title: 2015 myAFibRisk.com 400
text: # 2015 myAFibRisk.com 400
  
  The 2015 myAFibRisk.com 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held on September 20, 2015, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) intermediate speedway, it was the 27th race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, first race of the Chase and first race of the Challenger Round. Denny Hamlin won the race, his second of the season. Carl Edwards finished second. Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top–five.
  
  Due to qualifying being rained-out, Kevin Harvick was given the first starting spot of the race. He led 10 laps before wrecking out halfway through the race and finished 42nd. Kyle Busch led a race high of 121 laps on his way to a ninth–place finish. There were 17 lead changes among 10 different drivers, as well as six caution flag periods for 28 laps.
  
  This was Denny Hamlin's 26th career win, second of the season, first at Chicagoland Speedway and fifth at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing. The win moved Hamlin up to second in the points trailing teammate Matt Kenseth by two. Despite being the winning manufacturer, Toyota left Chicagoland trailing Chevrolet by 49–points in the manufacturer standings.
  
  The myAFibRisk.com 400 was carried by NBC Sports on the cable/satellite NBCSN network for the American television audience. The radio broadcast for the race was carried by the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
  
  ## Report
  
  ### Background
  
  Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway.
  
  Jimmie Johnson entered Chicagoland tied with Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth for the points lead at 2,012–points. Joey Logano entered three–points back. Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards entered tied for fifth six–points back. Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin entered tied for ninth nine–points back. Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer entered tied for 12th 12–points back.
  
  **Change to restart officiating**
  
  Following complaints of Matt Kenseth jumping the final restart at Richmond, NASCAR decided to add a camera feed and official with the sole purpose of monitoring the restart zone.
  
  **NASCAR record**
  
  When the green flag flies on Sunday, Jeff Gordon – who made his first career Sprint Cup Series start in the 1992 Hooters 500 at what was then Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) – tied Ricky Rudd's record for most consecutive starts at 788. The 23–year veteran of the sport will break the tie next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I’ve got to get through this weekend first,” he said. “That’s one of those things where I feel a little strange talking about it because I do appreciate and respect the safety of this sport. (That) side can be taken away from you at any time. I want to break that record. I think it’s a huge accomplishment because it’s not easy to do. It’s easier today because the sport is safer. I look at Ricky Rudd and what he went through to make it. That is pretty extraordinary. I can’t quite compare that.”
  
  **Entry list**
  
  The entry list for the myAFibRisk.com 400 was released on Sunday, September 13 at 11:49 a.m. Eastern time. Forty-six cars were entered for the race. All but Ryan Blaney in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford were entered for the previous week's race at Richmond. The two driver changes for this weekend's race were Travis Kvapil returning to the No. 30 Chevrolet for The Motorsports Group and Josh Wise returning to the No. 32 Go FAS Racing Ford.
  
  | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 2 | Brad Keselowski (PC3) | Team Penske | Ford |
  | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 4 | Kevin Harvick (PC1) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
  | 7 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford |
  | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
  | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 14 | Tony Stewart (PC4) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
  | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
  | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford |
  | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
  | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
  | 20 | Matt Kenseth (PC6) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
  | 21 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
  | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford |
  | 23 | David Ragan (R) | BK Racing | Toyota |
  | 24 | Jeff Gordon (PC7) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 26 | J. J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota |
  | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 30 | Travis Kvapil (i) | The Motorsports Group | Chevrolet |
  | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 32 | Josh Wise | Go FAS Racing | Ford |
  | 33 | Brian Scott (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet |
  | 34 | Brett Moffitt (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
  | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
  | 38 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford |
  | 40 | Landon Cassill (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet |
  | 41 | Kurt Busch (PC5) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford |
  | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 47 | A. J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 48 | Jimmie Johnson (PC2) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 51 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 55 | David Ragan | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota |
  | 62 | Reed Sorenson | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet |
  | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto (R) | BK Racing | Toyota |
  | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
  | 95 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford |
  | 98 | Timmy Hill (i) | Premium Motorsports | Ford |
  | Official initial entry list ||||
  | Official final entry list ||||
  | Key | Meaning |
  | (R) | Rookie |
  | (i) | Ineligible for points |
  | (PC#) | Past champions provisional |
  
