This Weekend in NASCAR – Charlotte Storylines

Charlotte Motor Speedway is the host for two of NASCAR’s three national series this weekend with races for the NASCAR XFINITY Series on Saturday and for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Sunday. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend, back in action June 10 at Texas Motor Speedway. This weekend’s storylines follow…

Smoke Searches For First Coca-Cola 600 Win In Final Start
Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart ranks tied for 13th on the all-time victories list, but has never won the Coca-Cola 600.

The member of the Coca-Cola Racing family will attempt to capture his first checkered flag in his final start in NASCAR’s longest race on Sunday.

Stewart’s best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was a third-place showing in 2001. In 33 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway (tied with Matt Kenseth for the most among active drivers), Stewart claims one win (fall of 2003), six top fives, 13 top 10s and an average finish of 14.5.

To make NASCAR’s playoffs, Stewart must win a race and finish the regular season in the top 30 in points. He’s currently 37th in the points – 67 markers behind 30th-place David Ragan.

Quality of Racing A Sign Of Things To Come
A third of the way through the season, a ton of numbers have swirled around the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series – some small, some big, all pointing to fascinating racing.

Eight of the first 12 races this season have ended with a margin of victory less than one second, the most since 2010. (Note: Two of these races ended under caution, so there was no margin of victory.)

The average margin of victory so far has been .877 seconds – the third-closest margin of victory since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993.

Denny Hamlin’s victory in the Daytona 500 by .010 seconds was the closest ever in NASCAR’s premier event and tied for the seventh closest in series history. The margin was duplicated two weeks later at Phoenix when Kevin Harvick edged out Carl Edwards at Phoenix.

Track records for green flag passes for the lead (lead changes all around the race track while under green flag conditions) were set in three races this season: Atlanta Motor Speedway (44), Auto Club Speedway (51) and Bristol Motor Speedway (40).

At Talladega, there were 213 green flag passes for the lead, six passes for the lead shy of tying the record for most green flag passes for the lead in a single race since the inception of loop data in 2005.

In the latest event, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, there were 17 green flag passes for the lead, the most since 2013. Joey Logano’s pass of Kyle Larson with two laps to go was the latest lead change in the All-Star race in the last seven years. Additionally, this season’s All-Star race was the first in the last three years where one driver didn’t lead for the entire final segment.

Logano Looks For Second Straight Charlotte Win, May Sweep

Although it didn’t count for the standings, Joey Logano’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race win halted a rough patch of consecutive finishes outside the top 20: Talladega (25), Kansas (38) and Dover (22).

Heading into Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX), Logano sits 10th on the Chase Grid, a comfortable 62 points ahead of Ryan Newman on the cutoff line, but a points-paying win would ensure him a spot in NASCAR’s playoffs.

Logano won the last race at Charlotte in the fall, leading 227-of-334 laps. His highest finish in the Coca-Cola 600 was a third-place showing in 2011.

In 14 Charlotte starts, Logano claims one win, five top five and eight op 10s.

If he wins on Sunday, Logano will become the eighth driver to win both the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).

A Ford driver has not won the Coca-Cola 600 since Mark Martin in 2002.

Johnson A Master Of NASCAR’s Longest Race
A rabid participant in endurance athletics off the track, Jimmie Johnson is also NASCAR’s top “endurer” on it.

His four wins in the Coca-Cola 600 – NASCAR’s longest race – are the most among active drivers and rank second to only NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip’s five.

The top driver of all-time at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Johnson boasts a record seven wins at the 1.5-mile track. He claims an all-time mark of four victories at CMS in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race that do not count for his total. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver’s 8.6 average running position and 109.0 driver rating at Charlotte are both active series bests.

Johnson’s last Charlotte win came in the 2014 Coca-Cola 600.

This season, the No. 48 Chevrolet driver has two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes. He sits third on the Chase Grid and holds six bonus points for the Round of 16 in NASCAR’s playoffs (one for each win).

Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kasey Kahne – a fellow endurance athletics participant – has won three Coca-Cola 600s. Combined, the pair has won seven of the last 13 spring Charlotte races.

Happy Makes It Happen At Charlotte
Since fall 2010, Kevin Harvick has been one of the strongest drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway with three wins, two runner-ups and 10 top 10s in 11 starts.

