Three practice sessions were held before the race on March 1 and March 2, 2013. The first session lasted 85 minutes long, while the second was 55 minutes long. The third session lasted for 50 minutes.[9]Matt Kenseth was quickest with a speed of 137.023 miles per hour (220.517 km/h) in the first session, 0.047 miles per hour (0.076 km/h) faster than Kyle Busch.[10] Martin was just off Kyle Busch's pace, followed by Hamlin, Carl Edwards, and Johnson. The session was paused temporarily after debris prompted a caution.[10]
Forty-three cars were entered for the qualifying session held on March 1.[11] Martin clinched his fifty-sixth pole position of his career, with a time of 26.073 seconds, which was a new race record.[12][13] He was joined on the front row of the grid by Kasey Kahne.[13] Johnson qualified third, Kyle Busch took fourth, and Gordon started fifth.[13]Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Hamlin, Kenseth, and Newman rounded out the first ten positions.[13]
Post-race
Denny Hamlin's 2013 Gen 6 car. Hamlin was fined $25,000 for criticizing the car.
On March 7, NASCAR fined Denny Hamlin $25,000 for saying that the then-new Gen 6 cars did not race as well as the previous-generation car, citing difficulty passing.[14] Because Hamlin publicly refused to pay the fine, NASCAR instead took $25,000 off his race winnings instead.[15]
^Brown, Brian (February 27, 2013). "The Subway Fresh Fit 500". Rotoworld.com. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on March 1, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
