| Race details[1][2][3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 11 of 36 in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | May 12, 2012 | ||
| Location | Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.366 mi (2.198 km) | ||
| Distance | 368 laps, 502.688 mi (808.998 km) | ||
| Weather | Clear with a temperature around 82 °F (28 °C); wind out of the E at 5 mph (8.0 km/h).[4] | ||
| Average speed | 133.802 miles per hour (215.333 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Roush Fenway Racing | ||
| Time | 27.281 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 134 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds | ||
| Nielsen Ratings |
| ||
The 2012 Bojangles' Southern 500 was the 63rd running of the event, and the eleventh stock car race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on May 12, 2012, at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. The 368-lap race was won by Jimmie Johnson for the Hendrick Motorsports team. It was Johnson's first win of the season, and Hendrick Motorsport's 200th in NASCAR; Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing finished second and Stewart-Haas Racing driver Tony Stewart took third.
Greg Biffle led the Drivers' Championship by seven points over his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth in second. He won the pole position by posting the fastest lap in qualifying, and led the first 48 laps until the first round of green flag pit stops in which Kyle Busch emerged in the lead. Biffle retook the lead on the 73rd lap and again lost it after the second pit stop cycle. Johnson took the lead for the first time on lap 101, and led a total of 134 laps, more than any other competitor. At the final restart on lap 367 for a green–white–checker finish, extending the race to 368 laps, Johnson led the field and maintained it to win the race. Hamlin finished second after passing Stewart who had problems with his car's fuel pressure. There were eight cautions and 22 lead changes among eight drivers during the race.
The result of the event advanced Johnson from eighth to fifth in the Drivers' Championship, 39 points behind Biffle, who led the standings going into the race, but his teammate Matt Kenseth reduced his lead to two points. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, eight points ahead of Toyota in second place. Ford continued to hold the third position over Dodge in the battle for the place with 25 races left in the season. The race attracted 5.716 million television viewers.
- ^ "2012 Bojangles' Southern 500". Racing-Reference. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Jayski500was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012.
- ^ Brown, Brian (May 8, 2012). "The Southern 500". Rotoworld.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
- ^ "2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup TV Ratings". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2015.