Six-time series champion last won at 1.5-mile track in May
With seven Sprint Cup Series wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson has the most victories at the 1.5-mile track. The six-time champion found Victory Lane at Charlotte in May at the Coca-Cola 600 as he started from the pole and lead 164 laps en route to the win. The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet also has the best driver rating, 112.7, over the past 19 races at Charlotte.
Rookie earns third runner-up finish of season at Kansas
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As disappointed as Kyle Larson was in failing to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as a rookie, he seems just as determined to play the role of non-Chase spoiler with a victory down the season’s home stretch. Judging by recent finishes, it’s less a matter of if than when.
Larson matched his best finish in NASCAR’s top series for the third time this year Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, coming home a close second behind race-winner Joey Logano in the Hollywood Casino 400. While he’s not title-eligible, his trio of top-three finishes in the last four races have left him knocking on Victory Lane’s door. Only points leader Logano (two wins, a pair of fourth-place finishes) has opened the Chase stronger.
@joeylogano was a lot fun. That’s as hard as I’ve ever seen you run the top. It was kind of cool to be behind and see but frustrating also!!
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) October 6, 2014
"We’ll get some wins here soon hopefully before the end of the year," Larson said from the media center, where his impressive finishes have made him a regular visitor, "and I think once we get one, we should be up here more often as a winner."
Any Larson wins from this point on would snatch away an automatic transfer spot from a Chase driver in the next two postseason elimination phases. The uptick in performance — both from the driver and his Chip Ganassi Racing team — has been enough to prompt Larson to talk in hypotheticals about his would-be Chase chances.
Larson, 22, first ventured into the Sprint Cup tour with four races last season with the Harry Scott Jr.-owned No. 51 team. Now he’s returning to the same tracks for the second or third time, heating up just as the weather takes a sharp turn toward autumn.
What-ifs? Why not?
"Yeah, I think it’s a little bit of experience, second time at the track, and a lot of these tracks in the Chase are (some) of my best tracks, so I think that’s why we’ve been running really well," Larson said. "Yeah, just got to keep it going. I think Charlotte is another mile‑and‑a‑half, so we should hopefully be pretty good there. We had a couple tire issues there the last race (which) is why we didn’t finish very well, and then Texas ‑‑ Phoenix I even kind of like, and Homestead should be a good one. Martinsville is probably the worst track on the schedule, so don’t expect much there, but anything can happen at Talladega, too.
"Yeah, if I can just make the Chase, I’d have a lot of fun because these are some of my favorite tracks."
Among the first to lean in and shake the rookie’s hand post-race was third-place finisher Kyle Busch, who said his car lacked the pace to keep up with either Logano or Larson down the stretch. The two share not only a first name but common ground, both entering the sport as a can’t-miss kid with gobs of sheer talent.
Now with the better part of 10 seasons and 359 starts making up his rich Sprint Cup history, the 29-year-old Busch’s days as an up-and-coming prodigy are behind him, but he sees in Larson a glimpse into the sport’s future.
"Awesome. I think Larson is a great addition to the Sprint Cup Series," Busch said. "I think he’s got a lot of talent. We knew that coming up. We knew it wasn’t going to be a long road before he got here — that’s why he’s in the seat he’s in. As a matter of fact, I asked Chip (Ganassi) if he’s the one that found him or if we need to blame somebody else for bringing him here.
"The kid has done a good job. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s fun to race around. He’s a hard racer, too. He sometimes don’t give you a whole lotta room, but when he knows to give you room, he gives you room, too. It’s been fun to see him learn this year. I mean, I’d like to see him finishing behind us a little more often, but he has already this year. He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future."
When Larson got the call-up to NASCAR’s big leagues this season as a fresh-faced 21-year-old, speculation among fans and insiders alike was that the Sprint Cup promotion to the No. 42 Chevrolet’s seat was a rush job. After erratic results in the opening three races of the season, the "too soon" theorists had some early fuel for their argument.
But the improvement has come in waves, causing the team to adjust their season-long goals from racing in the top-10 to competing for top-five finishes. Setting sights on the Chase will have to wait until next year, but Larson still has plenty of accomplishments next up on the list.
"I definitely feel like I’ve been running a lot better than what I thought I would to start the season, but I thought I would make the Chase, too," Larson said. "A little bit disappointed there, but I’ve been finishing better than I thought I would have, so happy about that. But just missed that one goal that we had before the season started.
"Like I said, just got to keep it going."
