2016 Go Bowling 400

Start

Under clear Kansas skies, Martin Truex Jr. led the field to the green flag at 7:48 p.m. After 15 laps, he pulled to a three-second lead over Matt Kenseth. Debris in turn 4 brought out the first caution of the race on lap 24. Kyle Busch exited pit road with the race lead. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Regan Smith were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.

The race restarted on lap 28. Jamie McMurray was black-flagged on lap 30 after NASCAR deemed his crew made "unapproved adjustments" to the body of the car during his pit stop.^[20] Matt McCall, McMurray's crew chief, said he thought NASCAR "called us back in for body modification or something. The Jackman hit the door when he went for the tire, so I don’t know. It’s interesting to me how they enforce stuff.”^[20] By lap 40, Busch held a one-second lead over Kurt Busch. The second caution of the race flew on lap 56 for Matt DiBenedetto brushing the wall exiting turn 4. Truex exited pit road with the race lead.

Second quarter

The race restarted on lap 61. Carl Edwards attempted to pit because of a flat tire on lap 82, but was carrying too much speed, overshot the entrance and had to limp back around.^[21] The third caution of the race flew on lap 103 for a single-car wreck in turn 2. Rounding the turn, Paul Menard got loose and rear-ended the wall. He would go on to finish 40th.^[22] Denny Hamlin was tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.

The race restarted on lap 109. A number of cars began hitting pit road on lap 155. Truex pitted on lap 158 and handed the lead to Joey Logano. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Clint Bowyer. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Danica Patrick. Truex, on fresher tires, ran down and passed Patrick in turn 3 to retake the lead on lap 163.

Halfway

Debris on the backstretch brought out the fourth caution of the race with 99 laps to go. Hamlin was tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.

The race restarted with 94 laps to go. A number of drivers began pitting with 57 laps to go. Truex hit pit road with 54 laps to go and handed the lead to Matt Kenseth. Truex came back down pit road because of a loose right-front wheel.^[23] The wheel was on crooked because of a jammed bracket behind the wheel.^[24] After the race, Truex said he "couldn’t believe it. I went around Turns 1 and 2 and I was like ‘Wheel loose.’ I kept telling myself that maybe it's not me, maybe it's just shaking because it has tape on it or something stupid. It was loose and I knew it right away. Frustrating, but that's how it goes.”^[25] Kenseth pitted with 53 laps to go and handed the lead to Logano. He pitted with 52 laps to go and handed the lead to Brad Keselowski. He pitted with 50 laps to go and handed the lead to Tony Stewart. Kyle Busch passed entering turn 3 to retake the lead with 36 laps to go.

Fourth quarter

The fifth caution of the race flew with 34 laps to go after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rode the wall through turns 3 and 4. Jimmie Johnson was tagged for speeding on pit road and restart the race from the tail-end of the field.

The race restarted with 28 laps to go. The sixth caution of the race flew with 27 to go for a multi-car wreck in turn 3. Threading the needle between Keselowski and Kyle Larson, Hamlin got loose and spun out.^[26] Logano, with nowhere to go, t-boned the No. 11 car.^[27] Hamlin said afterwards that he "and the No. 2 got loose at the same time, I don’t think there was any contact, but the No. 42 was real close to me on the outside. I was driving in really deep there to try and clear him. Didn’t get him cleared and I knew if I didn’t get him clear then I would’ve put myself in a bad spot. I was just going for it. We’ve got a win and it’s win or nothing with this type of format, so why not go in there and take a chance? Unfortunately, it didn’t work.”^[28] Logano said it looked from his point that "the 2 got loose and then the 11 got loose. I was hoping the 11 would come down the hill and when you’re in the smoke you can’t see anything. I hit the wall, so I knew where that was and I just kept riding and riding and hoping the 11 would come down the hill because I couldn’t see and he stayed up there and I got him right in the door. It’s unfortunate...It’s just racing. Things happen sometimes.”^[29]

The race restarted with 19 laps to go. Busch held off a late charge by Harvick to score the victory.^[30]