In his last six Charlotte races, Harvick owns two wins, two runner-ups, a sixth-place showing and a finish of ninth.

That timeframe marks quite the turnaround for Harvick, who logged a high Queen City finish of 10th from 2002 through spring of 2010 – a span of 17 races.

Edwards Eyes Coca-Cola 600 Repeat
Carl Edwards provided NASCAR fans with an abundance of firsts when he won the 2016 Coca-Cola 600.

Edwards’ victory was his first at the track, first driving a Toyota and first for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Now looking even more comfortable with his new team and fresh ride, Edwards looks to defend his victory in Sunday’s edition of NASCAR’s marathon race. The drivers who have won back-to-back Coca-Cola 600s are Darrell Waltrip (1978-79, 1988-89), Neil Bonnett (1982-83), Dale Earnhardt (1992-93) and Jeff Gordon (1997-98). Jimmie Johnson won the event three consecutive times from 2003-05.

On the season, Edwards owns two wins, five top fives and eight top 10s. He ranks second on the Chase Grid behind teammate Kyle Busch.

Busch Needs Wins At Only Charlotte And Pocono To Complete Active Sweep
Only two active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tracks have eluded Kyle Busch – Charlotte Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway. He’s won at the other 21 active tracks. Only those two remain.

The 1.5-mile oval and Tricky Triangle happen to be the next two courses on the schedule.

Although Busch has never won at CMS, he does own the second-best driver rating (106.1) and average running position (9.7) among active drivers there. In 24 Charlotte starts, he has 10 top fives and 14 top 10s with a high finish of second (twice, fall of 2010 and fall of 2011).

Busch was on his way to victory at Pocono last season, but ran out of fuel on the final lap. A checkered flag would’ve clinched him his fourth consecutive win.

The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has carried his momentum into this season. He leads the circuit with three wins and nine top-five finishes.

Elliott Can Grab First Win In Same Race As Gordon
Jeff Gordon captured his first victory in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 via a two-tire gamble on the race’s final pit stop. The triumph launched a career that featured 93 wins, four championships and ensured Gordon future enshrinement in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Could Gordon’s successor in the No. 24, Chase Elliott, be the next driver to jumpstart a legendary career in the Coca-Cola 600?

Maybe.

The 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion’s eight top-10 finishes in the first 12 races in his Sunoco Rookie of the Year contending season are the most since Jimmie Johnson accomplished the feat in 2002. His four top-five showings through 12 races are the most in a rookie season since Kasey Kahne posted the same total in 2004.

Elliott placed third in the last points-paying race at Dover where he nearly tracked down race-winner Matt Kenseth and runner-up Kyle Larson for his first victory.

Kenseth, who won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2000, is the only rookie who’s achieved the feat.

Larson Aims For First Win Following Two Near Misses
Kyle Larson’s first points-paying NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win looks like it’s coming soon.

The NASCAR Next alum has showed off his driving skills in the last three races (points and exhibition) – Dover, the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint Unlimited.

At Dover, Larson led 85 laps, but could not catch Matt Kenseth, who beat him to the finish line by a mere .187 seconds.

Larson won the third segment of the Sprint Showdown following one of the best two-car battles all year where he fended off Chase Elliott by 0.015 seconds.

Most recently, the No. 42 Chevrolet driver led the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with two laps remaining, but was passed by Joey Logano and soon wrecked to place 16th.

Larson’s first win could come on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he has a high finish of sixth. He won the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at the 1.5-mile track in May of 2014.

Jr. Jostles For First 600 Victory, 5 Years After He Ran Out Of Gas
Five years ago Dale Earnhardt Jr. was leading the Coca-Cola 600 on the final lap.

Devastatingly, the Kannapolis, North Carolina native and NASCAR history buff, who desperately wants a 600 win in front of his home crowd, ran out of fuel and was passed for the win by Kevin Harvick.

He’ll get another opportunity at 600 glory on Sunday.

In 32 starts at Charlotte, Earnhardt has six top fives and 12 top 10s. He placed third in last year’s spring Charlotte race.

