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Axalta 400 Race Report

06.06.16

Axalta 400 Race Report

Date: June 6, 2016
Event: Axalta "We Paint Winners" 400 (Round 14 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle) 
Start/Finish: 33rd/32nd (Running, completed 145 of 160 laps)
Point Standings: 26th (245 points) 
Winner: Kurt Busch of Stewart-Haas Racing (Chevrolet) 

 

Danica Patrick and the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery/FOX Sports GO Chevrolet SS team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) were relegated to a 32nd-place finish in the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway after midrace contact sent the car into the wall on the Long Pond straightaway.

 

Originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, the event was postponed to Monday due to persistent rain. Patrick lined up in the 33rd position when the field took the green flag, and despite battling persistent brake issues, she worked her way into the top-20 by lap 26.

 

When the field went back to green at lap 92, Patrick was scored in the 16th position. As she reached the Long Pond straightaway, the No. 14 Chevrolet driven by her SHR teammate Tony Stewart appeared to break loose, and it came up the track, collecting the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery/FOX Sports GO Chevrolet in the process.

 

Despite sustaining significant left-front damage, Patrick was able to bring the car to pit road for the team to assess the damage and make repairs. The Nature’s Bakery team pitted multiple times to work on the car before crew chief Billy Scott called for the team to head to the garage to make more extensive repairs to the left-front suspension.

 

Patrick was scored in the 35th position when she rejoined the field at lap 116. Over the course of the remaining laps she was able to pick up three spots due to attrition and took the checkered flag in the 32nd position.

 

“That definitely wasn’t how we wanted the day to go,” Patrick said. “I’m not sure what happened there with Tony (Stewart), but I’m proud of the effort from my Nature’s Bakery team to get our car back on track to make the most of the day.”

 

Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet SS, led the way for SHR on Monday by winning the 400-mile race. Busch took over the top spot on lap 129 and never looked back en route to the victory. Busch’s win was the 28th of his career, his first of the season and his third at Pocono. The win moves him to a tie for 25th on the all-time series wins list with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rex White.

 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished ninth. 

 

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 34th.

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 1.126 seconds behind Busch, with Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Joey Logano rounding out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Harvick and Ryan Blaney comprised the remainder of the top-10.

 

There were 10 caution periods for 40 laps, with five drivers failing to finish.

 

With round 14 of 36 complete, Harvick leads SHR in the championship standings with 490 points. Harvick and SHR teammate Kurt Busch sit 1-2 in the series standings, with Harvick 25 markers ahead of second-place Busch. Patrick is 26th in the standings. Stewart is 36th with 118 points.

 

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 12, at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Coverage by FS1 begins with NASCAR RaceDay at 11:30 a.m. EDT, and the race broadcast begins at 1 p.m.