2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won his seventh drivers' championship, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most all-time.Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon also came out of retirement mid-season as a relief driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who sat out the second half of the season with a concussion.Denny Hamlin led the most laps and won his third career Sprint Unlimited, followed by Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Kyle Larson, and Casey Mears.The second duel race was won by Kyle Busch ahead of a last-lap crash that involved multiple drivers including Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., and polesitter Kenseth.[52] Round 1: Daytona 500 Elliott started on pole, but was taken out of contention by an early spin through the grass that destroyed the front end of his car.Brad Keselowski won the race as a multicar wreck occurred coming to the checkered flag that involved Kevin Harvick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., among others.Late in the race, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson were involved in a wreck battling for position near the front of the field.[63] Round 12: AAA 400 Drive for Autism Kevin Harvick won the pole after qualifying was rained out and the starting order was set by first practice speeds.Early in the race, several single-car wrecks occurred that involved drivers including Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, and Michael Annett.[64] Exhibition: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race In the Sprint Showdown, which was postponed from Friday evening to Saturday morning due to rain, Ryan Blaney was black flagged for jumping a restart near the end of the first 20-lap segment, allowing Trevor Bayne and Chase Elliott to battle to the finish, with Bayne edging Elliott at the line to advance to the All-Star race.[65] Kevin Harvick won the pole for the All-Star Race after the field was set by owner points due to qualifying being rained out.A few laps into the segment, a caution came out for water in turn two, and Kevin Harvick made several pit stops due to what appeared to be fuel pump problems.When the race restarted, Chase Elliott attempted to make his required pit stop, causing Matt Kenseth to slow up and get turned into the wall, collecting Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.On the restart for the final segment, Kyle Larson took the lead back from Johnson and began to pull away from the field, but was caught by Joey Logano.Logano pulled away from the field on the final restart and held off Chase Elliott, who almost did not have enough fuel to make it to the end, to score his first win of 2016 and second at Michigan.[71] Round 18: Quaker State 400 Kevin Harvick won the pole after the field was set by owner points due to qualifying being rained out.Brad Keselowski led the final 65 laps and saved enough fuel to hold off Carl Edwards to get his fourth win of the season and third at Kentucky.[73] Round 20: Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard Defending race winner Kyle Busch started on pole.On the second restart of overtime, Kyle Busch pulled away from teammate Matt Kenseth to win his second consecutive Sprint Cup Brickyard event and sweeping the weekend for the second year in a row.Competing in his final Sprint Cup Brickyard event, Tony Stewart came home eleventh and Jeff Gordon, who came out of retirement to fill in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished thirteenth.After a long red flag display, the race was called official and Buescher got his first career victory and the first for Front Row Motorsports since the 2013 Aaron's 499.On lap 53, Jimmie Johnson, Austin Dillon, Greg Biffle, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into a big wreck that brought out the red flag.On the restart, Denny Hamlin, despite back pain, held off Joey Logano after Martin Truex Jr. spun after making contact with Brad Keselowski to pick up his second win of the season and his first career victory on a road course.[76] Round 23: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race Spring Bristol winner Carl Edwards started on pole with a new track record.Joey Logano, who won the last two summer Bristol races, lost the lead to Kevin Harvick and had to go to pit road to tape up the front end of his car."[80] Round 27: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 Kyle Busch was awarded the pole after qualifying was rained out and the field was set by points.On that restart, Kevin Harvick took the lead from Kenseth and held off the rest of the field to score his third win of the season, his first at New Hampshire since 2006, and advance to the next round of "The Chase.Brad Keselowski was running in the top 10 when he made contact with Denny Hamlin and went spinning in the grass, destroying the front end of his car.On the restart, Johnson took the lead from Hamlin and led the rest of the race and got his fourth win of the season and advance to the "Championship 4" at Homestead.It began to rain and the race was called official and Edwards was awarded his third win of the season and give him a spot in the "Championship 4" at Homestead.
NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesChampionsSeasonsJimmie JohnsonJoey LoganoKyle BuschCarl EdwardsChase ElliottNASCAR Rookie of the YearToyotastock car racingUnited StatesDaytona International SpeedwaySprint UnlimitedCan-Am DuelDaytona 500Ford EcoBoost 400Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHendrick MotorsportsRichard PettyDale EarnhardtChevroletFox SportsNBC SportsTony StewartBobby LabonteGreg BiffleBrian ScottJosh WiseBrian VickersMichael AnnettPatrick CarpentierEddie MacDonaldRobert Richardson Jr.Alex KennedyJeff GordonDale Earnhardt Jr.Martinsville SpeedwayAlex BowmanJoe NemechekSam Hornish Jr.SprintMonster EnergyChip Ganassi RacingJamie McMurrayMatt McCallKyle LarsonChad JohnstonGermain RacingCasey MearsBootie BarkerKasey KahneKeith RoddenAlan GustafsonChad KnausGreg IvesHScott MotorsportsClint BowyerSteve AddingtonJustin AllgaierJTG Daugherty RacingA. J. AllmendingerErnie CopeCircle Sport – Leavine Family RacingTy DillonTodd ParrottMatt BorlandMichael McDowellRichard Childress RacingAustin DillonSlugger LabbePaul MenardRyan NewmanStewart-Haas RacingKevin HarvickRodney ChildersDanica PatrickBilly ScottMike BugarewiczKurt BuschTony GibsonTommy Baldwin RacingRegan SmithTommy Baldwin Jr.Front Row MotorsportsChris BuescherBob OsborneLandon CassillDonnie WingoGo Fas RacingJeffrey EarnhardtJoey GaseJeb BurtonBoris SaidDylan LuptonRichard Petty MotorsportsAric AlmirolaTrent OwensDrew BlickensderferChris HeroyRoush Fenway RacingTrevor BayneMatt PucciaBrian PattieRobbie ReiserRicky Stenhouse Jr.Team PenskeBrad KeselowskiPaul WolfeBK RacingDavid RaganMichael WaltripDoug RichertMike FordMatt DiBenedettoFurniture Row RacingMartin Truex Jr.Cole PearnTodd BerrierJoe Gibbs RacingDenny HamlinMike WheelerAdam StevensDave RogersMatt KensethJason Ratcliff