  ## First practice
  
  Kevin Harvick was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 28.675 and a speed of 188.317 mph (303.067 km/h).
  
  | Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 28.675 | 188.317 |
  | 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 28.737 | 187.911 |
  | 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 28.750 | 187.826 |
  | Official first practice results |||||||
  
  ## Qualifying
  
  Three rounds of knockout qualifying took place at 6:45 p.m., but heavy rain forced the session to be cancelled and the starting lineup was set by first practice times according to the NASCAR rulebook. As a result, Kevin Harvick was awarded the first starting spot for the race. He was joined on the front row by Joey Logano. "We haven’t been in race trim yet," Logano said. "We stayed in qualifying trim all day today and I felt like it was qualifying during practice. We were really trying to top the charts. We really felt like that was where we would be starting at the end of practice. Obviously this storm is huge and we didn’t have a shot in hell of making qualifying happen.” “It is a lot better than last year when we started 25th," Brad Keselowski – who started third – said. "We will take that and move on. The car has been pretty good so far so I feel good about that." Ryan Blaney, Travis Kvapil and Michael McDowell failed to qualify for the race.
  
  ### Qualifying results
  
  | Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 28.675 | 188.317 |
  | 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 28.737 | 187.911 |
  | 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 28.750 | 187.826 |
  | 4 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 28.754 | 187.800 |
  | 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.760 | 187.761 |
  | 6 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.813 | 187.415 |
  | 7 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.893 | 186.896 |
  | 8 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.922 | 186.709 |
  | 9 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 28.958 | 186.477 |
  | 10 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.959 | 186.471 |
  | 11 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.961 | 186.458 |
  | 12 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 28.967 | 186.419 |
  | 13 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 29.017 | 186.098 |
  | 14 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.018 | 186.091 |
  | 15 | 47 | A. J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 29.027 | 186.034 |
  | 16 | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 29.028 | 186.027 |
  | 17 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 29.033 | 185.995 |
  | 18 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 29.051 | 185.880 |
  | 19 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.055 | 185.854 |
  | 20 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 29.055 | 185.854 |
  | 21 | 33 | Brian Scott (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 29.061 | 185.816 |
  | 22 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 29.067 | 185.778 |
  | 23 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 29.085 | 185.663 |
  | 24 | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 29.159 | 185.192 |
  | 25 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 29.160 | 185.185 |
  | 26 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 29.183 | 185.039 |
  | 27 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 29.227 | 184.761 |
  | 28 | 55 | David Ragan | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 29.246 | 184.641 |
  | 29 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.275 | 184.458 |
  | 30 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 29.457 | 183.318 |
  | 31 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.467 | 183.256 |
  | 32 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 29.599 | 182.439 |
  | 33 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 29.645 | 182.156 |
  | 34 | 26 | J. J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 29.644 | 182.149 |
  | 35 | 38 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 29.666 | 182.027 |
  | 36 | 40 | Landon Cassill (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 29.686 | 181.904 |
  | 37 | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.725 | 181.665 |
  | 38 | 34 | Brett Moffitt (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 29.733 | 181.616 |
  | 39 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 29.747 | 181.531 |
  | 40 | 32 | Josh Wise | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 29.770 | 181.391 |
  | 41 | 23 | Jeb Burton (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 29.851 | 180.898 |
  | 42 | 98 | Reed Sorenson | Premium Motorsports | Ford | 30.052 | 179.689 |
  | 43 | 62 | Timmy Hill (i) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 30.767 | 175.513 |
  | Failed to qualify |||||||
  | 44 | 21 | Ryan Blaney (i) | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.951 | 186.522 |
  | 45 | 95 | Michael McDowell | Leavine Family Racing | Ford | 30.070 | 179.581 |
  | 46 | 30 | Travis Kvapil (i) | The Motorsports Group | Chevrolet | 30.223 | 178.672 |
  | Official first practice results |||||||
  | Official starting lineup |||||||
  