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See which drivers will make up the field at Charlotte
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| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
1 |
Jamie McMurray |
Felix Sabates |
Keith Rodden |
14 Chevrolet |
McDonald’s Monopoly |
|
2 |
2 |
Brad Keselowski |
Roger Penske |
Paul Wolfe |
14 Ford |
Detroit Genuine Parts |
|
3 |
3 |
Austin Dillon |
Richard Childress |
Gil Martin |
14 Chevrolet |
Dow |
|
4 |
4 |
Kevin Harvick |
Tony Stewart |
Rodney Childers |
14 Chevrolet |
Budweiser |
|
5 |
5 |
Kasey Kahne |
Linda Hendrick |
Kenny Francis |
14 Chevrolet |
Pepsi |
|
6 |
6 |
Trevor Bayne(i) |
John Henry |
Bob Osborne |
14 Ford |
Advocare Ford Fusion |
|
7 |
7 |
Michael Annett |
Tommy Baldwin |
Kevin Manion |
14 Chevrolet |
Cypress HQ No. 7 Chevrolet |
|
8 |
9 |
Marcos Ambrose |
Richard Petty |
Drew Blickensderfer |
14 Ford |
STANLEY |
|
9 |
10 |
Danica Patrick |
Tony Stewart |
Tony Gibson |
14 Chevrolet |
GoDaddy Breast Cancer Awareness |
|
10 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
J D Gibbs |
Darian Grubb |
14 Toyota |
FedEx Ground |
|
11 |
13 |
Casey Mears |
Bob Germain |
Bootie Barker III |
14 Chevrolet |
No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet SS |
|
12 |
14 |
Tony Stewart |
Margaret Haas |
Chad Johnston |
14 Chevrolet |
Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 |
|
13 |
15 |
Clint Bowyer |
Rob Kauffman |
Brian Pattie |
14 Toyota |
Pink Lemonade 5-hour Energy Benefiting LBBC |
|
14 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
Jack Roush |
Matt Puccia |
14 Ford |
3M Bondo Ford |
|
15 |
17 |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr |
John Henry |
Michael Kelley |
14 Ford |
Zest Ford |
|
16 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
Joe Gibbs |
Dave Rogers |
14 Toyota |
Doublemint |
|
17 |
20 |
Matt Kenseth |
Joe Gibbs |
Jason Ratcliff |
14 Toyota |
Dollar General |
|
18 |
22 |
Joey Logano |
Walter Czarnecki |
Todd Gordon |
14 Ford |
Pennzoil Platinum |
|
19 |
23 |
Alex Bowman |
Ron Devine |
Dave Winston |
14 Toyota |
Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry |
|
20 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Rick Hendrick |
Alan Gustafson |
14 Chevrolet |
Drive To End Hunger |
|
21 |
26 |
Cole Whitt |
Anthony Marlowe |
Randy Cox |
14 Toyota |
Burger King Toyota Camry |
|
22 |
27 |
Paul Menard |
Richard Childress |
Slugger Labbe |
14 Chevrolet |
Shrock / Menards |
|
23 |
31 |
Ryan Newman |
Richard Childress |
Luke Lambert |
14 Chevrolet |
Caterpillar |
|
24 |
32 |
J J Yeley(i) |
Frank Stoddard Jr |
Ben Leslie |
14 Ford |
Leaf Filter |
|
25 |
33 |
David Stremme |
Joe Falk |
Mike Hillman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Little Joe’s Autos |
|
26 |
34 |
David Ragan |
Bob Jenkins |
Derrick Finley |
14 Ford |
CSX – Play It Safe |
|
27 |
36 |
Reed Sorenson |
Allan Heinke |
Todd Parrott |
14 Chevrolet |
Zing Zang Chevrolet |
|
28 |
38 |
David Gilliland |
Brad Jenkins |
Jay Guy |
14 Ford |
MDS TRANSPORT |
|
29 |
40 |
Landon Cassill(i) |
Michael Hillman |
Mark Hillman |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
30 |
41 |
Kurt Busch |
Gene Haas |
Daniel Knost |
14 Chevrolet |
State Water Heaters |
|
31 |
42 |
Kyle Larson |
Chip Ganassi |
Chris Heroy |
14 Chevrolet |
Target |
|
32 |
43 |
Aric Almirola |
Richard Petty |
Trent Owens |
14 Ford |
Smithfield-Waffle House |
|
33 |
47 |
A J Allmendinger |
Tad Geschickter |
Brian Burns |
14 Chevrolet |
Scott Products |
|
34 |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Jeff Gordon |
Chad Knaus |
14 Chevrolet |
Lowe’s |
|
35 |
51 |
Justin Allgaier |
Harry Scott Jr |
Steve Addington |
14 Chevrolet |
BRANDT Professional Agriculture |
|
36 |
55 |
Brian Vickers |
Michael Waltrip |
Billy Scott |
14 Toyota |
Aaron’s Dream Machine |
|
37 |
66 |
Brett Moffitt |
Jay Robinson |
Scott Eggleston |
14 Toyota |
Royal Teak Collection.com |
|
38 |
77 |
Corey LaJoie(i) |
Randy Humphrey |
Steve Lane |
14 Ford |
Essex Homes |
|
39 |
78 |
Martin Truex Jr |
Barney Visser |
Todd Berrier |
14 Chevrolet |
Furniture Row |
|
40 |
83 |
Ryan Truex |
Ron Devine |
Joe Williams |
14 Toyota |
Painter’s Ice Cream Toyota Camry |
|
41 |
88 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
Rick Hendrick |
Steve Letarte |
14 Chevrolet |
Diet Mountain Dew |
|
42 |
95 |
Michael McDowell |
Bob Leavine |
Wally Rogers |
14 Ford |
JPO Absorbents |
|
43 |
98 |
Josh Wise |
Mike Curb |
Gene Nead |
14 Chevrolet |
Provident Metals |
|
44 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
Jack Roush |
James Fennig |
14 Ford |
Fastenal |
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The 30th Nationwide Series race of 2014 will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway
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| Entry | # | Driver | Owner | Crew chief | Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
01 |
Landon Cassill |
Johnny Davis |
Dave Fuge |
14 Chevrolet |
Flex Seal |
|
2 |
2 |
Brian Scott |
Richard Childress |
Phil Gould |
14 Chevrolet |
Charter Communications |
|
3 |
3 |
Ty Dillon |
Richard Childress |
Danny Stockman Jr |
14 Chevrolet |
Bass Pro Shops |
|
4 |
4 |
Jeffrey Earnhardt |
Gary Keller |
Gary Cogswell |
14 Chevrolet |
teamjdmotorsports.com |
|
5 |
5 |
Alex Bowman(i) |
Rick Hendrick |
Ernie Cope |
14 Chevrolet |
Dirty Mo Radio |
|
6 |
6 |
Trevor Bayne |
Jack Roush |
Chad Norris |
14 Ford |
AdvoCare |
|
7 |
7 |
Regan Smith |
Kelley Earnhardt-Miller |
Ryan Pemberton |
14 Chevrolet |
Vlasic Wish-Bone |
|
8 |
9 |
Chase Elliott |
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
Greg Ives |
14 Chevrolet |
NAPA AUTO PARTS |
|
9 |
10 |
David Starr |
Mark Smith |
Greg Conner |
14 Toyota |
NCCER/Build Your Future |
|
10 |
11 |
Elliott Sadler |
J D Gibbs |
Chris Gayle |
