2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500

NASCAR Cup Series raceTemplate:SHORTDESC:NASCAR Cup Series race

The **2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500** was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on October 25, 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. Contested over 334 laps on the 1.5 mile (2.4 km) intermediate quad-oval, it was the 34th race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, the eighth race of the Playoffs, and second race of the Round of 8. Rain forced the race to be stopped after 52 laps and the race was re-commence on Wednesday October 28.

## Report

### Background

**Texas Motor Speedway** is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

#### Entry list

* **(R)** denotes rookie driver.
* **(i)** denotes driver who are ineligible for series driver points.

## Qualifying

Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole for the race as determined by competition-based formula.

## Race

### Stage 1

Kevin Harvick(4) drove off into Turn 1 with the lead, Brad Keselowski(2), Alex Bowman(88), and Denny Hamlin(11) all passed Joey Logano(22), who started 2nd on the grid. Chris Buescher(17) spun into the outer wall and brought out the caution flag on Lap 4. Mist in the air was clearly visible on the roof cams, especially as the cars drove around at slower speeds. A traction compound was applied to the upper lanes of the track, but with temperatures on the cool side, drivers are hesitant to test out the surface.

A competition caution was scheduled for around Lap 25. J.J. Yeley(27) moved up the timing of the safety stop for checking on tires when he spun in the traction compound and backed his car into the wall doing enough damage to eliminate him from the race.

Harvick was the first off pit road retaining the lead. Back to green flag racing and drivers seem to have trouble negotiating Turns 1 & 2, it may be because the mist is getting heavier. Hamlin loses traction and slides to the top of the track barely avoiding the wall. Harvick slides in the same spot, but he cannot keep it off the wall slamming hard into the outside barrier. Forced to pit with a tire going down, Harvick goes a lap down. Other driver’s slip and slide before NASCAR brings out the caution due to track conditions.

Having almost reached the halfway point of the Stage, everyone comes to pit road for fresh tires and enough fuel to carry them to Lap 105. Harvick misses out on the lucky dog and remains a lap down so he comes to the pits and has the car checked over to make sure all the damage had been corrected.

Clint Bowyer(14), Jimmie Johnson(48), Erik Jones(20), Logano, and Martin Truex Jr.(19) are the first five off pit road. However, two more laps around, and the field is brought back down and forced to stop as the red flag is displayed.

Track crews attempted to keep the racing surface dry. Those efforts went for naught and the race was postponed until Monday morning.

Again, a daylong rain and mist prevented the resumption of the race on Monday. NASCAR postponed the race once more until noon on Tuesday.

Noon never happened, but the late afternoon looked like a possibility. Then NASCAR announced cars would be called to pit road at 8 pm, with an 8:30 restart planned. However, “The Mist” returned and Wednesday at 3 pm became the new hope. A Sunoco tanker entered the track, not with race fuel, but fuel for the trucks on the drying crew.

Finally, the red flag was lifted and the caution flag came back out, the cars are back on the track. Just after 5 pm on Wednesday and a total of 72 hours, 28 minutes, and 34 seconds, NASCAR is counting laps and the green flag comes out on Lap 57. Jones pushes Bowyer to the lead. But, just three laps in Matt Kenseth(42) gets loose on the front stretch and collects Bubba Wallace(43). Hamlin gets some front end damage on the nose of his race car during the Kenseth and Wallace incident. The caution is good news for Harvick. Who, this time gets the Lucky Dog as the first driver a lap down, he gets his lap back being allowed to pass the pace car.

Kenseth and Wallace are towed to the garage, out of the race they waited three days to restart. Back to racing with 35 laps to go in Stage 1, Bowyer fights off a challenge from Truex to maintain the top spot.

Truex closed to the bumper of Bowyer, with three laps to go in the Stage. Bowyer moved down to block and nearly wrecked both cars. Bowyer took the Stage win, Truex, Chase Elliott(9), and Logano were the only playoff drivers to collect bonus points during Stage 1. Harvick worked his way back to 15th after getting back onto the lead lap.

### Stage 2

Alex Bowman(88) led the field to the green flag for the start of Stage 2. Ryan Blaney(12) Johnson, Truex, and Bowyer made up the Top 5 at Lap 30 of the Stage when Joey Gase(51) spun and hit the wall bringing out the caution. Blaney, Truex, Austin Dillon(3), Elliott, and Bowyer bring the pack back to green for the restart.

As the race moved to the mid-point of the Stage, Truex was able to work his way past Blaney and take over the top spot. The fastest car on the track belonged to Kyle Busch(18). Even though Kyle is eliminated from the playoffs he is still trying to continue his streak of wins to 16 consecutive years.

