2019 Bluegreen Vacations 500

The 2019 Bluegreen Vacations 500 is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on November 10, 2019, at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps on the one mile (1.6 km) oval, it was the 35th race of the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, ninth race of the Playoffs, and final race of the Round of 8.

Background
ISM Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

ISM Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop in the western United States, as well as the fourth and penultimate track on the schedule.

Entry list

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

First practice
Kyle Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 26.170 seconds and a speed of 137.562 mph.

Final practice
Chase Elliott was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 25.969 seconds and a speed of 138.627 mph.

Qualifying
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 25.693 and a speed of 140.116 mph.

Stage 1
Kyle Busch sped off into the lead with Logano close behind when the green flag waved starting the race. Hamlin moved into 2nd and the field seemed content to settle in and make laps.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(17) cut down a tire and brought out the yellow flag with just nine laps to go in the Stage. Setting up a sprint to end the first segment of the race. Pit strategy will also be key as drivers jockey to earn Stage points.

Exiting pit road the top three remained the same and all took on four new Goodyear racing tires. Some teams opted to take only two tires hoping to gain some track position. The race restarted with three laps to go, two drivers did not pit, Brad Keselowski(2), and William Byron(24). The strategy did not produce a win as drivers with fresher tires passed easily. However, Keselowski finished 6th and Byron 8th to earn Stage points.

Two of the drivers needing points the most took full advantage of the short run to the green and white checkered flag. Hamlin picked up 10 bonus points for winning the Stage and Elliott pocketed nine points for taking 2nd.

Stage 2
Having pitted just before the Stage ending yellow flag, the leaders stayed on the track. Hamlin and Elliott led the field to the green. Logano got a huge run on the start and moved to the front of the pack by the next time across the start/finish line. Elliott, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney(12) made up the top five.

Logano dominated the 2nd Stage leading 68 laps to grab the 10 bonus points and the playoff point for the Stage win. Hamlin and Elliott put on a fierce battle for the 2nd spot, trading the lead several times over the last five laps. The battle got physical as the two drivers traded paint fighting for the extra bonus point.

The Final Stage
Logano and Hamlin exited the pits first on the Stage ending pit stops, Kyle Busch and Elliott followed. The restart could get exciting if someone decides this may be their last chance to move to the lead.

Hamlin spun his rear tires on the restart, allowing Logano to pull out to a one-second lead. Once again Hamlin and Elliott battled door handle-to-door handle with Hamlin eventually pushing the nose of his car past the #9 car. On Lap 167, Elliott had a rear tire go down and he backed into the outside wall. The rear end of the car was destroyed, ending Elliott’s day and any chance of winning the Championship this year.

Back to green flag racing, Logano again fired off into the lead. This time Hamlin got a better launch and was able to battle past Logano after a couple of laps and get back to the front. Should Hamlin pick up the win, the final spot will go to Logano or Kyle Busch depending on who finishes ahead of the other.

Logano, with an ill-handling race car, began to lose positions. Kyle Busch passed, then Blaney, Harvick, and Truex sent the #22 car back to 6th place. Losing a half-second a lap, Logano dropped five points behind Busch for the final points position. Final pit stops may well determine the outcome.

Hamlin put Logano a lap down with 75 laps to go. The leaders are within the window they need to finish on a fuel fill-up during their next pit stop. Blaney and Harvick were the first to pit under green with 69 laps to go. Hamlin pitted with 66 laps to go.

Hamlin returned to the lead after pit stops cycled through. Logano remained a lap down but ran right behind Hamlin. A caution would allow Logano back on the lead lap. Kyle Busch, holding onto 2nd, could not make up any time on the leader.

With nine laps to go, John Hunter Nemechek(36) brought out the caution hitting the wall. All the lead lap drivers pitted, Hamlin and Blaney both took only two tires and exited 1st. Everyone else on the lead lap took four tires.

The Finish
The restart came with three laps to go. Hamlin in 1st, Blaney in 2nd, a win by either one would advance them to Homestead. Hamlin drove away as Blaney and Kyle Busch battled for 2nd. Blaney drove Busch to the bottom of the track but could not hold him off. With teammates running 1-2 there was little likelihood of a last-lap bump and run. Besides, Bush was in on points with his 2nd place finish.

For Joey Logano, heartbreak. The defending Champion will not have a chance to go back-to-back as he was eliminated from this year’s playoffs.

The Championship Four is set. Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch. Joe Gibbs racing placed three cars in the final, the first time that has ever happened in this playoff format. Stewart-Haas Racing will rely on Kevin Harvick to defend Ford’s manufacturing championship.

Stage results
Stage One Laps: 75

Stage Two Laps: 75

Final stage results
Stage Three Laps: 162

Race statistics

 * Lead changes: 8 among 5 different drivers
 * Cautions/Laps: 5 for 32
 * Red flags: 0
 * Time of race: 2 hours, 48 minutes and 0 seconds
 * Average speed: 111.429 mph

Television
NBC Sports will cover the race on the television side. Rick Allen, two–time Phoenix winner Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and three-time Phoenix winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.

Radio
MRN will cover the radio call for the race, which will be simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Rusty Wallace will call the action from the boradcast booth when the field races down the front straightaway. Dan Hubbard will call the action from turns 1 & 2 and Kyle Rickey will call the action from turns 3 & 4. Winston Kelley, Steve Post, Kim Coon, and Dillon Welch will call the action on MRN from pit lane.

Standings after the race

 * Manufacturers' Championship standings
 * Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.