14 Toyota |
OneMain Financial |
|
11 |
12 |
Ryan Blaney(i) |
Roger Penske |
Greg Erwin |
14 Ford |
Western Star |
|
12 |
14 |
Eric McClure |
Mark Smith |
Wes Ward |
14 Toyota |
Hefty Ultimate / Reynolds Wrap |
|
13 |
16 |
Ryan Reed |
Jack Roush |
Seth Barbour |
14 Ford |
ADA Drive to Stop Diabetes presented by Lilly Diabetes |
|
14 |
17 |
Tanner Berryhill |
Adrian Berryhill |
Daniel Stillman |
14 Dodge |
New Gulf Energy |
|
15 |
19 |
Mike Bliss |
Mark Smith |
Paul Clapprood |
14 Toyota |
TriStar Motorsports |
|
16 |
20 |
Matt Kenseth(i) |
Joe Gibbs |
Kevin Kidd |
14 Toyota |
GameStop |
|
17 |
22 |
Brad Keselowski(i) |
Roger Penske |
Jeremy Bullins |
14 Ford |
Discount Tire |
|
18 |
23 |
Carlos Contreras |
George Church |
14 Chevrolet |
Retroinfinity.com |
|
|
19 |
* 25 |
John Wes Townley(i) |
Tony Townley |
Mike Ford |
14 Toyota |
No. 25 Zaxby’s Toyota |
|
20 |
28 |
J J Yeley |
James Whitener |
Steve Plattenberger |
13 Dodge |
Texas 28 Spirits Stage |
|
21 |
* 29 |
Milka Duno |
Robby Benton |
Keith Hinkein |
14 Toyota |
RAB Racing |
|
22 |
31 |
Dylan Kwasniewski |
Steve Turner |
Shannon Rursch |
14 Chevrolet |
FOE |
|
23 |
39 |
Ryan Sieg |
Rod Sieg |
Kevin Starland |
14 Chevrolet |
RSS Racing |
|
24 |
40 |
Matt Dibenedetto |
Curtis Key Sr |
Kyle Symington |
14 Chevrolet |
Curtis Key Plumbing |
|
25 |
42 |
Kyle Larson(i) |
Harry Scott Jr |
Scott Zipadelli |
14 Chevrolet |
Cartwheel by Target |
|
26 |
43 |
Dakoda Armstrong |
Richard Petty |
Philippe Lopez |
14 Ford |
WinField |
|
27 |
44 |
Will Kimmel III |
Mark Smith |
Eddie Pardue |
14 Toyota |
Ingersoll Rand |
|
28 |
46 |
Ryan Ellis |
Curtis Key Sr |
Gary Showalter |
14 Chevrolet |
Curtis Key Plumbing |
|
29 |
51 |
Jeremy Clements |
Tony Clements |
Ricky Pearson |
14 Chevrolet |
RepairableVehicles.com/AllSouthElectric.com |
|
30 |
52 |
Joey Gase |
Jimmy Means |
Tim Brown |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
31 |
54 |
Kyle Busch(i) |
J D Gibbs |
Adam Stevens |
14 Toyota |
Monster Energy |
|
32 |
55 |
Jamie Dick |
Jimmy Dick |
Mark Setzer |
14 Chevrolet |
Viva Auto Group |
|
33 |
60 |
Chris Buescher |
Jack Roush |
Scott Graves |
14 Ford |
RFRShop.com |
|
34 |
62 |
Brendan Gaughan |
Richard Childress |
Shane Wilson |
14 Chevrolet |
South Point |
|
35 |
70 |
Derrike Cope |
Mary Louise Miller |
Bobby Burrell |
14 Chevrolet |
YOUTHEORY |
|
36 |
172 |
John Jackson |
James Carter |
Richard Garcia |
14 Chevrolet |
Crash Claims R US |
|
37 |
74 |
Mike Harmon |
Mike Harmon |
Gary Ritter |
12 Dodge |
TBA |
|
38 |
177 |
Jimmy Weller(i) |
Jimmy Dick |
Chris Rice |
14 Chevrolet |
TBA |
|
39 |
180 |
Johnny Sauter(i) |
Shigeaki Hattori |
Bruce Cook |
14 Toyota |
AISIN AW |
|
40 |
184 |
Chad Boat |
Billy Boat |
Dan Deeringhoff |
14 Chevrolet |
Corvetteparts.net |
|
41 |
87 |
Joe Nemechek(i) |
Andrea Nemechek |
Steven Gray |
14 Chevrolet |
Rick Ware Racing |
|
42 |
89 |
Morgan Shepherd |
Morgan Shepherd |
Kevyn Rebolledo |
14 Chevrolet |
Courtney Construction |
|
43 |
91 |
Jeff Green |
Mark Smith |
Todd Myers |
14 Toyota |
SupportMilitary.org |
|
44 |
93 |
Kevin Swindell |
Gregg Mixon |
Gregg Mixon |
13 Dodge |
JGL Racing |
|
45 |
98 |
Corey LaJoie(i) |
Fred Biagi |
Jon Hanson |
14 Ford |
Carroll Shelby Engine Co. |
|
46 |
99 |
James Buescher |
Robby Benton |
Matthew Lucas |
14 Toyota |
TBA |
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A statistical look ahead to the second race of the Contender Round
RELATED: Track your picks in the Perfect Chase Grid Challenge and Chase Battle Grid Presented by Toyota
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Below is a look at the 12 Contenders and beyond, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina going into the Bank of America 500 on Saturday night October 11. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on ABC, with the race start scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
CHARLOTTE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
1 – Joey Logano (No. 22 Pennzoil Platinum Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 107.7
2014 Rundown
• Five wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 11.8
• Led 20 races for 916 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Three top fives, six top 10s
• Average finish of 10.5 in 11 races
• Average Running Position of 14.1, sixth- best
• Driver Rating of 88.0, ninth-best
2 – Kyle Busch (No. 18 Doublemint Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 91.1
2014 Rundown
• One win, seven top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 16.7
• Led 14 races for 412 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Nine top fives, 13 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 15.6 in 21 races
• Average Running Position of 10.0, second- best
• Driver Rating of 106.3, second-best
• 460 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
• 5,291 Laps in the Top 15 (77.4%), second- most
• Series-high 973 Quality Passes
3 – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 82.8
2014 Rundown
• Two wins, seven top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 14.5
• Led 10 races for 134 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Six top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.4 in 19 races
• Average Running Position of 14.6, seventh-best
• Driver Rating of 89.8, seventh-best
• 1,592 Green Flag Passes, second-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.106 mph, 11th-fastest
• 4,280 Laps in the Top 15 (62.6%), sixth-most
• 806 Quality Passes, fifth-most
4 – Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 85.6
2014 Rundown
• Two top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.8
• Led 5 races for 30 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four top fives, 10 top 10s; nine poles
• Average finish of 19.0 in 27 races