  ## Practice (post-qualifying)
  
  ### Second practice
  
  Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 29.458 and a speed of 183.312 mph (295.012 km/h).
  
  | Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 29.458 | 183.312 |
  | 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.607 | 182.389 |
  | 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.698 | 181.830 |
  | Official second practice results |||||||
  
  ### Final practice
  
  Martin Truex Jr. was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 29.213 and a speed of 184.849 mph (297.486 km/h).
  
  | Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 29.213 | 184.849 |
  | 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 29.350 | 183.986 |
  | 3 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 29.356 | 183.949 |
  | Official final practice results |||||||
  
  ## Race
  
  ### First half
  
  **Start**
  
  Under clear blue Illinois skies, Kevin Harvick led the field to the green flag at 3:18 p.m. He edged out Joey Logano to lead the first lap. The first caution of the race flew on the second lap when A. J. Allmendinger came down across the nose of Denny Hamlin and went spinning in turn 3. Trying to avoid ramming the No. 47 car, Hamlin got loose on the high-side, spun out and slid down the race track. He didn't suffer any damage and he continued on racing.
  
  The race restarted on lap 7. Martin Truex Jr. forced Harvick up the track to take the lead the next lap. By lap 15, Austin Dillon was pressuring him for the top spot, but got loose in turn 3 and lost the second position to Harvick. By lap 23, Harvick pulled up next to Truex and edged out front but the No. 78 car beat him back to the line. By lap 36, Kyle Busch, now in second place, began to pressure Truex for the lead. Finally, Busch slid up in front of him to take the lead on lap 47. A number of cars began hitting pit road on lap 52 and Busch hit pit road from the lead on lap 54. In a rare circumstance, the lead didn't change at all through the cycle. Alex Bowman and Carl Edwards were both tagged for speeding on pit road and they had to serve drive-through penalties.
  
  **Second quarter**
  
  When the pit cycle was over, Busch began driving away from the field. 20 laps later, Harvick began to run him down. However, lapped traffic prevented him from getting close to the leader. On lap 87, Kurt Busch, running fifth at the time, made an unscheduled stop after slamming the wall in turn 3. Despite this, the race continued under green. Another round of green flag pit stops began on lap 100 and Ky. Busch surrendered the lead to make his stop on lap 106 and handed it to Dale Earnhardt Jr. He pitted the next lap to give the lead back to Busch. Debris on the backstretch brought out the second caution of the race on lap 123.
  
  The race restarted on lap 129. Harvick edged out Busch on the backstretch and took the lead. The third caution of the race flew on lap 130 when Dillon blew his right-front tire out and slammed the wall in turn 2. He would go on to finish 43rd 69–laps down.
  
  ### Second half
  
  **Halfway**
  
  The race restarted on lap 135. Harvick spun the tires on the restart and lost the lead to Kyle Busch. Joey Logano hit the rear of Jimmie Johnson's car and forced him onto the apron. Johnson then made contact with Harvick and damaged his left-rear fender. His left-rear tire blew out and sent his car backwards into the turn 3 wall, bringing out the fourth caution on lap 137. “I got a pretty good restart and obviously (Joey Logano) and (Johnson) got a run. I just held my line and (Johnson) just slammed into the side of my door,” Harvick explained. "That was pretty much it.” “He didn’t leave me any space,” Johnson explained after the race. “He was pinning me down, and I had to get back up on the track. I wouldn’t say that what he did was any different than other situations I’ve been in like that. When you are in his position, you want to get the inside car in a bad angle so they have to lift. I was fine with lifting, but I had to get back on the race track, so I worked my way back up on the track.”
  