Coca-Cola Conquerors Who’ve Won Championships
A past reigning or future NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has won 56% of all Coca-Cola 600 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The drivers who have completed the championship/Queen City double: Jimmie Johnson (6 titles, 4 C600s), Dale Earnhardt (7 titles, 3 C600s), Richard Petty (7 titles 2 C600s), Jeff Gordon (4 titles, 3 C600s), Darrell Waltrip (3 titles, 5 C600s), David Pearson (3 titles, 3 C600s), Bobby Allison (1 title, 3 C600s), Kevin Harvick (1 title, 2 C600s), Rusty Wallace (1 title 1 C600), Bobby Labonte (1 title, 1 C600), (1 title, 1 C600), Dale Jarrett (1 title, 1 C600), Benny Parsons (1 title, 1 C600), Kurt Busch (1 title 1 C600) and Matt Kenseth (1 title 1 C600).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

Fans From Around The Globe Flock To Charlotte Motor Speedway
Throughout all 10 days of NASCAR Thunder in Charlotte, fans from 25 foreign countries and representing 4,100 cities worldwide have visited or plan on going to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Country Star Lee Brice To Take Stage On Sunday
Grammy-nominated country music artist Lee Brice will perform a pre-race concert prior to the Coca-Cola 600.

Sadler’s Slight Points Lead Not Enough To Get Comfortable
JR Motorsports knew it was getting a solid veteran when it signed Elliott Sadler for 2016.

With 10 races in the books and the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings lead, solid might’ve been an understatement.

Sadler holds a three points advantage over second-place Daniel Suárez, but knows that buffer is not exactly comfortable as the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Saturday’s Hisense 4K TV 300 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1).

Sadler’s average finish through 10 starts is 6.6 – tied with Suárez for tops in the series. Sadler has one win (Talladega), four top fives and nine top 10s. In season-to-date loop data, he is ranked sixth in average running position (9.2) and fifth in Driver Rating (99.8).

Early in Sadler’s career he struggled at Charlotte, but as of late he has found his groove on the 1.5-mile speedway, posting six top 10s in his last nine starts. He finished ninth in this event last season.

Dillon/RCR Look To Become Third Driver/Team To Win Three Straight Races At Charlotte
Rising star and former series champion Austin Dillon dominated Charlotte Motor Speedway last season, sweeping both races from the Coors Light Pole. The feat impressed many and now gives Dillon and Richard Childress Racing the opportunity to be just the third driver and third team in series history to win three consecutive races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Dillon can put himself in rare company if he can win this weekend at Charlotte. He would become the third driver to win three consecutive races at CMS, joining 1989 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Rob Moroso (Fall 198, both races of 1989) and Mark Martin (Fall of 1995, both races of 1996).

Dillon has made six series starts at Charlotte, recording two wins, three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 5.8. Dillon also owns three poles at the famed 1.5-mile track.

Richard Childress Racing has entered four drivers this weekend at CMS: Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Brandon Jones and Brendan Gaughan. If any of the four were to win at Charlotte on Saturday, Richard Childress Racing would become the third team in series history to win three consecutive races at CMS, joining Moroso Performance (Fall 1988, both races of 1989) and Roush Fenway Racing (Fall of 1995, both races of 1996).

Rookie Erik Jones Has A Lot To Smile About Lately
Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Erik Jones has been showcasing his talents over the past several weeks. The Byron, Michigan native jumped two spots in the NASCAR XFINITY Series points following his win at Dover International Speedway.

In 10 starts this year, he has two victories (Bristol and Dover) and two Dash 4 Cash wins totaling $200,000 of bonus money. Plus, the 19 year-old is virtually locked into the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase and has six Chase bonus points due to his multiple wins, provided he stays in the top 30 in points and qualifies for the remaining events.

“Charlotte has been a place where I’ve run fairly well myself and JGR has always run well,” Jones said. “We’ll see as the week goes on, but I think our mile-and-a-half program has been pretty stout this year everywhere we’ve gone, no matter what mile-and-a-half it may be.”

Jones has made two starts at Charlotte, posting one top five and an average finish of 8.5.

Assuming Jones continues his streak of success this weekend at Charlotte wouldn’t be foolish. He holds the second-best average finish on 1.5-mile tracks this season – an astounding 2.7.