• Average Running Position of 17.5, 18th-best
• Driver Rating of 78.1, 19th-best
• 1,379 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
5 – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 90.7
2014 Rundown
• One win, six top fives, 13 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 15.2
• Led 12 races for 195 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.7 in 18 races
• Average Running Position of 12.7, fourth-best
• Driver Rating of 92.6, fifth-best
• 235 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.222 mph, seventh-fastest
• 4,586 Laps in the Top 15 (71.2%), fourth-most
• 749 Quality Passes, seventh-most
6 – Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.0
2014 Rundown
• Two wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s; eight poles
• Average finish of 13.9
• Led 22 races for 1,653 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, four top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.3 in 27 races
• Average Running Position of 17.2, 16th-best
• Driver Rating of 81.5, 15th-best
• 1,534 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
• 3,923 Laps in the Top 15 (57.4%), eighth-most
• 699 Quality Passes, eighth-most
7 – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 93.1
2014 Rundown
• 11 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 13.8
• Led 17 races for 467 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Two wins, nine top fives, 16 top 10s
• Average finish of 13.5 in 30 races
• Average Running Position of 13.5, fifth-best
• Driver Rating of 97.1, fourth-best
• 376 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
• 1,448 Green Flag Passes, seventh-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.413 mph, fourth-fastest
• 4,649 Laps in the Top 15 (68.0%), third-most
• 842 Quality Passes, third-most
8 – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 109.7
2014 Rundown
• Four wins, 11 top fives, 19 top 10s; two poles
• Average finish of 10.1
• Led 21 races for 666 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Five wins, 16 top fives, 23 top 10s; nine poles
• Average finish of 15.8 in 43 races
• Average Running Position of 14.7, eighth-best
• Driver Rating of 89.7, eighth-best
• 243 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
• 4,228 Laps in the Top 15 (61.8%), seventh-most
• 777 Quality Passes, sixth-most
9 – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Pepsi Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 88.7
2014 Rundown
• One win, three top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 16.7
• Led 11 races for 206 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Four wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s
• Average finish of 11.5 in 21 races
• Average Running Position of 11.6, third-best
• Driver Rating of 101.7, third-best
• 665 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
• 1,549 Green Flag Passes, third-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.430 mph, third-fastest
• 4,564 Laps in the Top 15 (66.7%), fifth-most
• 833 Quality Passes, fourth-most
10 – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Detroit Genuine Parts Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 104.1
2014 Rundown
• Five wins, 13 top fives, 16 top 10s; five poles
• Average finish of 13.2
• Led 24 races for 1,498 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, two top fives, three top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 15.7 in 10 races
• Average Running Position of 15.2, 10th-best
• Driver Rating of 85.4, 10th-best
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.125 mph, 10th-fastest
11 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 96.9
2014 Rundown
• Three wins, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s
• Average finish of 12.0
• Led 13 races for 265 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Five top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 19.4 in 29 races
• Average Running Position of 19.0, 22nd-best
• Driver Rating of 80.9, 16th-best
• 183 Fastest Laps Run, 11th-most
• 1,435 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
• 623 Quality Passes, 11th-most
12 – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 98.8
2014 Rundown
• Three wins, 10 top fives, 18 top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 14.3
• Led 15 races for 1,035 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Seven wins, 13 top fives, 17 top 10s; four poles
• Average finish of 11.2 in 26 races
• Series-best Average Running Position of 7.5
• Series-best Driver Rating of 112.7
• Series-high 683 Fastest Laps Run
• Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 177.132 mph
• Series-high 5,988 Laps in the Top 15 (87.5%)
• 968 Quality Passes, second-most
13 – AJ Allmendinger (No. 47 Scott Products Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 70.5
2014 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, four top 10s
• Average finish of 20.4
• Led 5 races for 68 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One top five, two top 10s
• Average finish of 22.7 in 13 races
• Average Running Position of 23.2, 31st-best
• Driver Rating of 65.8, 31st-best
14 – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Bondo Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 79.4
2014 Rundown
• Three top fives, 10 top 10s
• Average finish of 15.8
• Led 6 races for 109 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• Five top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
• Average finish of 17.2 in 23 races
• Average Running Position of 15.0, ninth-best
• Driver Rating of 89.9, sixth-best
• 303 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
• 1,393 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
• Average Green Flag Speed of 176.250 mph, sixth-fastest
