NASCAR 2018 Race 13: Charlotte Coca-Cola 600 DIECAST Contest race

[dara]

This is a DIECAST Contest race. Highest score will win their choice of a diecast model car, if within reason (lol). In case of a tie, the earliest entry with the high score will be declared the winner. If you change your selections after the entry, we will use the edit time for the entry time. To qualify for the contest you must have had participated in an earlier race this season.

Schedule:

Thursday, May 24
2:35-3:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1
4:05-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series practice, FS1
6:05-6:50 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, FS1
7:15 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Busch Pole Award qualifying, FS1

Friday, May 25
No events scheduled

Saturday, May 26
9:05-9:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, FS1
10:10 a.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Pole qualifying, FS1
11:05-11:55 a.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice, FS1
1 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Alsco 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), FS1

Sunday, May 27
6 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 (400 laps, 600 miles), FOX

Race and Track facts:



Distance: 600 Miles, 400 Laps

Stage 1: Lap 100
Stage 2: Lap 200
Stage 3: Lap 300
Race: Lap 400

Track Specs for the oval:
Superspeedway: 1.5-mile quad oval
Banking: turns: 24 degrees; straights: 5 degrees
Straights: Frontstretch - 1952.8 feet; Backstretch - 1360 feet
Grandstand Seating: 89,000 [down from 146,000 in 2009]

Track Records & Stats

2017 May Race Winner: #3-Austin Dillon, 138.800mph, started 22nd
2017 October Race Winner: #78-Martin Truex Jr., 139.128mph, started 17th
Track Race Record 500 miles: Jeff Gordon, Oct 1999, 160.306mph
Track Race Record 600 miles: Martin Truex Jr., May 2016, 160.655mph
Slowest Race Record: Junior Johnson, 107.752mph, 1960
Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jimmie Johnson, May 2003, started 37th
Oldest Winner: Cale Yarborough, 46 years, 6 months, 9 days, 10/6/1985
Youngest Winner: Jeff Gordon, 22 years, 9 months, 25 days, 5/29/1994

2017 May Pole Winner: #4-Kevin Harvick, 193.424mph, finished 8th
2017 October Pole Winner: #11-Denny Hamlin, 191.598mph, finished 4th
Track Qualifying Record: Kurt Busch, Oct 2014, 198.771mph, set in 2nd round of qualifying
Coke 600 Qualifying Record: Denny Hamlin, May 2013, 195.624mph
500 mile Qualifying Record: Matt Kenseth, Oct 2014, 194.532mph
Youngest Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon, 22 years, 2 months, 6 days, 10/10/1993
Oldest Pole Winner: Bobby Allison, 49 years, 10 months, 8 days, 10/11/1987

Most Wins: 8 - Jimmie Johnson; 6 - Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison; 5 - Jeff Gordon
Most Poles: 14 - David Pearson; Current driver: 9 - Ryan Newman & Jeff Gordon
Most Top 5s (all-time): 23 - Bobby Allison, Richard Petty
Most Top 5s (active): 15 - Jimmie Johnson
Most Top 10s (all-time): 31 - Richard Petty
Most Top 10s (active): 20 - Matt Kenseth & Jimmie Johnson

[dara]

Starting Order:
1. Kyle Busch
2. Joey Logano
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Erik Jones
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Ryan Newman
7. Jamie McMurray
8. Ryan Blaney
9. Aric Almirola
10. Daniel Suarez
11. Kyle Larson
12. Austin Dillon
13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
14. Paul Menard
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Kurt Busch
17. Matt Kenseth
18. Chris Buescher
19. David Ragan
20. Ty Dillon
21. William Byron
22. Chase Elliott
23. Jimmie Johnson
24. Darrell Wallace Jr.
25. Ross Chastain
26. Kasey Kahne
27. Alex Bowman
28. Clint Bowyer
29. Michael McDowell
30. AJ Allmendinger
31. Matt DiBenedetto
32. Parker Kligerman
33. Corey Lajoie
34. Gray Gaulding
35. Landon Cassill
36. Timmy Hill
37. Jeffrey Earnhardt
38. B.J. Mcleod
39. Kevin Harvick
40. J.J. Yeley

The Coca-Cola 600 has been a thorn in Kyle Busch's side for a long time. Despite serious success in the race with 11 top-fives and 16 top-10s, he has never won the race in his illustrious career.

He put himself in great position to get a win Sunday, though, as he won the pole Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was Busch's 30th career Cup Series pole.

"It was pure talent all the way around, all these guys, this whole team," the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points leader joked to Fox Sports 1 after his run (a reference to his recent harsh criticism of his pit crew). "It feels good, this is a race that you always enjoy coming to in Charlotte, I haven't won here in a points-paying event I guess, so it would certainly be nice to kind of get that done here this weekend with the 600."

Two other drivers who have had great success at this race didn't have a strong qualifying.

Kevin Harvick, who is going for his third win a row for the second time this season, failed inspection and will start in the back as a result. Martin Truex Jr., who has finished in the top five in each of his last three trips to Charlotte, will start 15th.

Worse for Harvick, his car chief, Robert Smith, was ejected from the race track for the weekend. Harvick also will lose 30 minutes of practice time in Happy Hour on Saturday. Harvick is attempting to win three straight points races for the second time this season.

Joey Logano, who qualified second behind Busch, is glad “The Closer” is starting from the rear.

“Are we taking bets on how long it takes to him to get up there?” Logano quipped.

The Coca-Cola 600 will start at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox.

[dishuser]

Kevin Harvick***
Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Busch

[4me2c]

1)...Kyle Larson
2)...Joey Logano
3)...Chase Elliott

[Ryu]

Martin Truex Jr*
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

[4me2c]

Martin Truex Jr*
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

A Blast from the Past...! Welcome Back to the Party Pal...! Lol...! and Good Luck...!

[crazed 9.6]

Martin Truex Jr*
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick

nice to see you KOF
So glad you made the diecast race

[ilan]

Kevin Harvick**
Kyle Busch
Brad Keslowsi

[ranagee]

Jimmie Johnson (favorite)
Martin Truex JR.
Kyle Busc

[Ryu]

A Blast from the Past...! Welcome Back to the Party Pal...! Lol...! and Good Luck...!

thanks buddy

nice to see you KOF
So glad you made the diecast race

you know that already. kof