North Carolina Natives Aplenty This Weekend
Eight drivers with their home state recorded as North Carolina are entered this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series: Ty Dillon (Welcome), Austin Dillon (Welcome), Morgan Shepherd (Ferguson), Harrison Rhodes (High Point), Ryan Blaney (High Point), Drew Herring (Benson), Cody Ware (Greensboro) and Carl Long (Roxboro).

Of the eight entered, Austin Dillon (2015 sweep) is the only active North Carolina driver to win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the series.

JGR’s Suárez Must Keep The Heat On The Standings LeaderWith just three points separating himself from the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings lead, 2015 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Daniel Suárez needs to keep the heat on veteran Elliott Sadler to close the points gap between first and second.

In 10 starts, Suárez has posted four top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 6.6. In season-to-date loop data Suárez leads the series in Average Running Position (6.7) and is ranked second in Driver Rating (106.9).

Charlotte provides the perfect stage for Suárez to catapult ahead of Sadler in the points. Suárez has made two starts at CMS, logging one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 5.0.

Gallagher, Custer Sampling Some XFINITY Series
Two of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ rising stars, Cole Custer and Spencer Gallagher, will be strapping into cars this Saturday and competing in the Hisense 4K TV 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Custer will wrangle the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro this weekend in his second career start in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Custer’s series debut came a few weeks back at Richmond International Raceway, where he drove the JR Motorsports No. 5 from 17th to a sixth-place finish.

Custer has made only one NASCAR national series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway – last weekend in the NCWTS race – where he started 16th and finished 13th.

GMS Racing has tapped Spencer Gallagher to drive their No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at CMS. Gallagher has made three starts in the XFINITY Series this season, posting a best finish of 17th (Richmond). This weekend will also be Gallagher’s series debut at Charlotte. Like Custer, Gallagher competed in the Truck Series race at Charlotte last weekend, starting second and finishing sixth.

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.

NASCAR XFINITY Series in North Carolina: There have been 796 NASCAR national series races (NSCS, 522; NXS, 187; NCWTS, 18) held in the state of North Carolina. The 187 NASCAR XFINITY Series races held in N.C. have been on seven different tracks: Charlotte Motor Speedway (68), Rockingham Speedway (42), Hickory Speedway (42), Orange County Speedway (27), North Wilkesboro Speedway (four), Caraway Speedway (three) and Asheville Speedway (one). The first NASCAR national series race in North Carolina was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Charlotte Speedway (dirt track) on June 19, 1949 that was won by Jim Roper (Lincoln). The first NASCAR XFINITY Series race held in North Carolina was on April 10, 1982 at Hickory Speedway in Hickory, North Carolina and was won by Jack Ingram (Pontiac)…

NASCAR XFINITY Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway: The NASCAR XFINITY Series has held 68 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The first NXS race at CMS was held on May 29, 1982 and won by Harry Gant (Pontiac). Four-hundred-sixty-seven drivers have made at least one start in the series at Charlotte Motor Speedway; 56 of the 467 made their first series career start at CMS. Thirty-two different drivers have won at CMS in the NXS, led by Kyle Busch with eight victories. Eight drivers tallied their first series win at CMS (none are active).

North Carolina Drivers in NASCAR: A total of 439 drivers who have made at least one NASCAR national series start have their home state recorded as North Carolina. Of the 439 North Carolina drivers, only 29 have won in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, led by Richard Petty with 200 victories (series-most). Out of the 439, only 109 have competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Of the 109 North Carolina drivers who have competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, 21 have visited Victory Lane, led by Jack Ingram with 31 wins. Six North Carolina drivers have won at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series: Harry Gant, four wins (Taylorsville); Dale Earnhardt, three wins (Kannapolis); Austin Dillon, two wins (Welcome); Dale Jarrett, two wins (Hickory); Phil Parsons, one win (Denver) and Sam Ard, one win (Asheboro). Five NXS champions are from North Carolina: 2013 champ Austin Dillon (Welcome), 2003 champ Brian Vickers (Thomasville), two-time series champ (1998-1999) Dale Earnhardt Jr., 1982 and 1985 champ Jack Ingram (Asheville) and 1983-1984 champ Sam Ard (Asheboro).