• 3,891 Laps in the Top 15 (56.9%), ninth-most
• 690 Quality Passes, ninth-most
15 – Kurt Busch (No. 41 State Water Heaters Chevrolet)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 84.8
2014 Rundown
• One win, six top fives, eight top 10s
• Average finish of 20.1
• Led 11 races for 181 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One win, six top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 19.7 in 28 races
• Average Running Position of 17.4, 17th-best
• Driver Rating of 83.0, 13th-best
• 204 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
• 3,502 Laps in the Top 15 (51.2%), 10th-most
16 – Aric Almirola (No. 43 Smithfield / Waffle House Ford)
• Season-to-Date Driver Rating: 73.3
2014 Rundown
• One win, two top fives, seven top 10s
• Average finish of 21.0
• Led 5 races for 23 laps
Charlotte Motor Speedway Outlook:
• One pole
• Average finish of 19.0 in five races
• Average Running Position of 16.6, 14th-best
• Driver Rating of 76.5, 21st-best
The 12 Contenders at Charlotte Motor Speedway
|
Driver |
Races |
Poles |
Wins |
Top Fives |
Top 10s |
DNFs |
Average Finish |
Driver Rating |
|
|
1 |
Joey Logano |
11 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
10.5 |
88.0 |
|
2 |
Kyle Busch |
21 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
13 |
5 |
15.6 |
106.3 |
|
3 |
Carl Edwards |
19 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
12 |
1 |
11.4 |
89.8 |
|
4 |
Ryan Newman |
27 |
9 |
0 |
4 |
10 |
5 |
19.0 |
78.1 |
|
5 |
Denny Hamlin |
18 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
10 |
1 |
13.7 |
92.6 |
|
6 |
Kevin Harvick |
27 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
1 |
16.3 |
81.5 |
|
7 |
Matt Kenseth |
30 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
16 |
5 |
13.5 |
97.1 |
|
8 |
Jeff Gordon |
43 |
9 |
5 |
16 |
23 |
10 |
15.8 |
89.7 |
|
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
21 |
0 |
4 |
9 |
12 |
1 |
11.5 |
101.7 |
|
10 |
Brad Keselowski |
10 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
15.7 |
85.4 |
|
11 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
29 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
11 |
4 |
19.4 |
80.9 |
|
12 |
Jimmie Johnson |
26 |
4 |
7 |
13 |
17 |
4 |
11.2 |
112.7 |
History
• Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) 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 111 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).
• 525 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying race at Charlotte Motor Speedway; 374 in more than one.
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Charlotte with 64. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 43 starts; followed by Joe Nemechek with 36.
• Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway (World 600) in 1960 with a speed of 133.904 mph.
• 42 drivers have Coors Light poles at Charlotte, led by David Pearson with 14. Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon lead all active drivers in poles at CMS with nine.
• 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.
• 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).
Charlotte Motor Speedway Data
Season Race #: 31 of 36 (10-11-14)
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: 334 laps / 500 miles
Top 10 Driver Ratings at Charlotte
Jimmie Johnson ……………………..112.7
Kyle Busch …………………………….106.3
Kasey Kahne ………………………….101.7
Matt Kenseth ……………………………97.1
Denny Hamlin…………………………..92.6
Greg Biffle ……………………………….89.9
Carl Edwards……………………………89.8
Jeff Gordon ……………………………..89.7
Joey Logano…………………………….88.0
Brad Keselowski……………………….85.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (19 total) among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 pole winner:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
194.308 mph, 27.791 secs. 10-10-13
2013 race winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford
158.308 mph, (03:09:53), 10-12-13
Track qualifying record:
Denny Hamlin, Toyota
195.624 mph, 27.604 secs. 05-24-13
Track race (500 miles) record:
Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
160.306 mph, (03:07:31), 10-11-99
STATISTICAL ADVANCE
• 46 different drivers have won at Charlotte Motor Speedway, led by Jimmie Johnson with seven wins.
• 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.
• Youngest Charlotte winner: Jeff Gordon (05/29/1994 – 22 years, 9 months, 25 days).
• Oldest Charlotte winner: Cale Yarborough (10/06/1985 – 46 years, 6 months, 9 days).
• Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Charlotte in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 18: Jimmie Johnson (seven), 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 42 victories; followed by Ford with 29. Toyota has two wins at CMS.
• 15 of the 111 (13.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from the Coors Light pole; the three most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2014 (Coca-Cola 600), 2009 (Chase race event) and 2004 (Coca-Cola 600).
• 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 (15.3% winning percentage).
• 32 of the 111 (28.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from the front row: 15 from the pole and 17 from second-place.
• 84 of the 111 (75.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a top-10 starting position.
• Nine of the 111 (8.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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 is 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in the Coca-Cola 600 of 2003.
• Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Charlotte with nine. Kasey Kahne and Matt
Kenseth lead all active drivers with three.
• NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are tied for the series most top-five finishes at Charlotte with 23. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 16.
• Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Charlotte with 31. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 23.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Charlotte with a 7.115.
• Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Charlotte with a 10.545.
• Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte without visiting Victory Lane at 36; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 29.
• Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the May 29, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Bobby Labonte with a MOV of 0.027 second.
• There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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): Chase race of 2005 (334/336), Chase race of 2007 (334/337) and the
2011 Coca-Cola 600 (400/402).
• Five of the 111 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 Motor Speedway twice; the fall race of 2002 and the fall race of 2008.
• Five active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have made their first career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/30/99), Jimmie Johnson (10/7/01), Brian Vickers (10/11/03), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5/29/11) and Kyle Larson (10/12/2013).
• 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).
• Four active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have posted their first career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (5/29/94), Matt Kenseth (5/28/00), Jamie McMurray (10/13/02) and Casey Mears (5/27/07).
• Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Charlotte with 1,733 laps led in 26 starts.
• Two female drivers have competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.
|
Driver |
Starting Position |
Finishing Position |
Date of race |
|
Danica Patrick |
4 |
39 |
5/25/2014 |
|
Danica Patrick |
35 |
20 |
10/12/2013 |
|
Danica Patrick |
24 |
29 |
5/26/2013 |
|
Danica Patrick |
40 |
30 |
5/27/2012 |
|
Janet Guthrie |
31 |
35 |
10/8/1978 |
|
Janet Guthrie |
27 |
9 |
10/9/1977 |
|
Janet Guthrie |
26 |
22 |
10/10/1976 |
|
Janet Guthrie |
27 |
15 |
5/30/1976 |
NASCAR in North Carolina
• There have been 519 NASCAR Sprint Cup races among 28 tracks in North Carolina.
|
Track Name/City/NSCS |
|
Charlotte Motor Speedway/Concord/111 North Wilkesboro Speedway/North/93 Rockingham Speedway/Rockingham/78 Hickory Speedway/Hickory/35 Asheville-Weaverville Speedway/Weaverville/34 Occoneechee Speedway/Hillsboro/32 Bowman-Gray Stadium/Winston-Salem/29 Southern States Fairgrounds/Charlotte/17 Charlotte Speedway/Charlotte/12 Concord Speedway/Concord/12 Wilson Speedway/Wilson/12 New Asheville Speedway/Asheville/8 Dog Track Speedway/Moyock/7 Raleigh Speedway/Raleigh/7 Cleveland County Fairgrounds/Shelby/6 Champion Speedway/Fayetteville/4 Greensboro Agriculture Fairgrounds/Greensboro/3 North Carolina State Fairgrounds/Raleigh/3 Tar Heel Speedway/Randleman/3 Forsyth County Fairgrounds/Winston-Salem/2 Harris Speedway/Harris/2 Jacksonville Speedway/Jacksonville/2 Tri-City Speedway/High Point/2 Gastonia Fairgrounds/Gastonia/1 Harnett Speedway/Spring Lake/1 McCormick Field/Asheville/1 Salisbury Super Speedway/Salisbury/1 Star Lite Speedway/Monroe/1 |
NASCAR in North Carolina
• 433 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; 29 have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
|
Driver |
NSCS |
NNS |
NCWTS |
|
Richard Petty |
200 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dale Earnhardt |
76 |
21 |
0 |
|
Lee Petty |
54 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ned Jarrett |
50 |
0 |
0 |
|
Junior Johnson |
50 |
0 |
0 |
|
Herb Thomas |
48 |
0 |
0 |
|
Buck Baker |
46 |
0 |
0 |
|
Bobby Isaac |
37 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dale Jarrett |
32 |
11 |
0 |
|
Rex White |
28 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jim Paschal |
25 |
0 |
0 |
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr |
22 |
23 |
0 |
|
Benny Parsons |
21 |
0 |
0 |
|
Speedy Thompson |
20 |
0 |
0 |
|
Buddy Baker |
19 |
0 |
0 |
|
Harry Gant |
18 |
21 |
0 |
|
Bob Welborn |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kyle Petty |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Morgan Shepherd |
4 |
15 |
0 |
|
Bill Blair |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Gwyn Staley |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Brian Vickers |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
Billy Myers |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jimmy Pardue |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Richard Brickhouse |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Phil Parsons |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Leon Sales |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Buddy Shuman |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Donald Thomas |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jack Ingram |
0 |
31 |
0 |
|
Tommy Houston |
0 |
24 |
0 |
|
Sam Ard |
0 |
22 |
0 |
|
Robert Pressley |
0 |
10 |
2 |
|
Scott Riggs |
0 |
4 |
5 |
|
Ryan Blaney |
0 |
2 |
3 |
|
Austin Dillon |
0 |
2 |
6 |
|
Hank Parker Jr |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Johnny Rumley |
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
Dennis Setzer |
0 |
2 |
18 |
|
Ed Berrier |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Ty Dillon |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
Justin Labonte |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Stephen Leicht |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
Timothy Peters |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
Andy Houston |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
Ricky Hendrick |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Shane Hmiel |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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Moments that changed the course of the 30th race of the 2014 season
BRAD KESELOWSKI HITS THE WALL AFTER BLOWN TIRE
Brad Keselowski found the wall on Lap 158 due to a right front tire issue, making him the latest Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender to find trouble in the Hollywood Casino 400.
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion, smacked the wall and took his car to the garage shortly after for repairs. He would return to the race 38 laps down and scored in 37th place.
The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford spent much of the first half of the race in the top 10.
In addition to Keselowski, Chase contenders Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson also found trouble at Kansas during the first half of the race.
