2011 STP 400
The 2011 STP 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series motor race held on June 5, 2011 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Contested over 267 laps on the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) asphalt D-oval, it was the 13th race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. The race was won by Brad Keselowski for the Penske Racing team. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished second, and Denny Hamlin clinched third.
Report
Background
Kansas Speedway is one of ten intermediate to hold NASCAR races. The standard track at Kansas Speedway is a four-turn D-shaped oval track that is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long. The track's turns are banked at fifteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is 10.4 degrees. The back stretch, opposite of the front, is at only five degrees. The racetrack has seats for 82,000 spectators.
Before the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 445 points, and Kevin Harvick stood in second with 409. Jimmie Johnson was third in the Drivers' Championship with 408 points, six ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and sixteen ahead of Kyle Busch in fourth and fifth. Kurt Busch with 377 was three ahead of Matt Kenseth, as Clint Bowyer with 365 points, was nine ahead of Tony Stewart, and twelve in front of Ryan Newman. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 83 points, six ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 64 points, was 24 points ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.
GoBowling.com 400
The GoBowling.com 400 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. Kansas received a second date beginning in 2011 as part of NASCAR's latest round of schedule realignment; since 2001 the track had always held a race in late September/early October that became part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup starting in 2004.
History
The inaugural STP 400 was held on June 5, 2011. Like the fall race at Kansas, the distance of the race was 400.5 miles (644.542 km).Brad Keselowski won the inaugural running of the race ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. after saving fuel. Unlike 2011, the 2012 race was moved to April 22, 2012 to allow more time for the Kansas Speedway to complete the track's reconfiguration. During the 2012 STP 400, A. J. Allmendinger won the pole position with a time of 30.683 seconds, but Denny Hamlin won the race after passing Martin Truex Jr.. For 2013, the race remained as the eighth race of the season in April, and was held on April 21, 2013.
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