  The race restarted on lap 145. Busch spun the tires on the start and lost the lead to Jeff Gordon. It was the first restart that prompted a review by NASCAR and they found that it was a clean restart. He was the first to hit pit road on lap 184 and handed the lead to Kurt Busch. Kurt pitted the next lap and give the lead to brother Kyle Busch. Kyle pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Kyle Larson. Larson pitted two laps later and handed the lead to Carl Edwards. Debris in turn 4 brought out the fifth caution of the race on lap 191. Kyle Busch opted not to pit and assumed the lead.
  
  **Fourth quarter**
  
  The race restarted with 71 laps to go. After drag racing through the front stretch, Kurt Busch passed his brother for the lead with 46 laps to go. Edwards began the final cycle of pit stops with 29 laps to go. Kurt Busch pitted with 28 laps to go and handed the lead to Hamlin. Hamlin pitted with 24 laps to go and handed the lead to teammate Matt Kenseth. Kenseth hit pit road with 23 laps to go and the lead cycled back to Kurt Busch. Allmendinger was tagged for speeding on pit road and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty. Debris in turn 2 brought out the sixth caution of the race with 10 laps to go. The debris were pieces of a brake rotor that came from the No. 83 car of Matt DiBenedetto. "Did the yellow even need to come out? I don't even know," Kurt Busch said after the race. He, Gordon and Hamlin opted to stay out while the rest of the lead lap cars opted to pit.
  
  The race restarted with five laps to go. Gordon got a good start on Kurt, but he was passed underneath by Hamlin, forced up the track and ultimately finished 14th. Denny drove on to score his 26th career victory.
  
  ### Post-race
  
  **Driver comments**
  
  “This team doesn’t give up, that’s a perfect example today,” Hamlin said. “Fast race cars are what we have and that was why we were able to come back and win today from that early trouble.”
  
  "I'll tell you what, my guys just do a great job on pit road, they really do," Edwards said. "Darian never loses his cool ever. He played the game perfectly with pit strategy. Then at the end, truly, once we got into Turn 1 on the final restart, I was like, I got this thing. I got better tires than all these guys. Kurt (Busch) was unbelievable on old tires. Then I thought, Denny is mine, he's a sitting duck. He drove the wheels off of that thing. He really hung on with those tires that he had."
  
  “...overall, I’m really proud of this team and everybody at Haas Automation and Stewart Haas Racing,” Kurt Busch said. “This Chevy was fast. It was fast enough to win. When the caution came out there at the end, I thought we had the right strategy, but we didn’t. But this is a point’s day. This is a long journey through these next 10 weeks. We weren’t given a hall pass now, through Loudon and through Dover. We’ve just got to work hard as a team and saddle-up. This isn’t just a win and take a couple of weeks off, but we had a winning car today. It’s kind of a shame. We had a good run at Fontana earlier this year and it kind of ended up the same way.”
  
  “We had a really good car. We were good most of the race and then that one caution came out after we pitted we went a lap down,” Ryan Newman said after a fourth-place finish. “The next restart we had a bad restart and it looked like we were done and that was it.”
  
  “I didn’t choose the right direction to go,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after a 12th-place finish. “I thought we would all jump to the top and go around those guys, and we’d be good. But Jeff slid up in front of us and we all had to stop and everybody was going by us on the bottom. Those late restarts with those guys up there on used tires are just going to be bad. You just have to get lucky and we didn’t get lucky. Not anything there about skill, it is all luck. … We had a good day going and … cautions throw all that work out the window.”
  
  "I knew we were going to have a tough time not spinning the tires," Gordon said about the final restart after a 14th-place finish in his record-tying 788th consecutive career start. "Especially when you're on the front row. So, I was just trying to hold pace with Kurt. I knew that Denny was behind me on older tires as well, so I was somewhat encouraged by that."
  
