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...Game Open for Charlotte... |
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Qualifying Fast Facts
Coors Light Pole Winner: Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 54th Annual COCA-COLA 600 with a lap of 27.604 seconds, 195.624 mph.
Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will be as different as night and day.
That’s because the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ longest – and, perhaps, most grueling – event begins in the late afternoon heat and ends in darkness. The 600-mile race comprised of 400 laps around Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile layout is an exercise in strategy.
Run fast enough to keep track position when the sun shines but be able to adjust when night falls. The extra 100 miles is taxing on both engines and driver concentration.
Kasey Kahne and his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team stood tall a year ago. Kahne won the Coca-Cola 600 for the third time, matching the 600 records of teammates Jimmie Johnson (2003-04-05) and Jeff Gordon (1994, 1997-98). Hendrick is Charlotte’s defining organization with 17 points-paying victories – more than twice the number of its closest pursuers.
Johnson rides into 600 week savoring his record fourth NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race victory. He, along with Kahne, is an obvious favorite but Kyle Busch – who never has won at Charlotte – captured two of the first four All-Star Race segments and can’t be discounted.
Sprint Cup champions have ruled the Coca-Cola 600 for two decades. One notable non-winner is three-time titleholder Tony Stewart, who has managed just a single top-10 finish in his eight most recent Coca-Cola 600 starts. Stewart, outside the top 20 in current points standings, needs a victory to kick his season into a higher gear.
The Coca-Cola 600 isn’t without first-time winners. NASCAR Hall of Fame member David Pearson was the first in 1961. Gordon, Matt Kenseth and Bobby Labonte also minted first victories in the season’s longest race. So did Casey Mears and David Reutimann.
Saturday’s History 300 marks the beginning of NASCAR Nationwide Series races on 21 consecutive weekends. Elliott Sadler, who made the move to Joe Gibbs Racing to enhance his championship hopes, looks to burnish a solid Charlotte Motor Speedway resume that contains a Coors Light Pole and four top-five and five top-10 finishes. Sadler ranks third, 42 points behind leader Regan Smith.
The series’ two leading Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders, Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman, will race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first time. They stand 10th and ninth in overall Nationwide standings, respectively.
After Kyle Busch won at Charlotte Motor Speedway to complete the 2013 NASCAR national series trifecta, NASCAR Camping World Truck teams take a one-week break before moving to Dover International Speedway for the May 31 Lucas Oil 200. Matt Crafton continues as the points leader.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES – COCA-COLA 600, SUNDAY, MAY 26, 6 P.M. EDT ON SPEED
The defending winner of the Coca-Cola 600, Kasey Kahne looks for his fourth victory in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing’s longest race. Kahne’s Charlotte statistics are impressive: four victories overall, a sweep of spring/fall races in 2006 and leader of six of the nine Coca-Cola 600 events in which he’s competed. Kahne ranks sixth in series points standings with a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished fourth in Saturday’s night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
Johnson-Busch Battle Seems Likely In NASCAR’s Longest Race Consider Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race a preview of Coca-Cola 600 things to come – a battle between a champion whose Charlotte dominance is unquestioned and another who’s red-hot in 2013 but has yet to win at the 1.5-mile speedway. Jimmie Johnson, a three-time 600 winner, won his record fourth All-Star Race. Kyle Busch, whose Charlotte Driver Rating of 107.7 ranks second only to Johnson’s 111.7, was the third-place All-Star finisher after winning two of the four 20-lap segments. Busch finished third in last year’s 600.
Coca-Cola 600 Favors Sprint Cup Champions Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600 is a race for champions. All but three NASCAR Sprint Cup titleholders from 1993 through the present have a least one victory in the season’s longest race. Among the missing – surprisingly – is three-time champion Tony Stewart, whose only Charlotte victory came in the track’s 2003 fall race. Stewart has just one Coca-Cola 600 top-10 finish – sixth in 2007 – in his most recent eight races. His best finish, third, came in 2001. Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski also searches for his first Coca-Cola 600 victory. Keselowski finished fifth a year ago in his third 600 start. Terry Labonte, the 1996 series champion, is the third. He won the fall 1996 race at Charlotte, but never the 600-miler.
