2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
{{short description|NASCAR Cup Series race}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 34 of 36 in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series
| Race Name = Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
| Details ref = {{cite web |title=2020 schedule |url=https://www.jayski.com/nascar-cup-series/2020-nascar-cup-series-schedule/ |website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site |access-date=September 3, 2020|date=January 17, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Texas Motor Speedway|url=http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/texas-motor-speedway.html|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR Media Group, LLC.|access-date=September 3, 2020|date=January 3, 2013|archive-date=October 30, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030043513/http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nascar-tracks/texas-motor-speedway.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Entry List|url=https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/22/2020-34cup-entry.pdf|website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site|access-date=October 16, 2020|date=October 16, 2020}}{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|title=Starting Lineup|url=https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/10/21/kevin-harvick-wins-busch-pole-award-for-playoff-race-at-texas/|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR Media Group, LLC.|access-date=October 21, 2020|date=October 21, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 Results|url=https://www.nascar.com/results/racecenter/2020/nascar-cup-series/autotrader-echopark-automotive-500/stn/results/|website=NASCAR.com|publisher=NASCAR Media Group, LLC.|access-date=October 28, 2020|date=October 28, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Points standings|url=https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/28/2020-34cup-points.pdf|website=Jayski.com|publisher=Jayski's Silly Season Site|access-date=October 28, 2020|date=October 28, 2020}}
| Fulldate = October 25 & 28, 2020
| Year = 2020
| Image =2020_Autotrader_EchoPark_Automotive_500_program_cover.png
| Caption =2020 AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 program cover
| Location = Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas
| Course_mi = 1.5
| Course_km = 2.4
| Distance_laps = 334
| Distance_mi = 501
| Distance_km = 801.6
| Weather =
| Avg = {{convert|135.263|mph|km/h}}
| Pole_Driver = Kevin Harvick
| Pole_Team = Stewart-Haas Racing
| Grid_from_prev_perf = yes
| Most_Driver = Kyle Busch
| Most_Team = Joe Gibbs Racing
| Most_laps = 90
| Car = 18
| First_Driver = Kyle Busch
| First_Team = Joe Gibbs Racing
| Network = NBCSN
| Announcers = Rick Allen, Jeff Burton, Steve Letarte and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
| Ratings = 1.2 million {{cite web |url=https://frontstretch.com/tv-ratings/|title=TV Ratings|website=Frontstretch|access-date=4 February 2025}}
| Radio = PRN
| Booth_Ann = Doug Rice and Mark Garrow
| Turn_Ann = Rob Albright (1 & 2) and Pat Patterson (3 & 4)
}}
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-commenced on Wednesday, October 28.
Report
=Background=
File:MVI 2862 TX Motor Speedway.jpg, the track where the race was held.]]
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 {{convert|1.5|mi|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.
{{clear}}
==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.
=Starting Lineup=
Race
File:Kyle Busch Driver Introductions Sonoma 2019.jpg won the race.]]
=Stage Results=
Stage One
Laps: 105
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%" | |||||
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 5 |
| 7 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 1 |
| colspan="6"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/28/2020-34cup-results.pdf Official stage one results] |
Stage Two
Laps: 105
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%" | |||||
| Pos
! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Points | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 9 |
| 3 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 8 |
| 4 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 7 |
| 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 6 |
| 6 | 95 | Christopher Bell (R) | Leavine Family Racing | Toyota | 5 |
| 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 1 |
| colspan="6"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/28/2020-34cup-results.pdf Official stage two results] |
=Final Stage Results=
Stage Three
Laps: 124
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%" | |||||||
| Pos
! Grid ! {{Tooltip|No|Car Number}} ! Driver ! Team ! Manufacturer ! Laps ! Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 334 | 50 |
| 2 | 6 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 334 | 53 |
| 3 | 15 | 95 | Christopher Bell (R) | Leavine Family Racing | Toyota | 334 | 39 |
| 4 | 10 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 334 | 46 |
| 5 | 5 | 88 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 40 |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 334 | 38 |
| 7 | 8 | 1 | Kurt Busch | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 30 |
| 8 | 14 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 334 | 30 |
| 9 | 7 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 334 | 28 |
| 10 | 2 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 334 | 30 |
| 11 | 12 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 32 |
| 12 | 22 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 27 |
| 13 | 11 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 29 |
| 14 | 16 | 41 | Cole Custer (R) | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 334 | 23 |
| 15 | 19 | 8 | Tyler Reddick (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 22 |
