2013 Quaker State 400

(R) - Denotes rookie driver.

(i) - Denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.

Two practice sessions were held on June 28 in preparation for the race. The first session was 60 minutes in duration, while the second session was 90 minutes long.{{cite web |url=http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2013/story/_/page/17-Kentucky-2013-NASCAR-Race-Info#prac |title=Quaker State 400 Race Information |publisher=ESPN |work=Jayski's Silly Season Site |access-date=2013-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628025948/http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2013/story/_/page/17-Kentucky-2013-NASCAR-Race-Info#prac |archive-date=2013-06-28 |url-status=dead }}

During the first practice session, Kevin Harvick, for the Richard Childress Racing team, was quickest ahead of Jimmie Johnson in second and Brad Keselowski in third.{{cite web|title=Quaker State 400 1st Practice Speeds|url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/06/Quaker-State-400-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx|publisher=Motor Racing Network|access-date=2013-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702065255/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/06/Quaker-State-400-1st-Practice-Speeds.aspx|archive-date=2013-07-02|url-status=dead}} Kurt Busch scored fourth and Jeff Gordon managed fifth. Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers, Juan Pablo Montoya, Paul Menard, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session. In the final practice session for the race, Johnson was quickest with a time of 29.819 seconds.{{cite web | url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/06/Quaker-State-400-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx | title=Quaker State 400 Final Practice Speeds | publisher=Motor Racing Network | access-date=2013-06-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702065859/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Additional-Statistics/2013/06/Quaker-State-400-Final-Practice-Speeds.aspx | archive-date=2013-07-02 | url-status=dead }} Carl Edwards followed in second ahead of Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon in third and fourth. Jeff Burton, who was twelfth quickest in second practice, managed fifth.

During qualifying, Dale Earnhardt Jr. clinched his twelfth career pole position,{{cite web | url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/06/28/dale-earnhardt-junior-wins-cup-pole-at-kentucky-quaker-state-400.html | title=Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes his first pole of 2013 | publisher=NASCAR | date=2013-06-28 | access-date=2013-06-29 | author=Spencer, Reid}} with a record lap time of 29.406 seconds and a speed of {{convert|183.636 |mph}}.{{cite web | url=http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=42&RaceID=6045&StatType=Qualifying | title=2013 Quaker State 400 Qualifying Results | publisher=Motor Racing Network | access-date=2013-06-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704101243/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/Statistics/Season-Stats/Statistics.aspx?SubSeriesID=1&YearID=42&RaceID=6045&StatType=Qualifying | archive-date=2013-07-04 | url-status=dead }} After his qualifying run, Earnhardt Jr. said, "We thought we had a top-five car in practice, and we got some good cloud cover about six or seven cars in front of us before we went to qualify, and that brought the track temp down to give us a good advantage," Earnhardt said. "It gave us a good opportunity to run a bit quicker lap than maybe what the car had in it." He was joined on the front row of the grid by Edwards. Johnson qualified third, Kyle Busch took fourth, and Marcos Ambrose started fifth. Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, and Juan Pablo Montoya completed the first ten positions on the grid.

File:Turn 1 at Kentucky.jpg

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File:Trouble in turn 1.jpg goes for a spin in the grass and then comes back up onto the track, into the wall and takes out multiple cars.]]

File:Red flag at Kentucky (Take Two).jpg, Carl Edwards, and the field are stopped on the front stretch because of a crash in turn 1.]]

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The race was scheduled to start on the Saturday at 8:00 p.m., but was delayed until the following afternoon due to rain, with the new start time set at 12:00 p.m. E.T. This change in schedule prompted NASCAR to impose a competition caution on lap 30 ahead of the race to allow teams to check their tire wear and make adjustments.

Carl Edwards led lap 1. The race ran without incident until the scheduled competition caution was brought out on lap 29, and ended on lap 36. The second caution of the race was issued for a tire blowout on lap 39 and lasted until lap 48. The third caution occurred on lap 49 for a multi-car wreck including Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, and others. It started with Brad Keselowski spinning in the grass, taking out multiple cars in the process. The wreck caused the red flag to be displayed with Jimmie Johnson as the race leader. The fourth caution came out on lap 89 for debris on the track.

David Gilliland blew a tire Kasey Kahne won the free pass, and the race restarted on lap 94. The fifth caution of the race came out on lap 149; Jeff Gordon won the free pass under caution, and the race restarted on lap 154. Jimmie Johnson took the lead, and then the next caution was on lap 241 for a tire blowout.

The race restarted on lap 243, and on 246, the sixth caution came out. The race restarted on lap 250, and Matt Kenseth won his first race at Kentucky.

File:Dale Jr - Pocono 400 2012.jpg won his first pole position of the year, setting a new qualifying speed record of 183.636 mph.]]

File:Matt-kenseth-bristol-2009.jpg took his fourth race victory of the 2013 season.]]

;Notes:

:1. {{note|race1}} Points include 3 Chase for the Sprint Cup points for winning, 1 point for leading a lap, and 1 point for most laps led.

:2. {{note label|ineligible| |a}}{{note label|ineligible| |b}}{{note label|ineligible| |c}}{{note label|ineligible| |d}}{{note label|ineligible||e}}{{note label|ineligible| |f}} Ineligible for driver's championship points.

:3. {{note|PE}} Post entry, driver and owner did not score points.

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;Drivers' Championship standings

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;Manufacturers' Championship standings

• Note: Only the first ten positions are included for the driver standings.

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{{Reflist}}

{{NASCAR next race

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{{2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup |state=collapsed}}

Quaker State 400

Quaker State 400

Quaker State 400

Category:NASCAR races at Kentucky Speedway