Gordon’s March Into Sprint Cup History Began With 600 Victory Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 is a special for Jeff Gordon. This year’s marks the 20th anniversary of his first Coca-Cola 600 start in 1993 (he finished second to Dale Earnhardt). Gordon recorded the first of his 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories in the following year’s race. He won back-to-back races in 1997-98 – the most recent seasons in which the Coca-Cola 600 winner also was the Sprint Cup champion.
Several Past Coca-Cola 600 Winners Nabbed First Sprint Cup Victory Gordon isn’t the only Coca-Cola 600 starter to win for the first time in Charlotte’s spring race. The list of current drivers includes Sprint Cup champions Matt Kenseth (2000) and Bobby Labonte (1995); and Casey Mears (2007) and David Reutimann (2009). NASCAR Hall of Fame member David Pearson scored the first of his 105 Sprint Cup victories in the second running of the Coca-Cola 600 in 1961. Jamie McMurray’s first Sprint Cup victory came in Charlotte’s 2002 fall race.
Pole Winners Most Have Struck Out In Recent 600s A Coors Light Pole will get a driver attention – and a spot in next year’s Sprint Unlimited at Daytona – but it’s hardly a ticket to the Coca-Cola 600’s Victory Lane. Beginning in 1998 just two pole winners – Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (2004) have won the 600. Other winners have come from throughout the starting field including Johnson’s all-time deepest-in-the-field start of 37th in 2003.
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES – HISTORY 300, SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2:45 P.M. EDT ON ABC
Following a second-place finish at Darlington, Elliott Sadler finds himself in familiar territory among the championship hunt. Sadler is third in the series standings, 42 points behind leader Regan Smith, heading into this weekend’s History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte, Sadler has four top fives, five top 10s and one pole.
Rookies Take On Charlotte For First Time Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson have experienced a lot of firsts during their rookie season and will embark on yet another one this weekend – making their first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The duo are currently ninth (Bowman) and 10th (Larson) in the championship series standings. Larson currently leads Bowman by nine points in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year race.
Luck Is On Allgaier’s Side After a somewhat disappointing 2012 season, Justin Allgaier’s luck has turned around. The Illinois native has six top-10 finishes so far this season. He currently sits fourth in the series standings, 43 points behind leader Regan Smith. The top Turner Scott Motorsports driver was seventh in the series standings this time last year, 113 points off the lead. Allgaier has two top-five and four top-10 finishes in nine starts at Charlotte.
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES – LUCAS OIL 200, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 4:30 P.M. EDT ON SPEED
After finishing outside the top 10 in the first two races of the season, Richard Childress Racing’s pairing of veterans Brendan Gaughan and crew chief Shane Wilson is paying dividends as Gaughan enjoyed his best finish of the season at Charlotte (second) and rides a streak of three consecutive top-five finishes. An eight-time series winner, Gaughan hopes to snap a 139-race victory drought May 31 at Dover International Speedway.
