Next Race: Coca-Cola 600 The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway The Date: Sunday, May 27 The Time: 6 p.m. ET TV: FOX, 5:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 600 miles (400 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 100), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 200), Stage 3 (Ends on Lap 300), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400) It Only Takes One (Lap) Austin Dillon picked up his first career win in the Coca-Cola 600 last year, leading only two laps. Among them, the most important one: the last lap. Since then he collected his second career win in this year’s season-opening Daytona 500. This time he led the race only when most necessary – the final lap – giving him three laps led in the two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races he’s won. Both races are absolute stars of the NASCAR schedule and Dillon has firmly established himself as a star as well. Since Daytona in February, Dillon has led only four more laps – giving him five out front for the 2018 season. He has one more top-10 – a 10th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway – through the opening 12 races and arrives at his hometown track ranked 17th in the standings. The 28-year old North Carolina native is as optimistic as you would expect a defending race winner to be for Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), however. “I’m really pumped about the 600,’’ Dillon said. “It’s a long race for us and obviously coming back being the defending winner hopefully we can do it this year again. If fuel mileage is the way we do it, we will do it that way again, it doesn’t matter, if we can get back to Victory Lane again this year it would be great. “But, I’ve always felt comfortable here at Charlotte in any series I’ve ran. I felt like I have been pretty solid here in Xfinity and Trucks. Yeah, I’m pumped for the 600. Anytime I come to this track my confidence is high and I feel good about it,” said Dillon. Always A Contender At Charlotte Reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. has good reason to feel confident racing in Charlotte this week. He has two wins in the last four races at the track, including one of the most dominant performances in NASCAR history in leading 392 of the 400 laps (and 588 of 600 miles) to hoist his first Coca-Cola 600 trophy in 2016. Truex led a race-best 233 laps in last year’s 600 only to finish third, but he answered with a convincing victory five months later during the Playoffs – one of four Playoff wins he would earn on the way to his first Monster Energy Series championship in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota. Truex has five top-five finishes – including two wins – in the last six races at Charlotte. His average speed (160.655 mph) in winning the 2016 Coca-Cola 600 is an all-time record at the track. The Elusive Victory Lane Kyle Busch still leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship standings despite Kevin Harvick’s amazing roll of wins. And although Busch is historically quite good at Charlotte, it is the ONLY track on the Cup schedule where the 2015 champion has never won a points-paying race. Busch’s driving rating of 104.9 is second only to the track’s all-time winningest driver Jimmie Johnson. In fact, Busch is second to the eight-time Charlotte winner in most of the vital loop data statistical categories (covering races from 2005-present) from average running position (8.019 vs. 10.069) to laps led (1,094 vs. 993) to the percentage of time running in the top-15 (87.0 vs 77.5). The driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota was runner-up in the Coca-Cola 600 last year and has been second there three times in his career. He has four third-place finishes. His 16 top-10 efforts in 28 starts is second only to Johnson and Matt Kenseth’s 20 top-10s among active drivers. Making His Mark Daniel Suarez’ impressive runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick in Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star race was reflective of the second-year Cup driver’s work of late. He has raced to three top-10 finishes in the last four races. He tied his career best Monster Energy effort of third-place at Dover two weeks ago. And the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway proved to be one of his better tracks during his 2017 rookie season. He was 11th in his first 600-miler in the spring and sixth in the fall 500-mile race there. His runner-up finish to Harvick in the All-Star Race non-points event last weekend at Charlotte was visibly encouraging for the 26-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver. “Definitely a lot of confidence,’’ Suarez said with a smile. “The team has been doing a hell of a job in the last month and a half, two months, being competitive, racing up front. It’s been a lot of fun obviously racing in the top five, top 10 more often. “I feel like we are on the right track, we are in the right line obviously to keep moving forward. But we have to keep working to try to get a little bit better. I feel like we are good, but we are not great yet. Hopefully, we can get there soon.” King Of The Queen City Jimmie Johnson is still looking for his first win this season, but the seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion must feel optimistic arriving at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he has earned eight wins (four in the Coca-Cola 600) and five pole positions (three in the Coca-Cola 600) and boasts the best driving rating of any of his competitors this weekend (109.8). He leads in all six of the primary statistical categories from average running position (8.019) to laps led (1,094) since 2005. Two of his wins here from the pole position (2004, 2014) have come in the Coca-Cola 600. He also won the fall race from the pole in 2009. “The All-Star Race was fun, but this weekend is a different package, so that race didn’t do much to help us prepare for this weekend,’’ said Johnson, whose Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet finished sixth last Saturday night. “The 600 is a long race, it’s a test of endurance and patience, and you have to accommodate for track conditions changing from the day to the night.” First Time’s The Charm For whatever reason, the 1.5-mile Charlotte track has been prone to new winners. Ten times a driver has scored his first win at Charlotte – seven times in the Coca-Cola 600. NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Jeff Gordon (1994) certainly headlines that list that also includes Hall of Famer David Pearson (1961), 2000 Cup champ Bobby Labonte (1995), 2003 champion Matt Kenseth (2000), Casey Mears (2007), David Reutimann (2009) and Austin Dillon (2017). Chip Ganassi Racing’s Jamie McMurray got his first career Monster Energy Series win at the track in only his second race – filling in for the injured Sterling Marlin in the 2002 fall race at Charlotte. Buddy Baker (1967) and Charlie Glotzbach (1968) also tallied their first Cup win in the fall Charlotte race. Next Race: Alsco 300 The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, May 26 The Time: 1 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 12:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) Queen City’s Turn To Keep The Xfinity Series Different Winners Streak Alive Ten races into the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season and there have been 10 different winners. Now it’s Charlotte Motor Speedway’s turn to see if the streak can continue and give the series its 11th different winner in as many races. If an 11th different winner should occur this weekend, the 2018 season would solely hold the second-longest different winner streak to start the season in series history. Currently, at 10 different winners, the 2018 season is tied with 1987 for the second-longest different winners streak to start a NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Since the series inception in 1982, the NASCAR Xfinity Series has had 10 different winners in the first 10 races just three times – 1987, 1988 and 2018. The record for the highest number of different winners to start a NASCAR Xfinity Series season is 13 set back in 1988; followed by 2018 and 1987 with 10 different winners. The 1988 and 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons are tied for the series-most different winners for the entire season with 18 each. This season’s winners include Tyler Reddick (Daytona), Kevin Harvick (Atlanta), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas), Brad Keselowski (Phoenix), Joey Logano (California), Ryan Blaney (Texas), Ryan Preece (Bristol), Christopher Bell (Richmond), Spencer Gallagher (Talladega) and Justin Allgaier (Dover). Allgaier, Bell, and Keselowski are the three winners this season entered this weekend in the Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) that could end the different winners streak. Of the three, Brad is the only driver who has previously won at Charlotte in the Xfinity Series, three times to be exact (Fall 2010, Summer 2012 and Fall 2014). Fury Race Cars To Make Debut, Enlists Driver Kaz Grala For Next Four Races A well-known face in the NASCAR garage is returning this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tony Eury Jr., the famous NASCAR crew chief, has turned owner and in doing so enlisted rising young talent Kaz Grala to drive the No. 61 Fury Race Cars Ford Mustang for the next four races including this weekend in the Alsco 300 (Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Tony Eury Jr. and his father Tony Eury Sr. became famous over the last three decades working as crew chiefs at Dale Earnhardt Inc. in the Monster Energy Series and JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Now Tony Eury Jr. has been running Fury Race Cars in the Late Model and Modified divisions of NASCAR, but this weekend he and crew chief Shane Wilson and driver Kaz Grala are making their NASCAR national series debut. “We are all really proud of what we’ve been able to put together in such a short amount of time,” said Tony Eury Jr. Grala is an ideal contender for the No. 61 Ford. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate is currently 19th in the series driver standings. In 10 starts this season he has posted one top five and an average finish of 22.0. “I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to continue competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” said Grala. This weekend will be Grala’s series track debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Former Series Champ Chase Elliott Returns For GMS Racing With driver Spencer Gallagher currently sidelined as he completes the NASCAR Road to Recovery Program, GMS Racing has tapped former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Chase Elliott to pilot the No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will be his first race in the series since the season-opener at Daytona. Elliott, 22, will also drive the No. 23 for GMS at Pocono (June 2), Chicagoland (June 30), Daytona (July 6) and Bristol (Aug. 17). Johnny Sauter took the reins of the No. 23 a few weeks back at Dover for GMS Racing and posted a top-10 finish (sixth). Elliott this weekend will look to continue to build on the team’s recent success. Elliott’s Xfinity career has been quite impressive, in 73 starts he has five wins, 31 top fives and 59 top 10s. He also won the title in his rookie season. Elliott has made four series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting a pole and three top 10s. His average finish on the 1.5-mile track is 15.5. Elliott Sadler’s Winless Streak Could Reach 50 Races At Charlotte High atop the point standings mountain sits veteran JR Motorsports driver Elliott Sadler, 38 points ahead of his teammate Tyler Reddick in second, and 52 points ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell in third. While the points cushion is nice, it has been too long since the driver from Emporia, Virginia has visited Victory Lane. If he doesn’t take the checkers this weekend, it will bring Elliott Sadler’s winless streak to 50 races – the fourth-longest winless streak of his career. Sadler’s last series win was at Kentucky Speedway on September 24, 2016. This season, though he doesn’t have a victory, Sadler has been very competitive. In 10 starts he has posted eight top fives and 10 top 10s (both are series-most); including a runner-up finish a few weeks back at Dover. “I couldn’t be more ready to get back into my OneMain Financial Chevrolet after the last few off weekends,” said Sadler. “We’ve had a strong start to the season, so we’re looking to keep that going as we head to Charlotte.” This weekend’s Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway could be the race that ends Sadler’s winless streak. He has made 22 series starts at 1.5-mil speedway posting one pole (2012), five top fives, 10 top 10s and an average finish of 16.8. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Youth Movement Seem Quite Formidable Joe Gibbs Racing is known for cultivating young talent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and this season is no different. The JGR stable has been filled with rising stars this season but the two going for the series title are Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Christopher Bell, 23, in the No. 20 Toyota and Brandon Jones, 21, in the No. 19 Toyota. Bell, the elder statesmen of the two, leads the young JGR stars as he is currently ranked third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship driver standings, just 52 points back from the standings leader. In 10 starts this season Bell has already locked himself into the Playoffs with his win at Richmond. He has also posted three poles and six top-five finishes to accompany the win. Bell made his series track debut at Charlotte last season in this event; starting seventh and finishing fourth. Bell’s teammate Brandon Jones is having the best start to a season in his Xfinity Series career. The Atlanta, Georgia, native is currently seventh in the series championship driver standings. In 10 starts this season he has posted one top five and six top 10s. His average finish this season is a career-best 11.9. Jones has made four starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 13.0. Both youngsters will have veteran teammate Kyle Busch to lean on this weekend as the Las Vegas native returns to the series in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Busch leads the series in wins (eight), top fives (18) and top 10s (20) at Charlotte. Charlotte Welcomes New Series Winners In the 72 NASCAR Xfinity Series races held at Charlotte Motor Speedway since 1982, 35 different drivers have won and nine of those 35 have been first-time series winners; including Alex Bowman’s big victory last fall. This weekend at Charlotte, among the 43 entrants attempting to qualify, 29 have yet to win in the series and only four currently have wins at the 1.5-mile facility (Kyle Busch with eight, Brad Keselowski’s three, Jeff Green has two and Joe Nemechek has one). The nine drivers to previously get their first series win at Charlotte are Harry Gant (5/29/1982), Darrell Waltrip (10/9/1982), Bobby Allison (5/26/1984), Tim Richmond (5/25/1985), Terry Labonte (10/5/1985), Sterling Marlin (10/6/1990), Mike Bliss (10/15/2004), Dave Blaney (10/13/2006) and Alex Bowman (10/7/2017). Monster Mayhem Five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers are entered in this weekend’s Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Kyle Busch, Ty Dillon, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott. Next Race: Rattlesnake 400 The Place: Texas Motor Speedway The Date: Friday, June 8 The Time: 9 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Distance: 250.5 miles (167 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 40), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 167) source – NASCAR communications
