Truex and his No. 78 team look unstoppable right now, and this weekend we go back to where it all started at Charlotte. The veteran won this year’s Coca-Cola 600 from the pole, leading 392 of 400 laps.
MORE: Truex dominates Dover
The 2013 Charlotte winner has had consistently strong finishes in the Chase’s first three races and, in other good news, Martin Truex Jr. finally drank some Miller Lite.
This would appear to be Busch’s weakest round coming up, but here’s a fact: “Rowdy” has led the most laps (907) at Charlotte among drivers with no wins there, and that’s still third overall.
Harvick should have a good opportunity to rebound at Charlotte, where he’s been exceptionally strong lately (seven straight top-10 finishes) and where he won this race on the way to his 2014 title.
A penalty cost Johnson the lead at Dover, but he still advanced. Now, onto Charlotte, where he has seven wins and four poles.
Anyone who expected the rookie to falter in the early going in his first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was dead wrong. Elliott isn’t a favorite, but he’s in the title picture.
MORE: Another ‘A’ for Chase
Despite leading 105 laps at Loudon, it feels like Kenseth has been quiet this Chase. Expect that to change at Charlotte, where he’s known to make headlines and has the most career races (34) and top 10s (18) among Chasers, along with two wins.
Penske has also been somewhat quiet in the early going, but Logano swept this round last year and has the best average finish at Charlotte (9.5).
Despite having a win at each of the other two tracks this round, Charlotte (12.4 avg. fin.) likely offers Hamlin’s best shot at a W in the Round of 12.
MORE: See Hamlin’s Dover grade
Edwards won the Coca-Cola 600 last season at Charlotte and his 10.9 average finish makes him among one of the drivers to watch this weekend.
MORE: See Edwards’ Dover grade
With a single win between all three tracks and no average finishes inside the top 15, pencil Busch in as a driver likely to be eliminated.
MORE: See Busch’s Dover grade
And here’s your Charlotte dark horse pick. Dillon has finished 16th or better in his five starts at the Queen City — his home city. Combine his success with the thrill-of-the-Chase stage and expect him to rise to at least a top five, if not more.
MORE: Dillon: ‘Man, we got it done’
Larson was — somewhat surprisingly — eliminated, but he would likely have not fared well in this round. His Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega numbers are dreadful, with four top 10s in 16 combined races.
Larson’s teammate, on the other hand, nearly got through a round that looked poor on paper for him, and sqaundered an opportunity to race in a round that has tracks at which he’s secured four of his career seven wins.
MORE: CGR duo ousted
Perhaps his Chase appearance was all smoke and mirrors, because Stewart’s brief title run never got going. All of a sudden there are now seven races left in the three-time champ’s career, and he’s out of contention.
With three finishes outside the top 20, Buescher never had a chance to advance in this round, but not many expected him to.
MORE: See Buescher’s Dover grade