Crafton’s Lead Holds; Second-Place Ranking Up For Grabs Matt Crafton carries a 22-point standings lead over Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Jeb Burton when NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition resumes May 31 at Dover International Speedway. The battle for the runner-up spot, however, remains tight with nine points separating second through fifth-ranked drivers Burton, Ty Dillon, Brendan Gaughan and reigning series champion James Buescher. |
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NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C.—The Brothers Busch won the first four segments of Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but Jimmie Johnson took the one the counted—the 10-lap dash to the finish—and continued to build his legacy, not to mentioned his bank account. Speeding away from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne after a restart on Lap 81 of 90, Johnson won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series all-star exhibition race for a record fourth time, beating charging Joey Logano to the stripe by 1.722 seconds. Kyle Busch, who won the second and third segments of 20-laps each, ran third, followed by Kahne and Kurt Busch. The elder Busch brother won the first and fourth segments and was first onto pit road before the final dash but exited fifth with a less-than-stellar pit stop. Despite changes to his pit crew this week, Johnson’s over-the-wall gang performed an 11-second pit stop that got him out of the pits on the front row, beside Kahne, for the final restart. Ultimately, that made all the difference. With the victory, Johnson broke a tie with teammate Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Sr. for most wins in the non-points race, won his second straight All-Star Race and collected $1 million for his efforts. "To beat Jeff and Earnhardt, two guys I’ve looked up to my whole life—two massive icons of our sport—this means the world to me," said Johnson, who started 18th after sliding through his pit box and drawing a penalty for a loose lug nut during Friday’s qualifying session. "I really didn’t think we had a shot at winning tonight, starting (18th), but we had a great race car and worked our way through there and got the job done. Over time, honestly, it’s just dedication and drive from every member at Hendrick Motorsports, every member on this No. 48 team. We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we know we’ve got to keep pushing harder and pushing one another." Kyle Busch thought he had the fastest car, but a slower-than-usual four-tire stop put his No. 18 Toyota on the second row for the final restart. "We just didn’t get the best pit stop there at the end to get us out on the front row, and when you’re back behind cars, you’re getting beat up on," Busch said. "It is what it is. We’ll just take this as a good learning day and hopefully bring back some speed like this to the (Coca-Cola) 600 (May 26)." NASCAR’s luck with weather held Saturday night, with a large enough window to complete the race with just one delay. With Kurt Busch leading from the outset, NASCAR called a caution because of rain after Lap 8 and red-flagged the race after 13 laps when the shower intensified. The drivers came to pit road, parked in their stalls and waited. The rain didn’t come soon enough, however, to save reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski. On the second lap, transmission troubles sent his No. 2 Penske Racing Ford to the garage. "Something just broke in the back half of the drive train, either the transmission or drive shaft gear – I’m not sure which one – but it’s one of those deals, unfortunately," Keselowski said. "We’ll try to learn from it and move on." With Keselowski in the garage, the race resumed after a stoppage of 41 minutes 28 seconds. Kurt Busch pulled away from brother Kyle Busch to win the first 20-lap segment by .751 seconds. Kyle Busch kept the second segment in the family, pulling away from Clint Bowyer after a restart on Lap 29—after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. bounced off the Turn 4 wall and knocked Mark Martin for a loop through the grass in the quad-oval. Jamie McMurray led wire-to-wire to win the Sprint Showdown and transfer into the main event. McMurray, who started second, took two tires during the halfway competition caution after 20 laps and pulled away to beat Cup rookie Stenhouse to the finish line by 1.226 seconds. Stenhouse transferred into the All-Star Race as the second-place finisher. His romantic interest, Danica Patrick, finished ninth in the Showdown but punched her ticket into the All-Star Race as the winner of the Sprint Fan vote. "Obviously being out front is massive," McMurray said during the break between the Showdown and the main event. "When I got by (polesitter) Martin (Truex Jr.) at the start of the race… I was trying to take it easy because I didn't know with the track being green how quickly the tires would fall off, and even running at like 80 percent it was amazing what a difference just being in clean air was. "I had a really good car in practice (Friday). I thought honestly the 56 (Truex) and I had the two best cars looking at times yesterday, and then the two tire stop was the right call for us. It got us up front." McMurray’s words proved prophetic. Being out front for the final 10-lap run was crucial to Johnson’s record run.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 20, 2013) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. going into the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26.