  "I'm just really proud of everybody on our...team for not giving up and doing all the things they had to do to get the car back on the track," Harvick said after a disappointing 42nd-place finish. "...we've just got to go win one of these [next two] races."
  
  **Confrontation**
  
  
     “That is emotion coming out when the stakes are really high in the Chase. We’ve got a reigning champion who finds himself in a tough spot … really needing to win (to advance), so you understand the frustration. You don’t like to see what happened, but from our standpoint that’s just pure emotion when the stakes are high and knowing how important it is to go out and win a championship.”
  
  Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice–president and chief racing development officer, speaking on The Morning Drive on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
  
  Following the race, Jimmie Johnson went to Kevin Harvick's motorhome in the driver's lot to talk the incident over with the driver of the No. 4 Chevrolet. But when he got to Harvick's motorhome, he was greeted with a punch to the chest. The situation had to be diffused by Harvick's business manager Josh Jones and wife DeLana. They escorted him to a waiting white SUV and drove off from the race track.
  
  Afterwards, Johnson said that he "assume[d] he would try to find it [as] my fault. I just simply needed the lane to get back on the racetrack. By no means was I trying to do anything different. I've seen him on the flat working his way back up looking for a racing lane. That is what I was doing. I was on the bottom trying to get back up on the racing surface, and he was trying to pin me down and I had to get back up or else it would have been a hell of a mess."
  
  Joey Logano, who appeared to make contact with No. 48 Chevrolet, said that he never touched him or forced him down onto the apron going into turn 1. "I don't know. I was a little behind it," said Logano, who finished sixth in the Chase opener. "I just saw the 48 go three-wide bottom, and I was just trying to protect my position and figure out what lane I wanted to go in from there."
  
  In his weekly appearance on the Sirius XM NASCAR Radio program The Morning Drive, NASCAR Executive Vice–President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell told Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone that “there won’t be any penalties ” issued for the confrontation and explained the sanctioning body's reason behind the decision.
  
  **Penalties**
  
  On the Wednesday following the race, NASCAR issued penalties to the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team and No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing team.
  
  * The No. 10 team was penalized for an infraction that occurred during pre-qualifying inspection on September 18. This is a P2 level penalty (Sections 12.1 and 20.4b and 20.4.2a of the NASCAR rule book). The right side quarter panel behind the rear wheel/tire was modified during pre-qualifying inspection. Crew chief Daniel Knost was placed on NASCAR probation through December 31, 2015. Car chief Pete White was placed on NASCAR probation through December 31.
  * The No. 15 team was penalized for an infraction that occurred on opening day inspection September 18. This is a P4 level penalty (Section 12.1, 20. 14.c, 20.14.2.1.k, 12.5.3.4.d, 12.5.3.4.1.d & f, 12.5.3.4.2 of the NASCAR rule book). Crew chief Billy Scott was fined 75–thousand dollars, suspended for the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship events and placed on NASCAR probation for six months following the issue of suspension. Driver Clint Bowyer has been penalized 25–points. Car owner Rob Kauffman has been penalized 25 owner points.
  
  Michael Waltrip Racing released a statement saying that it "respectfully disagrees" with the penalties and would immediately appeal. "MWR has made mistakes in the past, but we feel we are correct in this instance," the team said. "We look forward to the opportunity to present our case to the appeals committee and have no further public comment until the process is completed."
  
  NASCAR requested to the Appeals Administrator of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel that the appeals process described in the rule book be expedited.
  
  On Wednesday, September 30, the National Motorsports Appeal Panel upheld the penalty levied against the team. The team decided not to make a final appeal and released a statement that said they were "disappointed with the outcome of today’s ruling and still feel our interpretation is within the guidelines. Rather than continue the appeals process, MWR is ready to focus 100 percent of our company’s resources on winning at Dover and trying to advance to the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup."
  
