Starting from 7th place Car 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet won the 55th Annual Bank of America 500, his 26th win in 497 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. With the victory, he clinches a spot in the Eliminator Round. This is his 3rd win & 16th Top 10 finish in 2014. This is also his 3rd win & 11th Top 10 finish in 28 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With the win, Harvick ties NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Fred Lorenzen for 25th on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins list.
2nd Place Car 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet starting from 2nd place posted his 24th Top 10 finish in 44 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is also his 20th Top 10 finish in 2014. 3rd Place Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Monopoly Chevrolet starting from 18th place posted his 10th Top 10 finish in 25 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
4th Place Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford starting from 13th place followed by 5th placeCar 18 Kyle Busch Doublemint Toyota starting from pole. 6th Place Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet starting from 24th place the highest placing Rookie which is great from where he started. 7th Place Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet starting from 5th place place followed by 8th place Car 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford starting from 10th place. 9th Place Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota starting from 3rd place & lastly in the Top 10 was Car 5 Kasey Kahne Pepsi Chevrolet in 10th place started from 19th place.
The race had 8 Cautions for 39 laps: 1st Caution on lap 27 for Competition, 2nd Caution on lap 97 for Oil on track from Car 15 Clint Bowyer PinkLemonade 5-hourEnergybenefittingLBBC Toyota, 3rd Caution on lap 137 for Oil on track from Car 27 Paul Menard Schrock/Menards Chevrolet, 4th Caution on lap 222 for Oil on track from Car 98 Josh Wise Provident Metals Chevrolet, 5th Caution on lap 238 for Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota spin in turn 2, 6th Caution on lap 247 for Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet, Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford, Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet crash in turn 4, 7th Caution on lap 268 for Oil on the track from Car 7 Michael Annett Cypress HQ Chevrolet, 8th Caution on lap 329 for Oil on the track from Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota.
The race had 32 Lead Changes among 14 drivers. Lap Leaders: Kyle Busch 1-13; J. Gordon 14-27; M. Annett # 28; D. Earnhardt Jr. 29; Kyle Busch 30-36; J. Gordon 37-74; Kurt Busch 75; D. Earnhardt Jr. 76; B. Keselowski 77-78; J. Gordon 79-97; D. Earnhardt Jr. 98-99; J. McMurray 100-104; K. Harvick 105-139; J. Gordon 140; K. Harvick 141-187; J. Gordon 188; B. Keselowski 189-190; K. Harvick 191-222; K. Larson # 223; K. Harvick 224-237; A. Dillon # 238-242; Kyle Busch 243-263; K. Larson # 264-267; B. Keselowski 268-271; D. Hamlin 272-293; K. Harvick 294-310; J. Gordon 311; Kurt Busch 312; A. Dillon # 313; R. Newman 314; C. Edwards 315; J. Allgaier # 316-317; K. Harvick 318-334. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): K. Harvick 6 times for 162 laps; J. Gordon 6 times for 74 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 41 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 22 laps; B. Keselowski 3 times for 8 laps; A. Dillon # 2 times for 6 laps; J. McMurray 1 time for 5 laps; K. Larson # 2 times for 5 laps; D. Earnhardt Jr. 3 times for 4
laps; J. Allgaier # 1 time for 2 laps; Kurt Busch 2 times for 2 laps; R. Newman 1 time for 1 lap; M. Annett # 1 time for 1 lap; C. Edwards 1 time for 1 lap.
Car 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet had a dominant car won the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Margin of Victory: 0.571 Seconds over Car 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet. The win came from a wild 2 lap dash for the checkered flag after the 8th Caution restart.
After the checkered flag is when all the drama started, as Denny Hamlin brake checked Brad Keselowski. Keselowski clipped Hamlin’s rear bumper on the cool-down lap, then hit Kenseth’s Toyota with his Ford on pit road after the race. After sustaining collateral damage on pit road during the melee, Tony Stewart backed into Keselowski’s Ford, crumpling the nose of the car.
After the race, Keselowski and ninth-place finisher Denny Hamlin traded insults on pit road, as NASCAR officials and their crews kept them apart in the wake of a late race incident between their two cars.
“I rubbed into the # 20 (Kenseth), and I think he gassed up and ran into Tony, and I don’t think Tony knew what was going on,” Keselowski said. “He’s upset, and he has every right to be. His car was tore up. There was a whole lot of other stuff going on. I’m sure when he sees the whole situation, he’ll understand.” Kenseth, whose # 20 Toyota had been damaged by contact from Keselowski’s car on a restart with 63 laps left, jumped Keselowski as he was walking between haulers in the garage, and the drivers scuffled before being separated.
“I had my HANS (head and neck restraint) off and my seat belts off and everything,” Kenseth said of the hit from Keselowski on pit road. “He clobbered me at 50 (mph).
And the access we have around here… the race is over, trying to come back to pit road…
“If you want to talk about it as a man, do that, but to try and wreck someone on the race track, come down pit road with other cars and people standing around with seat belts off and drive in the side of me—it’s inexcusable. There is no excuse for that. He’s a champion. He’s supposed to know better than that.”
Hamlin also had some harsh words for the 2012 champion.
“There’s a corner there, so you have to back off, and he just plowed into us,” Hamlin said. “He’s just out of control. He’s desperate, obviously, and it’s either four or five of us are wrong or he’s wrong, because he’s pissed off everyone. Just disappointing — but we’re trying to get in this deal. We’re sitting in a decent spot, but we’ve lost six spots or so with the last restart when he ran into us and knocked us up the track.
