The 2013 NRA 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on April 13, 2013, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5–mile (2.4 km) quad-oval, it was the seventh race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship. Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing won the race, his second win of the 2013 season and first at Texas, while Martin Truex Jr. finished second. Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, and Joey Logano rounded out the top five.
By also winning the Friday night Nationwide Series race, Busch completed his second weekend sweep of 2013, having also accomplished this at Fontana. A Texas man committed suicide by putting a gun to his head and shooting himself after an argument with another fan near an infield.
Report
Background Texas Motor Speedway is a four-turn quad-oval track that is long. The track's turns are banked at twenty-four degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is five degrees. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a five degree banking. The racetrack has a permanent capacity of 138,122 spectators, and an infield capacity of 53,000. Greg Biffle is the defending race winner after winning the event in 2012.
Before the race, Jimmie Johnson was leading the Drivers' Championship with 231 points, while Brad Keselowski stood in second with 225 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed in the third position, 17 points ahead of Kyle Busch and 20 ahead of Kasey Kahne in fourth and fifth. Biffle, with 199, was seven points ahead of Carl Edwards and 20 ahead of Clint Bowyer, as Paul Menard was seven points ahead of Matt Kenseth and twelve ahead of Joey Logano in tenth and eleventh. Jeff Gordon completed the first twelve positions with 164 points.
Entry list (R) - Denotes rookie driver.
(i) - Denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. DriverTeamManufacturer1Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingFord5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7Dave BlaneyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet9Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord10Danica Patrick (R)Stewart–Haas RacingChevrolet11Brian Vickers (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota13Casey MearsGermain RacingFord14Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Mike Bliss (i)Humphrey Smith RacingToyota20Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22Joey LoganoPenske RacingFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30David StremmeSwan RacingToyota31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Timmy Hill (R)FAS Lane RacingFord33Landon CassillCircle SportChevrolet34David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord35Josh Wise (i)Front Row MotorsportsFord36J. J. YeleyTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet38David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord39Ryan NewmanStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord44Scott RiggsXxxtreme MotorsportsFord47Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet51A. J. AllmendingerPhoenix RacingChevrolet55Mark MartinMichael Waltrip RacingToyota56Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota78Kurt BuschFurniture Row RacingChevrolet83David ReutimannBK RacingToyota87Joe Nemechek (i)NEMCO-Jay Robinson RacingToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet93Travis KvapilBK RacingToyota95Scott SpeedLeavine Family RacingFord98Michael McDowellPhil Parsons RacingFord99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFordOfficial entry list
Sponsorship controversy The race's sponsorship by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) proved to be controversial prior to the race. Although race sponsorships are negotiated with the track owner, not NASCAR itself, the sanctioning organization has final approval and did not object to the sponsorship. Both NASCAR's acceptance of this sponsorship, and its timing, has been controversial, and offensive to gun control activists. Because of the sponsorship, Senator Chris Murphy asked Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corporation owns Fox Sports, which was scheduled to air the race, to not broadcast it. Fox broadcast the race as scheduled, not least because failure to do so would have been a breach of the network's contract with NASCAR. However, Fox only used the official sponsored name once per hour (the minimum mandated by NASCAR) and otherwise referred to it generically (in this case as the "Texas 500"), the network's usual practice when a race's title sponsor does not buy ads during the race broadcast; the NRA reportedly did not seek to purchase any such ads. Duck Commander replaced NRA as the sponsor for the following year's race, while NRA would return as a race sponsor in 2016 for the Bristol Night Race in August at Speedway's owned Bristol Motor Speedway.
Practice and qualifying
Two practice sessions were held in preparation for the race; both on Friday, April 12, 2013. The first session and second session lasted for 90 minutes each. During the first practice session, Martin Truex Jr., for the Michael Waltrip Racing team, was quickest ahead of Earnhardt Jr. in second and Johnson in third. Jamie McMurray was scored fourth, and Kevin Harvick managed fifth. Edwards, Jeff Burton, Kenseth, Biffle, and Casey Mears rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session.