Looking ahead at the two other tracks in the Contender Round, where he will need solid performances to advance, Keselowski has one victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and two wins at Talladega Superspeedway.
DALE EARNHARDT JR. BLOWS A TIRE, CRASHES WHILE LEADING RACE
A promising run for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Kansas Speedway hit the wall, literally, on Sunday in the Hollywood Casino 400.
Earnhardt Jr. led 45 laps and held the lead in what had been the best run of his 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup before smacking the wall on Lap 122. His No. 88 team was at work in the garage trying to him back out on the track.
"The whole surface of the unwound like a string," Earnhardt told ESPN. "It just came off the car and it popped off in the corner. I felt it coming apart through the corner, and the surface of the tire is gone. The whole cap came off. Must have been a recap.
"I got to hand it to the guys. Man, that was a great race car. We hadn’t been running very good the last several weeks, and man, we came in here with a great attitude and a great fast car. This is the car we won Pocono with both times. It’s a good car. Hopefully we didn’t hurt it too bad, and we’ll just try to go to the next one. This will hurt us in the points obviously, but we’ve got a lot of racing left, a lot of races to win. We’re running good."
Over the radio, Junior told crew chief Steve Letarte, "I wasn’t really pushing. I wasn’t tight." Letarte responded, "I’m going to keep my opinions to myself."
JIMMIE JOHNSON TURNED BY GREG BIFFLE, CRASHES
Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson saw his Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup get off to a bad start following a wreck Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Johnson was the lone Chase driver involved in the four-car incident on Lap 84. Johnson wheeled the No. 48 to the garage where he was hopeful work could be done to get the car back on track.
"Yeah, I’m fine," Johnson told ESPN after leaving the infield care center. "Obviously a big hit in championship points so we’ll try to get the car back on the track, run some laps, get a few points if we can and it just puts a premium on next weekend and the weekend after.
"It just means we’ve got to be on our game at Charlotte and Talladega. And there’s still a lot of racing left. This stuff can happen so we’ll see how the other Chasers fare. If I can get taken out today, somebody else can later in this event or at Charlotte so we’ll do our best to get back on track and then certainly need W’s I would assume moving forward."
Johnson took a big hit into the wall after Greg Biffle got loose and into his car. Justin Allgaier and Josh Wise were also involved. Johnson was scored in 39th place as his crew worked on the vehicle.
"That’s pretty heavy damage there, looks like, guys," crew chief Chad Knaus said over the radio.
"Yeah, we’re killed," said Johnson, who quickly stopped his No. 48 car as it began losing oil. He then took the mandatory ride to the infield care center — where he was quickly cleared — after he was unable to drive back to the garage.
"(Biffle) just came down and said he just lost it and ran into us," Johnson’s spotter Earl Barban said on the radio to Knaus.
2012 champion finds trouble in Contender Round opener
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Brad Keselowski found the wall on Lap 160 due to a right front tire issue, making him the latest Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contender to find trouble in the Hollywood Casino 400.
Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion, smacked the wall and took his car to the garage shortly after for repairs. He would return to the race 40 laps down and scored in 37th place.
Keselowski would finish the race 45 laps down and in 36th place.
The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford spent much of the first half of the race in the top 10.
In addition to Keselowski, Chase contenders Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson also found trouble at Kansas.
Looking ahead at the two other tracks in the Contender Round, where he will need solid performances to advance, Keselowski has one victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway and two wins at Talladega Superspeedway.
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Standard procedure periodically takes tires from teams
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Following Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, the Goodyear tires from the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 and No. 11 cars have been taken back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. It’s an action periodically taken by the sanctioning body.
Kyle Busch won the race in the No. 54 Toyota Camry while his teammate and Nationwide Series championship contender, Elliott Sadler, finished seventh.
In a post-race news conference, No. 54 crew chief Adam Stevens and Busch were asked about tire wear, specifically on the right rear tire of the car.
"Wear-wise, the tires stayed together really well," Stevens said. "That’s why you saw guys do rights and do lefts like we did. We put more than a fuel run on tires and had plenty of rubber. No signs of heat or anything. That was all from the burnout."
His driver said the burnout following his sixth series win of the season put the tires to test.
"It didn’t last long during the burnout though," Busch said. "It was short-lived."