Note: Keselowski and Jesse Sanders, a member of the Kenseth’s crew were called to the NASCAR transporter after the race. Kenseth’s crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, also went to the hauler of his own volition in support of his crewman.
Afterwards Keselowski posted the following on his Twitter account:
“Rough night. Understand a lot of folks may not understand everything that happened and that’s ok. I’m not perfect but also not the only one.”
Turns out Keselowski is not the only Penske driver that is not liked as Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford came into contact with Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet from behind & sent her into the wall. As she stated on her radio she was not impressed.
Both Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet, Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet & Car 2 Brad Keselowski Detroit Genuine Parts Ford head to Talladega & need a win to advance to avoid elimination from the Chase. This new format has created drama with the cut from 12 to 8 Chase drivers after Talladega, so for some drivers if you’re not 1st you’re last.
Top 16 in Points: J. Logano – 3,088; Kyle Busch – 3,082; K. Harvick – 3,081; R. Newman – 3,077; C. Edwards – 3,076; J. Gordon – 3,074; D. Hamlin – 3,073; K. Kahne – 3,057; M. Kenseth – 3,056; B. Keselowski – 3,038; J. Johnson – 3,031; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 3,031; A. Allmendinger – 2,142; G. Biffle – 2,127; Kurt Busch – 2,109; A. Almirola – 2,096.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 31
Unofficial Race Results for the 55Th Annual Bank Of America 500 – Saturday,
October 11, 2014 Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC – 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 334 Laps – 501 Miles
Finishing Position Starting Position Car # Driver Team Laps Status
1. 7. Car 4 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet 334 Running
2. 2. Car 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet 334 Running
3. 18. Car 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Monopoly Chevrolet 334 Running
4. 13. Car 22 Joey Logano Pennzoil Platinum Ford 334 Running
5. 1. Car 18 Kyle Busch Doublemint Toyota 334 Running
6. 24. Car 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 334 Running
7. 5. Car 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet 334 Running
8. 10. Car 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford 334 Running
9. 3. Car 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota 334 Running
10. 19. Car 5 Kasey Kahne Pepsi Chevrolet 334 Running
11. 11. Car 41 Kurt Busch State Water Heaters Chevrolet 334 Running
12. 26. Car 47 AJ Allmendinger Scott Products Chevrolet 334 Running
13. 20. Car 3 Austin Dillon Dow Chevrolet 334 Running
14. 23. Car 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Chevrolet 334 Running
15. 16. Car 51 Justin Allgaier BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet 334 Running
16. 17. Car 2 Brad Keselowski Detroit Genuine Parts Ford 334 Running
17. 21. Car 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 334 Running
18. 12. Car 16 Greg Biffle 3M Bondo Ford 334 Running
19. 22. Car 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 334 Running
20. 9. Car 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet 333 Running
21. 4. Car 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet 333 Running
22. 15. Car 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield/Waffle House Ford 332 Running
23. 32. Car 40 Landon Cassill Thunder Coal Chevrolet 331 Running
24. 28. Car 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Zest Ford 331 Running
25. 27. Car 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford 331 Running
26. 14. Car 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness Chevrolet 331 Running
27. 30. Car 36 Reed Sorenson Zing Zang Chevrolet 330 Running
28. 36. Car 26 Cole Whitt Rinnai Toyota 330 Running
29. 31. Car 95 Michael McDowell Pieters Pals/KLOVE Ford 330 Running
30. 33. Car 23 Alex Bowman Dr Pepper Toyota 330 Running
31. 29. Car 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 329 Running
32. 37. Car 38 David Gilliland MDS Transport Ford 329 Running
33. 35. Car 7 Michael Annett Cypress HQ Chevrolet 328 Running
34. 34. Car 34 David Ragan CSX – Play It Safe Ford 328 Running
35. 42. Car 77 Corey LaJoie Essex Homes Ford 326 Running
36. 40. Car 33 Timmy Hill Retroinfinity.com Chevrolet 326 Running
37. 8. Car 55 Brian Vickers Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 325 Engine
38. 41. Car 83 JJ Yeley Painter’s Ice Cream Toyota 325 Running
39. 43. Car 32 Blake Koch Leaf Filter Ford 322 Running
40. 39. Car 66 Brett Moffitt RoyalTeakCollection.com Toyota 320 Running
41. 38. Car 98 Josh Wise Provident Metals Chevrolet 178 Rear Gear
42. 6. Car 27 Paul Menard Schrock/Menards Chevrolet 134 Engine
43. 25. Car 15 Clint Bowyer PinkLemonade5-HourEnergybenefittingLBBC Toyota 94 Engine
Race Comments: Kevin Harvick won the Bank of America 500, his 26th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the start of the race, the following car dropped to the rear of the field for the reason indicated: No. 20 (unapproved adjustments). Failed to Qualify: (1) 6 Trevor Bayne(i). Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 26 Mins, 49 Secs. Average Speed: 145.346 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.571 Seconds Caution Flags: 8 for 39 laps: Lead Changes: 32 among 14 drivers.
3M Lap Leader: Kevin Harvick, #4 162 Laps American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award : Kevin Harvick, #4 Coors Light Pole Award : Kyle Busch, #18 197.39 mph Duralast Brakes “Brake in the Race”: Jeff Gordon, #24 Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Hendrick Engines, #4 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Kevin Harvick, #4 Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Kyle Larson, #42 C Heroy, .093 sec Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Kyle Busch, #18 Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Kyle Larson, #42
Next Race: October 19, 2014 – Talladega Superspeedway