The 2011 Kobalt Tools 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on November 13, 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

[6] The front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at three degrees.

[13] Regan Smith took third place, ahead of Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray.

[15] Stewart, one of the drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, qualified eighth, while Edwards was scored ninth.

[15] The three drivers that failed to qualify for the race were Scott Riggs, David Stremme, and Andy Lally.

[15] Once the qualifying session completed, Kenseth commented, "Jimmy Fennig, had a strategy to go fast in the first practice to go out late.

Even though we knew the temperature would be hotter he thought the track could be faster with more cars having run on it.