Marcos Ambrose was quickest in the second and final practice session, ahead of Kyle Busch in second, and Aric Almirola in third. Kurt Busch was fourth quickest, and Truex Jr. took fifth. Juan Pablo Montoya, Burton, Biffle, Paul Menard, and Keselowski followed in the top ten.
During qualifying, forty-five cars were entered, meaning only two cars were not able to start because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure. Kyle Busch clinched his second pole position of the season, with a record-setting time of 27.509 seconds. After his qualifying run, Busch commented, "Not too shabby of a day. ... I feel like we have a good piece for the race. It felt that good. Sometimes you feel that good and it's not very fast." He was joined on the front row of the grid by his brother, Kurt Busch. Almirola qualified third, Ambrose took fourth, and Truex Jr. started fifth. Earnhardt, Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Edwards, and Montoya completed the first ten positions on the grid. The two drivers who failed to qualify for the race were Scott Speed and Scott Riggs.
Post-race penalties Three teams were issued penalties after the race. The No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing car of Martin Truex Jr. was fined six driver points and Michael Waltrip was penalized six owner points for the front car height failing to meet NASCAR specifications. Crew chief Chad Johnston was fined $25,000 and placed on probation until June 5. MWR did not appeal the penalty. The No. 2 and No. 22 Penske Racing cars were considered more controversial. The teams were fined for unapproved suspension parts. Penske Racing appealed the decision, but the only reduction involved the suspension from seven races to three (two plus the Sprint All-Star Race).
The penalties for the No. 2 car: Driver Brad Keselowski fined 25 driver points and team owner Roger Penske fined 25 owner points. Crew Chief Paul Wolfe fined $100,000, suspended two points races and the Sprint All-Star Race, on probation until December 31 Car chief Jerry Kelly, team engineer Brian Wilson, and Penske Racing competition director Travis Geisler suspended three races and placed on probation until December 31.
The penalties for the No. 22 car: Driver Joey Logano fined 25 driver points and team owner Walt Czarnecki fined 25 owner points. Crew Chief Todd Gordon fined $100,000, suspended two points races and the Sprint All-Star Race, on probation until December 31 Car chief Raymond Fox and team engineer Samuel Stanley suspended three races and placed on probation until December 31.
Race
Results
Qualifying Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.509 196.299 2 78 Kurt Busch Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 27.595 195.688 3 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.691 195.009 4 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 27.700 194.946 5 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 27.725 194.770 6 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.759 194.532 7 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.763 194.503 8 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.811 194.168 9 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.814 194.147 10 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.834 194.007 11 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 27.861 193.819 12 51 Austin Dillon Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 27.869 193.764 13 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 27.888 193.632 14 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 27.914 193.451 15 11 Brian Vickers Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 27.915 193.444 16 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Ford 27.917 193.431 17 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 27.951 193.195 18 22 Joey Logano Penske Racing Ford 27.996 192.885 19 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 28.011 192.781 20 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 28.014 192.761 21 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 28.014 192.761 22 21 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing Ford 28.015 192.754 23 55 Mark Martin Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 28.031 192.644 24 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 28.038 192.596 25 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 28.044 192.555 26 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 28.086 192.267 27 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 28.110 192.102 28 7 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.141 191.891 29 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 28.164 191.734 30 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 28.188 191.571 31 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 28.190 191.557 32 93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 28.231 191.279 33 30 David Stremme Swan Racing Toyota 28.251 191.144 34 19 Mike BlissHumphrey Smith Motorsports Toyota 28.283 190.927 35 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 28.284 190.921 36 36 J. J. Yeley Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 28.316 190.705 37 98 Michael McDowellPhil Parsons Racing Ford 28.317 190.698 38 83 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota 28.418 190.020 39 33 Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet 28.517 189.361 40 35 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 28.552 189.129 41 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO-Jay Robinson Racing Toyota 28.699 188.160 42 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 28.709 188.094 43 32 Timmy Hill FAS Lane Racing Ford 28.987 186.290 Failed to Qualify 95 Scott SpeedLeavine Family Racing Ford 28.782 187.617 44 Scott Riggs Xxxtreme MotorsportsFord 29.009 186.149Source:
Race results