  ### Race results
  
  | Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | 29 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 267 | 47 |
  | 2 | 14 | 19 | Carl Edwards | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 267 | 43 |
  | 3 | 9 | 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 42 |
  | 4 | 6 | 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 40 |
  | 5 | 12 | 20 | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 267 | 40 |
  | 6 | 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 267 | 39 |
  | 7 | 18 | 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 38 |
  | 8 | 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 267 | 36 |
  | 9 | 7 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 267 | 37 |
  | 10 | 20 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 267 | 34 |
  | 11 | 11 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 33 |
  | 12 | 19 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 32 |
  | 13 | 4 | 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Chevrolet | 267 | 32 |
  | 14 | 10 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 267 | 31 |
  | 15 | 28 | 55 | David Ragan | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 267 | 29 |
  | 16 | 13 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 266 | 28 |
  | 17 | 16 | 27 | Paul Menard | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 266 | 27 |
  | 18 | 27 | 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 265 | 26 |
  | 19 | 26 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 265 | 0 |
  | 20 | 24 | 13 | Casey Mears | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 265 | 24 |
  | 21 | 17 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 265 | 23 |
  | 22 | 21 | 33 | Brian Scott (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 265 | 0 |
  | 23 | 31 | 51 | Justin Allgaier | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 265 | 21 |
  | 24 | 8 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 264 | 20 |
  | 25 | 23 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 264 | 19 |
  | 26 | 25 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 264 | 18 |
  | 27 | 36 | 40 | Landon Cassill (i) | Hillman-Circle Sport LLC | Chevrolet | 263 | 0 |
  | 28 | 30 | 6 | Trevor Bayne | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 263 | 16 |
  | 29 | 33 | 35 | Cole Whitt | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 263 | 15 |
  | 30 | 22 | 9 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Richard Petty Motorsports | Ford | 262 | 14 |
  | 31 | 38 | 34 | Brett Moffitt (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 262 | 13 |
  | 32 | 35 | 38 | David Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 262 | 12 |
  | 33 | 40 | 32 | Josh Wise | Go FAS Racing | Ford | 261 | 11 |
  | 34 | 37 | 46 | Michael Annett | HScott Motorsports | Chevrolet | 261 | 10 |
  | 35 | 34 | 26 | J. J. Yeley (i) | BK Racing | Toyota | 261 | 0 |
  | 36 | 15 | 47 | A. J. Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 260 | 8 |
  | 37 | 32 | 7 | Alex Bowman | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 259 | 7 |
  | 38 | 41 | 23 | Jeb Burton (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 259 | 6 |
  | 39 | 39 | 83 | Matt DiBenedetto (R) | BK Racing | Toyota | 258 | 5 |
  | 40 | 42 | 98 | Reed Sorenson | Premium Motorsports | Ford | 258 | 4 |
  | 41 | 43 | 62 | Timmy Hill (i) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 255 | 0 |
  | 42 | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Chevrolet | 209 | 3 |
  | 43 | 5 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 198 | 1 |
  | Unofficial race results ||||||||
  
  ### Race statistics
  
  * 17 lead changes among 10 different drivers
  * 6 cautions for 28 laps
  * Time of race: 2 hours, 51 minute, 30 seconds
  * Average speed: 140.117 mph (225.496 km/h)
  * Denny Hamlin took home $306,315 in winnings
  
  Lap Leaders :
  
  | Laps | Leader |
  | - | - |
  | 1-5 | Kevin Harvick |
  | 6 | Joey Logano |
  | 7-45 | Martin Truex Jr. |
  | 46-128 | Kyle Busch |
  | 129-133 | Kevin Harvick |
  | 134-143 | Kyle Busch |
  | 144-183 | Jeff Gordon |
  | 184 | Kurt Busch |
  | 185 | Kyle Busch |
  | 186-187 | Kyle Larson |
  | 188-193 | Carl Edwards |
  | 194-220 | Kyle Busch |
  | 221-239 | Kurt Busch |
  | 240-243 | Denny Hamlin |
  | 244 | Matt Kenseth |
  | 245-261 | Kurt Busch |
  | 262 | Jeff Gordon |
  | 263-267 | Denny Hamlin |
  
