Jayski s NASCAR Silly Season Site Indianapolis Sprint Cup Qualifying Order Results Lineup Jayski s Silly Season Site ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on August 9 2011 Retrieved July 30 2011 Brickyard 400 Race Results Motor Racing Network International Speedway Corporation July 31 2011 Archived from the original on June 14 2012 Retrieved August 13 2011 Previous race 2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Sprint Cup Series2011 season Next race 2011 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2011 Brickyard 400 amp oldid 1106348593, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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