CHARLOTTE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
Aric Almirola (No. 43 USAF Ford)
· One pole
· Average finish of 14.0
· Average Running Position of 12.5, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 84.8, 11th-best
Greg Biffle (No. 16 Fastenal Ford)
· Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 16.4
· Average Running Position of 13.9, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 94.1, fifth-best
· 300 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 1,174 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.906 mph, third-fastest
· 3,716 Laps in the Top 15 (65.1%), sixth-most
· 653 Quality Passes, fifth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Red-White-Blue M-Prove America Toyota)
· Eight top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.3
· Average Running Position of 9.6, second-best
· Driver Rating of 107.7, second-best
· 418 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· 1,147 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 176.527 mph, second-fastest
· 4,565 Laps in the Top 15 (80.0%), second-most
· Series-high 833 Quality Passes
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet)
· Five top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.8
· Average Running Position of 20.2, 25th-best
· Driver Rating of 78.8, 18th-best
· 1,228 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· 2,401 Laps in the Top 15 (44.7%), 17th-most
· 487 Quality Passes, 17th-most
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)
· Five top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.0
· Average Running Position of 15.4, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 89.0, seventh-best
· 118 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
· 1,329 Green Flag Passes, third-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.543 mph, 12th-fastest
· 3,282 Laps in the Top 15 (57.5%), eighth-most
· 632 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 16 top fives, 21 top 10s; eight poles
· Average finish of 15.7
· Average Running Position of 15.9, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.3, 10th-best
· 188 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· 1,124 Green Flag Passes, 13th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.723 mph, sixth-fastest
· 3,216 Laps in the Top 15 (56.4%), ninth-most
· 601 Quality Passes, ninth-most
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
· Three top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 14.1
· Average Running Position of 12.9, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 92.1, sixth-best
· 200 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.656 mph, ninth-fastest
· 3,780 Laps in the Top 15 (71.2%), fourth-most
· 616 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet)
· Six wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 11.4
· Series-best Average Running Position of 7.9
· Series-best Driver Rating of 111.7
· Series-high 544 Fastest Laps Run
· 1,167 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 176.653 mph
· Series-high 4,932 Laps in the Top 15 (86.4%)
· 825 Quality Passes, second-most
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet)
· Four wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 12.4, third-best
· Driver Rating of 98.0, third-best
· 474 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 1,331 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· 3,729 Laps in the Top 15 (65.4%), fifth-most
· 729 Quality Passes, third-most
Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota)
· Two wins, seven top fives, 14 top 10s
· Average finish of 14.2
· Average Running Position of 14.8, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.4, fourth-best
· 303 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· 1,259 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.786 mph, fifth-fastest
· 3,549 Laps in the Top 15 (62.2%), seventh-most
· 699 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Joey Logano (No. 22 Pennzoil Ford)
· Two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 10.1
· Average Running Position of 14.5, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.4, eighth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.561 mph, 11th-fastest
Mark Martin (No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota)
· Four wins, 18 top fives, 24 top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 16.6
· Average Running Position of 13.3, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.2, ninth-best
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.799 mph, fourth-fastest
· 3,862 Laps in the Top 15 (67.7%), third-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 14.0
· Average Running Position of 15.9, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 83.4, 12th-best
· 187 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 1,263 Green Flag Passes, fifth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 175.719 mph, seventh-fastest
· 2,998 Laps in the Top 15 (52.5%), 10th-most
· 567 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Chase Contenders
The Top 12
Following Race 11 of 36
Rank Season
Last Driver
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season. After race No. 26, the top 10 earn a berth in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 – the Wild Cards – will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2013 Top 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
* – Based on last 16 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
At Charlotte Motor Speedway:
History
· Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959.
· The track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960 – won by Joe Lee Johnson.
· The track was repaved midseason in 1994.
· The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1999. It changed back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2010 season.
· The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.
Notebook
· There have been 108 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year since the track opened in 1960. In 1961, there were two 100-mile qualifying points races held the week before the May race. The first six fall races at Charlotte were 400-mile events (1960-65).
· 517 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying race at Charlotte Motor Speedway; 364 in more than one.
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Charlotte with 64. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 57 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 56.
· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Charlotte in 1960 with a speed of 133.904 mph.
· 41 drivers have Coors Light poles at Charlotte, led by David Pearson with 14. Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles, with nine, followed by Jeff Gordon with eight.
· 12 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Charlotte. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Charlotte with 11; from the fall of 1973 through 1978.
· Jeff Gordon won five straight poles for the spring races at Charlotte between 1994 and 1998.
· Youngest Charlotte pole winner: Jeff Gordon (10/10/1993 – 22 years, 2 months, 6 days).
· Oldest Charlotte pole winner: Bobby Allison (10/11/1987 – 49 years, 10 months, 8 days).
· 45 different drivers have won at Charlotte Motor Speedway, led by Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison and Jimmie Johnson with six wins each.