  Total laps led :
  
  | Leader | Laps |
  | - | - |
  | Kyle Busch | 121 |
  | Jeff Gordon | 41 |
  | Martin Truex Jr. | 39 |
  | Kurt Busch | 37 |
  | Kevin Harvick | 10 |
  | Denny Hamlin | 9 |
  | Carl Edwards | 6 |
  | Kyle Larson | 2 |
  | Matt Kenseth | 1 |
  | Joey Logano | 1 |
  
  **Race awards**
  
  * Coors Light Pole Award: No winner
  * 3M Lap Leader: Kyle Busch (121 laps)
  * American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Kyle Busch
  * Duralast Brakes "Bake In The Race" Award: Kevin Harvick
  * Freescale "Wide Open": Kurt Busch
  * Ingersoll Rand Power Move: Ryan Newman (5 positions)
  * MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Toyota Racing Development, #11
  * Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Kyle Busch (130.6 driver rating)
  * Moog Steering and Suspension Problem Solver of The Race: Kurt Busch (crew chief Tony Gibson (0.519 seconds))
  * NASCAR Sprint Cup Leader Bonus: No winner: rolls over to $240,000 at next event
  * Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap: Kyle Busch (Lap 136, 29.572, 182.605 mph (293.874 km/h))
  * Sunoco Rookie of The Race: Brett Moffitt
  
  ## Media
  
  ### Television
  
  NBCSN covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast handled pit road on the television side.
  
  NBCSN :
  
  | Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
  | - | - |
  | Lap-by-lap: Rick Allen Color-commentator: Jeff Burton Color-commentator: Steve Letarte | Dave Burns Mike Massaro Marty Snider Kelli Stavast |
  
  ### Radio
  
  MRN had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and Rusty Wallace called the race from the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch. Dave Moody called the race from a billboard outside of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Mike Bagley called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelley and Steve Post worked pit road on the radio side.
  
  MRN :
  
  | Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
  | - | - | - |
  | Lead announcer: Joe Moore Announcer: Jeff Striegle Announcer: Rusty Wallace | Turns 1 & 2: Dave Moody Turns 3 & 4: Mike Bagley | Alex Hayden Winston Kelley Steve Post |
  
  ## Standings after the race
  
  | | Pos | Driver | Points |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | 2 | 1 | Matt Kenseth | 2,052 |
  | 9 | 2 | Denny Hamlin | 2,050 (–2) |
  | 5 | 3 | Carl Edwards | 2,049 (–3) |
  | 2 | 4 | Kyle Busch | 2,049 (–3) |
  | 2 | 5 | Kurt Busch | 2,048 (–4) |
  | 2 | 6 | Joey Logano | 2,048 (–4) |
  | 6 | 7 | Jimmie Johnson | 2,045 (–7) |
  | 6 | 8 | Ryan Newman | 2,040 (–12) |
  | | 9 | Brad Keselowski | 2,039 (–13) |
  | 4 | 10 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2,038 (–14) |
  | 1 | 11 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2,035 (–17) |
  | 1 | 12 | Jeff Gordon | 2,031 (–21) |
  | 1 | 13 | Jamie McMurray | 2,028 (–24) |
  | 1 | 14 | Paul Menard | 2,027 (–25) |
  | 10 | 15 | Kevin Harvick | 2,009 (–43) |
  | | 16 | Clint Bowyer | 2,000 (–52) |
  | Pos | Manufacturer | Points |
  | 1 | Chevrolet | 1,187 |
  | 2 | Toyota | 1,138 (–49) |
  | 3 | Ford | 1,120 (–67) |
  
  ## Note
  
  * ↑ Brett Moffitt started from the rear of the field for changing transmissions.
  * ↑ Clint Bowyer was handed a 25–point penalty for a P4 level penalty.
  