| 16 | 1 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 333 | 22 |
| 17 | 21 | 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 333 | 33 |
| 18 | 29 | 37 | Ryan Preece | JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 19 |
| 19 | 25 | 6 | Ryan Newman | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 333 | 18 |
| 20 | 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 21 |
| 21 | 17 | 20 | Erik Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 333 | 24 |
| 22 | 24 | 38 | John Hunter Nemechek (R) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 332 | 15 |
| 23 | 13 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 332 | 14 |
| 24 | 27 | 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | Chevrolet | 332 | 13 |
| 25 | 28 | 32 | Corey LaJoie | Go Fas Racing | Ford | 331 | 12 |
| 26 | 23 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 331 | 11 |
| 27 | 30 | 96 | Daniel Suárez | Gaunt Brothers Racing | Toyota | 328 | 10 |
| 28 | 31 | 15 | Brennan Poole (R) | Premium Motorsports | Chevrolet | 328 | 9 |
| 29 | 37 | 7 | Josh Bilicki (i) | Tommy Baldwin Racing | Chevrolet | 326 | 0 |
| 30 | 36 | 66 | Timmy Hill (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 325 | 0 |
| 31 | 38 | 53 | Garrett Smithley (i) | Rick Ware Racing | Ford | 325 | 0 |
| 32 | 35 | 77 | Reed Sorenson | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 321 | 5 |
| 33 | 34 | 00 | Quin Houff (R) | StarCom Racing | Chevrolet | 316 | 4 |
| 34 | 20 | 17 | Chris Buescher | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 310 | 3 |
| 35 | 40 | 49 | Chad Finchum (i) | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 310 | 0 |
| 36 | 26 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 279 | 7 |
| 37 | 39 | 51 | Joey Gase (i) | Petty Ware Racing | Ford | 184 | 0 |
| 38 | 18 | 43 | Bubba Wallace | Richard Petty Motorsports | Chevrolet | 59 | 1 |
| 39 | 32 | 42 | Matt Kenseth | Chip Ganassi Racing | Chevrolet | 59 | 1 |
| 40 | 33 | 27 | J. J. Yeley (i) | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 20 | 0 |
| colspan="8"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/28/2020-34cup-results.pdf Official race results] |
=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: {{convert|135.263|mph|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, Kligerman and Marty Snider handled the pit road duties on Wednesday.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" | |
| colspan="3"|NBCSN | |
|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Pit reporters |
| 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.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" | ||
| colspan="3"|PRN | ||
|---|---|---|
| Booth announcers | Turn announcers | Pit reporters |
| Lead announcer: Doug Rice Announcer: Mark Garrow | Turns 1 & 2: Rob Albright Turns 3 & 4: Pat Patterson | Brad Gillie Brett McMillan Wendy Venturini |
Standings after the race
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px | style="text-align:center;"| 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,137 |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px | style="text-align:center;"| 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,122 (–15) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px | style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,120 (–17) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,104 (–33) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 1 | style="text-align:center;"| 5 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,095 (–42) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 6 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,095 (–42) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px 2 | style="text-align:center;"| 7 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,094 (–43) |
| style="background:#D4AF37;"
|align="left"| 10px | style="text-align:center;"| 8 | style="text-align:center;"| 4,039 (–98) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 9 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,270 (–1,867) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 10 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,251 (–1,986) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 11 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,244 (–1,893) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 12 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,213 (–1,924) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 13 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,199 (–1,938) |
| align="left"| 10px 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 14 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,190 (–1,947) |
| align="left"| 10px 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 15 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,181 (–1,956) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 16 | style="text-align:center;"| 2,169 (–1,968) |
| class="sortbottom"
!colspan="9"|[https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2020/10/28/2020-34cup-points.pdf Official driver's standings] |
{{col-2}}
;Manufacturers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |
| ! Pos
! Manufacturer ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 | Ford | style="text-align:center;"| 1,259 |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 2 | Toyota | style="text-align:center;"| 1,197 (–62) |
| align="left"| 10px
| style="text-align:center;"| 3 | style="text-align:center;"| 1,152 (–107) |
| class="sortbottom" |
- Note: Only the first 16 positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{NASCAR next race
| Series = NASCAR Cup Series
| Monsteryear = 2020
| Previous_race = 2020 Hollywood Casino 400
| Next_race = 2020 Xfinity 500
}}
{{2020 NASCAR Cup}}
{{NASCAR on NBC}}
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500
Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500