· Nine drivers have posted consecutive wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including three consecutive by Fred Lorenzen (fall 1964 and both 1965) and four straight by Jimmie Johnson (both in 2004 and 2005).
· A season sweep at Charlotte has occurred eight times, including each season from 2004-2007.
· Seven times from seven different drivers has the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race gone on to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).
· Youngest Charlotte winner: Jeff Gordon (5/29/1994 – 22 years, 9 months, 25 days).
· Oldest Charlotte winner: Cale Yarborough (10/6/1985 – 46 years, 6 months, 9 days).
· Hendrick Motorsportshas the most wins at Charlotte in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 17: Jimmie Johnson (six), Jeff Gordon (five), Darrell Waltrip (two), Ken Schrader (one), Terry Labonte (one), Casey Mears (one) and Kasey Kahne (one).
· Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Charlotte; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford with 28.
· 14 of the 108 (12.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from the Coors Light pole; the two most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2004 and 2009.
· The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (17) than any other starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
· 31 of the 108 (28.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and 17 from second-place.
· 83 of the 108 (76.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Eight of the 108 (7.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Charlotte was 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in the Coca-Cola 600 of 2003.
· Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Charlotte with nine. Bobby Labonte leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Charlotte with six; followed by Matt Kenseth with three.
· NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are tied for the series’ most top-five finishes at Charlotte with 23. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 18, followed by Jeff Gordon with 16.
· Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Charlotte with 31. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 24.
· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Charlotte with a 6.917.
· Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Charlotte with a 10.125.
· 14 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Charlotte Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jamie McMurray won in his first appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won in his second appearance at CMS.
· Terry Labonte competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway 36 times before winning in the fall of 1996; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners.
· Among the 16 active NSCS Charlotte winners Bobby Labonte (36), Kevin Harvick (20), Kurt Busch (19), Mark Martin (15), Clint Bowyer (13), Ken Schrader (10) and Jeff Burton (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.
· Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte without visiting Victory Lane at 33; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 26.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte was the May 29, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Bobby Labonte with an MOV of 0.027 second.
· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but only once for the Coca-Cola 600 (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2005 (334/336), fall of 2007 (334/337) and the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 (400/402).
· Five of the 108 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the 2009 Coca-Cola 600 won by David Reutimann and Michael Waltrip Racing. Four of the five races shortened were the 600-mile events (1968, 1997, 2003 and 2009).
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte twice; the fall race of 2002 and the fall race of 2008.
· Seven NASCAR Sprint Cup active drivers have made their first career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Michael Waltrip (5/26/85), Elliott Sadler (5/24/98), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/30/99), Jimmie Johnson (10/7/01), Brian Vickers (10/11/03), David Reutimann (10/15/05) and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5/29/11).
· Four active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (10/10/93), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/28/00), Ryan Newman (5/27/01) and Aric Almirola (5/27/12). Almirola’s pole last season was the first time since May 22, 1966 that the No. 43 car had won the Coors Light pole at CMS.
· Six active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have posted their first career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (5/29/94), Bobby Labonte (5/28/95), Matt Kenseth (5/28/00), Jamie McMurray (10/13/02), Casey Mears (5/27/07) and David Reutimann (5/25/09).
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Charlotte with 1,439 laps led in 23 starts. 826 of Johnson’s 1,439 laps led at CMS were in the Coca-Cola 600; the most of any active NSCS driver. Charlotte Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 12 of 36 (5-26-13)
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,980 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet Race Length: 400 laps / 600 miles
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner:
Aric Almirola, Ford, 192.940 mph, 27.988 secs. 05-25-12
2012 race winner:
Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 155.687 mph, (03:51:14), 5-27-12
Track qualifying record:
Greg Biffle, Ford, 193.708 mph, 27.877 secs. 10-11-12
Track race record:
Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 155.687 mph, (03:51:14), 5-27-12
· Two female drivers have competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.
NASCAR in North Carolina
· There have been 516 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in North Carolina.
NASCAR in North Carolina
· 428 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as North Carolina.
· 46 drivers from North Carolina have won at least one race in NASCAR’s three national series; 28 have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Contact:
Ray M. Smith
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
(386) 310-6058
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