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Get all the on-track times for the weekend’s NASCAR action
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All times ET
TV LISTINGS / BUY TICKETS FOR CHARLOTTE / WEEKEND TRACK EVENTS
This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series head to Charlotte Motor Speedway
RACE-DAY RUNDOWN
5:30 p.m.: Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
6:52 p.m: Intro Honorary Starter: Jeff Sinchak, Wounded Warrior Project, Warriors Speak
6:52:30 p.m.: Intro Grand Marshals: Coast Guard Master Chief Ronald Latronico, Army Sergeant First Class Cameron Abbott, Navy Petty Officer (ABE1) Bryan Phillippe, Air Force Staff Sergeant Eric Larmay Marine Corporal Damien Brown
6:53 p.m.: Intro Miss Sprint Cup: Julianna White
6:55 p.m.: Drivers Introductions with NASCAR Special Awards
7 p.m.: ABC on air
7:32 p.m.: Presentation of Colors by: Air Force ROTC Detachment 592 from UNCC
7:32:20 p.m.: Invocation by: Jim Daley from Focus on the Family
7:32:45 p.m.: Intro National Anthem
7:33 p.m.: National Anthem: Ashanti
7:34.45 p.m.: TOT Fly By: Team AeroDynamix (10 planes Turns 4 to 1)
7:40 p.m.: "Drivers, start Your Engines" introduced by: Coast Guard Master Chief Ronald Latronico, Army Sergeant First Class Cameron Abbott, Navy Petty Officer (ABE1) Bryan Phillippe, Air Force Staff Sergeant Eric Larmay, Marine Corporal Damien Brown
7:48:30 p.m.: Start of the Bank of America 500 (334 Laps /500 Miles)
ON TRACK
— 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 (334 laps, 501 miles), ABC (Follow live)
PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch Live)
— 2 p.m.: Toyota Racing Announcement
— 11 p.m.: Post NSCS race
ON TRACK
— 1:30-3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice (Get results)
— 3:30-4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice (Get results)
— 5:30-6:50 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice, ESPN2 (Get results)
— 7:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, ESPN2 (Get results)
PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch Live)
— 12:15 p.m.: Joey Logano
— 12:30 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson
— 12:45 p.m.: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
— 3 p.m.: Elliott Sadler
— 3:15 p.m.: Kasey Kahne
— 3:40 p.m.: Denny Hamlin
— 4:45 p.m.: Ty Dillon
— 8 p.m.: Post NSCS qualifying
GARAGECAM PRESENTED BY MOBIL 1 (Watch Live)
— 1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Series
— 3 p.m.: Nationwide Series
ON TRACK
— 3-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, ESPN2 (Get results)
— 4:10 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (Get results)
— 5:30-6:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice, ESPN2 (Get results)
— 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Drive for the Cure 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), ESPN2 (Get results)
PRESS CONFERENCES (Watch Live)
— 10 p.m.: Post NNS race
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Career-best finish at track that has plagued him an encouraging sign for No. 18 driver
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Considering the venue, it was hard to fault Kyle Busch for having a sense of impending doom as the laps ticked away Sunday afternoon. Heading toward his best-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish at Kansas Speedway, Busch’s engine began to sour in the late stages, the cockpit of his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota beginning to take on smoke.
But doom finally stayed away. When the checkered flag finally fell to close out his third-place effort in the fourth race of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs, Busch wasn’t headed to Victory Lane but was ready to celebrate nonetheless at a track that’s been his most difficult on the circuit.
"Yeah, I want champagne and to do donuts right now," Busch said on pit road, "but I think they frown on that if you’re third."
Busch — who had crashed in three of his last four trips to the 1.5-mile layout — rallied from a pit road speeding penalty just before the midpoint of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, then overcame an overheating motor to come home behind the 1-2 combo of race-winner Joey Logano and runner-up Kyle Larson.
The podium result gave Busch an impressive stat for his resume: He now has a top-five finish at each active track on the Sprint Cup Series schedule. The effort also gave him solid footing after the opening leg of the three-race Contender Round in this year’s new-look Chase while several championship hopefuls took a major hit in the standings.
"There may have been a couple other cars out there today that didn’t have good finishes that could’ve finished third, fourth, fifth. I felt like we were a good sixth- or seventh-place car, but circumstances worked in our favor and we wound up third," Busch said. "Again, can’t say enough about the effort of this team. The guys gave me a good piece, but we certainly were mindful of those that were having trouble around us."
Busch was able to minimize his own misfortune in a day swirling with it. He had worked his way to the fringes of the top five early on before he was penalized for speeding entering the pits in the 124th of 267 laps. Busch restarted behind all the other lead-lap cars, but 50 laps later, was back into the top 10.
A single-digit finish might have been moral victory enough, but Busch kept marching forward, his climb accelerated by the pitfalls that snared drivers ahead of him — Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray, among others. That combination of factors meant that the No. 18 team’s outlook changed dramatically down the stretch.
"I think the way this Chase is laid out, you’ve got to manage expectations," said Dave Rogers, Busch’s crew chief. "Yeah, it’s great to win and you’ve got go to Homestead gunning to win, but at this stage of the Chase you’ve got to manage expectations. We said if we could get out of here with a top-10, we’ll race them at Charlotte and Talladega as a wild-card. To come out of here with a top-five, that exceeds our goal, so you’ve got to be happy with it."
Not that there wasn’t some 11th-hour fretting from both the cockpit and atop the pit box. Rogers opted to add more tape to the car’s grille in an effort to increase downforce, but the engine’s temperatures rose and Busch began to see and smell smoke in the driver’s compartment. With all fingers crossed, the car made it to the checkered flag with motor intact.
"Just got a little too greedy and got the engine too warm, but those are those gremlins," Rogers said. "You’re running top five with 10 laps to go, you hear a lot of things in those race cars. We probably got too hot, but we were trying to get all we could get."
For Rogers, it was the team’s latest display of character in the early stages of the Chase. In the opening Challenger Round, Busch notched top-10 finishes in all three races despite a crash in New Hampshire and a frantic search for balance in Dover.
To build on that foundation with a top-five at a track that has been the team’s Achilles’ Heel could take some of the pressure off for the round’s next two races — Saturday at Charlotte and in two weeks at Talladega. But even putting his Kansas demons in the rearview and leaving with a second-place rank in the series standings, Busch cautioned that by no means did he feel home-free from a potential elimination.
"It’s early. Anything can happen," Busch said. "Like I said before, I mean, racing is a fickle business. I can go next week and have the same issues. We can have something other than what they had happen to us and put us in a bad spot. We just don’t need that. We just need to go next week, have a good week at Charlotte, finish top-10, top-five if we can, and take a win, sure, but first things first; let’s get to finishing top-five and racing these guys for wins and then we’ll go start shooting for wins.
"Like I said, another solid week will put us in a good position going to Talladega, where guys that had a bad week this week, and if they have a good week next week, they’re still going to be behind us and (that) leaves our situation better come Talladega."
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