Green flag pit stop commenced with 10 laps to go and shuffled the Stage standings. Kyle Busch got the Stage win with Truex right behind.

### The Final Stage

Kyle Busch and Bowyer stayed out as the rest of the field pitted. They took away the possibility of anyone taking the wave around. Chase Elliott had to pit twice with tire issues trapping him a lap down.

Busch and Bowyer ran side-by-side for two laps on the restart until Kyle was able to pull ahead and clear Bowyer. Matt DiBenedetto(21), Truex, and Logano rounded out the Top 5.

Bowyer was forced to pit with 77 laps to go after skipping the opportunity to service his car during the Stage ending caution. Kyle Busch, on the same strategy, was being asked to stretch his fuel mileage and extra 15 laps to get them to the finish with a single stop. Busch pitted with 67 laps to go and will be right on the edge to make it to the end.

Green flag stops were completed with 54 laps to go. Kyle Busch recaptured the lead, Bowyer ran 2nd. Truex, Christopher Bell(95), and Blaney were the Top 5. Busch was told to save gas whenever he could. Kyle’s team reported that Bowyer was short on fuel by 15 laps, they decided to let Bowyer pass and for Kyle to draft off him to help save more gas.

Bell moved to Truex bumper as the #19 crew was telling their driver to protect the spot and not let him pass. They believe both Bowyer and Kyle Busch will run out of fuel and the race will come down to a battle between Truex or Bell.

#### The Finish

With 30 laps to go, Busch had lost the draft of Bowyer who led by 3.5 seconds. Kyle Busch held a second and a half advantage over Truex with Bell a couple of car lengths back. Busch’s crew told him it was time to pick up the pace, Bowyer pitted with 23 laps to go and Busch inherited the lead, a full second ahead of Truex. Behind Bell, no one else was close enough to make a run.

As Busch is passing lapped traffic he takes advantage of the draft from every car he approaches. With 10 laps to go, Busch was in a position to put Harvick a lap down. Busch drafted off the #4 car for a few laps. It was to Harvick’s advantage to let Busch pass. A win by a non-playoff driver will open at least two spots to qualify for the final by points.

Truex was able to cut the deficit to a half-second, but could not get close enough to make an attempt to pass. Kyle Busch pushes his personal streak to 16 years with at least 1 victory. Richard Petty holds the NASCAR record with wins in 18 consecutive years. Truex now faces a must-win at Martinsville and the points chasers breath a sigh of relief.

##### Playoff Standings

Harvick is almost a lock to advance. If Hamlin and Keselowski can dodge a win by a member of the bottom 4 and not completely fall apart at Martinsville, they are likely to advance to Phoenix. Bowman and Elliott will need Stage points and a Top 5 finish and help in the form of trouble for Hamlin or Keselowski to advance on points. Truex and Busch will need a win to move on. If the standings remain as is, Ford Performance will put 3 cars into the final four at Phoenix.

### Stage Results

**Stage One**
*Laps:* 105

**Stage Two**
*Laps:* 105

### Final Stage Results

**Stage Three**
*Laps:* 164

### Race statistics

* Lead changes: 23 among 11 different drivers
* Cautions/Laps: 8 for 47
* Red flags: 1 for 72 hours, 28 minutes and 34 seconds
* Time of race: 3 hours, 42 minutes and 14 seconds
* Average speed: 135.263 miles per hour (217.685 km/h)

## Media

### Television

NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Two–time Texas winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and 2000 Texas winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the action from the booth on Sunday. Allen, Burton and Letarte called the action from the booth on Wednesday. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman and Kelli Stavast handled the pit road duties on Sunday, Parker Kligerman and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties on Wednesday.

 **Lap-by-lap:** Rick Allen (Sunday and Wednesday)**Color-commentator:** Jeff Burton (Sunday and Wednesday)**Color-commentator:** Steve Letarte (Sunday and Wednesday)**Color-commentator:** Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Sunday) | Dave Burns (Sunday)Parker Kligerman (Sunday and Wednesday)Marty Snider (Wednesday)Kelli Stavast (Sunday)

### Radio

PRN covered their final 2020 broadcast, which was also simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Doug Rice & Mark Garrow covered the action for PRN when the field raced down the front straightaway. Rob Albright covered the action for PRN from a platform outside of Turns 1 & 2, & Pat Patterson covered the action from a platform outside of Turns 3 & 4 for PRN. Brad Gillie, Brett McMillan and Wendy Venturini had the call from pit lane for PRN.

## References

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