CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 20: Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez, driver of the #19 ARRIS Toyota, Ryan Blaney, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, and Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Haas Automation Ford, pose with their trophies after qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images
Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images
Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images
Kyle Busch took control of Saturday night’s Monster Energy All-Star Race on the final restart with ten laps left and motored away to a 1.274-second victory—his first in a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Busch powered his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the inside of Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford—the race leader on old tires—as the field roared toward turn one on the final restart. Through the first two corners he cleared both Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, who had restarted second on the outside to gain the race lead in clean air. Continue reading →
More Moments, More Excitement Set for a Crown Jewel of NASCAR
NASCAR today announced the addition of a fourth stage to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an update that will provide fans with yet another opportunity for a memorable moment in a season already filled with them. The four stages in the 400-lap race will be uniformly set at 100 laps apiece.
The Coca-Cola 600 has a storied legacy of history-making moments, from career-first victories for the likes of David Pearson and Jeff Gordon, to record-setting runs like Martin Truex Jr.’s breathtaking performance in last year’s edition. Continue reading →
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Mountain Dew DEW-S-A Chevrolet, looks on during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 12, 2017 in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
In Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s case, familiarity breeds desire.
Asked which race he’d most like to win in his final season of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series racing, Earnhardt immediately thought of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the track closest to his Mooresville, NC, home. Continue reading →
With all track activity canceled because of rain on Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway – a far-reaching effect of Hurricane Matthew – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers won’t have an opportunity to practice between Thursday evening’s knockout qualifying session and Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 (7 p.m. ET on NBC).
No problem, according to Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, both exuding confidence entering the first race of the Round of 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. After all, both drivers spent the vast majority of Thursday’s opening practice in race trim, anticipating the rain. Continue reading →