Coca Cola 600 News and Notes

Odds & Ends - Charlotte

Charlotte Motor Speedway Data

Race #: 13 of 36 (5-30-10)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
# Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
# Banking/Straights: 5 degrees
# Frontstretch: 1,980 feet
# Backstretch: 1,500 feet

Driver Rating at Charlotte

Jimmie Johnson 118.9
Kyle Busch 104.4
Kasey Kahne 102.1
Joey Logano* 101.0
Mark Martin 91.2
Jeff Gordon 88.5
Matt Kenseth 88.5
Brian Vickers 88.0
Greg Biffle 87.6
Jeff Burton 87.5

Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2009 races (10 total) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. * - Logano has run only one CMS race.

Qualifying/Race Data

2009 pole winner: Ryan Newman (188.475 mph, 28.651 secs.)
2009 race winner: David Reutimann (120.899 mph, 5-25-09)
Qualifying record: Elliott Sadler (193.216 mph, 27.948 secs., 10-13-05)
600-mile race record: Bobby Labonte (151.952 mph, 5-28-95)

Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage.

Indy 500 & Coca-Cola 600
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com

It’s funny how one little decision made over the course of our lives can have such lasting effect. Have you ever wondered about one or two of those key decisions you made and the ripple effect of how other things occured because of that decision, and what would have happened had you went another way.

Tony George and the folks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway probably have milled through that thought process over a millions times since making that fatal decision to allow NASCAR to run a race on it’s fabled bricks in 1994.

George probably also has wondered about the decision to start his own racing series in 1996 effectively killing all the momentum and strides made by open wheel racing. In both cases, the decisions elevated one type of racing, stock cars, to new heights and dropped the other, open-wheel racing, to new lows in the minds of Americans everywhere.

Both decisions played a huge role into creating the NASCAR we all know now, the one that has the all the corporate sponsors and a huge television contract. Indy Racing has taken only 14 years to virtually fall off the planet completely. Had George not brought NASCAR to the Brickyard, how long would it have been before America’s heartland would have grasped onto NASCAR. If there were auto racing fans from the mid-west, chances are, they liked open-wheel racing. They knew their drivers, they knew their sponsors, and that type of racing was to their preference.

But then all of a sudden, this kid from Pittsboro, Indiana wins the first NASCAR race on the Bricks and they start to learn more about the sport and they start to like it. They love the colors of the cars, the physical way the cars can drive with fenders, and they start to learn some of the drivers personalities, and before you know, you've got a NASCAR fan and he's buying his new favorite driver's gear.

At this juncture, NASCAR was still basically a southern thing. There was a little bit of racing in the Northeast, but none of the top series ran like at the places we see today like Chicago and Kansas, and we haven't even begun to talk about the west coast.

When all the good drivers from CART boycotted the 1996 Indy 500 because of some more terrible rules placed by George, it left everyone hanging. The fans were now given a watered down race cheapening all its great history as Buddy Lazier won and all the big names were left out.

At the time in Las Vegas sports books, NASCAR was taking some pretty good action. I began setting lines for the races right around then for all auto racing events. The Indy 500 was still cheapened in the eyes of many, but it was huge with the bettors. NASCAR couldn’t touch the Indy 500.

It wasn’t until about 1999 that we started seeing more action in NASCAR's Memorial day weekend race than we did for the Indy 500. That switch in power was also happening all across America. NASCAR was growing so fast in popularity while Indy Racing was fading.

10 years later, NASCAR is more powerful than ever while Indy Racing is barely surviving. There is no better place to get a feel for the popularity than handle in the Vegas sports books and right now, it’s never been worse. Some books don’t even have their odds on the race out right now with just days before it starts, while Coca-Cola 600 odds have been available since Monday.

Back In the day, I used offer the odds before the season starting and listed several drivers. Bettors from out of town loved the idea of getting long odds on certain drivers way before the qualifying even started. There was an Indy 500 buzz in January and it created action. Not so much any more.

What we’re left with now is a race that has five drivers who can win. Sure anything can happen, but it’s not likely to in this race which really kills the drama and especially the possibilities of taking a long shot. If the driver isn’t from Ganassi or Penske Racing Teams, they can’t win.

I took a shot with Will Power at 8 to 1. On Sunday, I’ll get up, watch the race, thank my Grandfather and other family members for all they did in battle for our country and try to remember that this race is more about reflecting on the day than it is about what Tony George did to a product that didn't need fixing.

The Indy 500 may be watered down, but it’s still been around for 94 years and for a country like ours that is so young, it should be revered more as a treasure. My ultimate hope is that NASCAR gets more involved down the road with some of their mega-bucks to keep the race going. Rick Hendrick can have an engine built immediately that could compete for the win now. How much hype would this race get with Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Tony Stewart trying to win the race from their home state that they always dreamed of. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

To find the best candidate to win this week, you have to look at how everyone did at the three 1.5-mile high baked tracks of Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Texas. Last weeks All-Star race doesn’t figure into the mix just because no one will use the same chassis from that race, although Kurt Busch should be considered a great candidate to win, and he is considering using that car again. I’ll have a Final practice update on Saturday along with the final top-8 rated drivers for Sunday’s NASCAR race.

Top 5 Indy 500 Finish Prediction:
1) #12 Will Power (8/1)
2) #3 Helio Castro-Neves (5/2)
3) #6 Ryan Briscoe (4/1)
4) #9 Scott Dixon (7/2)
5) #10 Dario Franchitti (4/1)

Top 5 Coca-Cola 600 Finish Prediction:
1) #18 Kyle Busch (6/1)
2) #48 Jimmie Johnson (5/1)
3) #17 Matt Kenseth (20/1)
4) #24 Jeff Gordon (8/1)
5) #2 Kurt Busch (12/1)

Driver Handicaps: Charlotte
RacingOne.com

This weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. To help you make your fantasy racing picks, Motor Racing Network brings you our weekly detailed look at some of the field for the 400-lap event.

Who's HOT at Charlotte
• Kasey Kahne has a 3.2 average finish in the four starts with the COT.
• Jimmie Johnson has captured six wins and 13 top 10s.
• Jeff Gordon, a five-time winner, has a 7.5 average finish in his last four starts.
• Kyle Busch has finished eighth or better in the last five races.
• Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth each finished in the top 10 in both races in 2009.

Keep an Eye on at Charlotte
• Kurt Busch won last weekend's All-Star race and has finished in the top 10 in two of his last three starts at Charlotte.
• Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with three wins in the seven races contested so far with the new rear spoiler.
• Mark Martin, who finished 17th in both races in 2009, leads all active drivers with 17 top fives at Charlotte.
• Carl Edwards has a 12.9 average finish in 10 starts at Charlotte.
• Tony Stewart won the pole and led 74 laps in the last race on a 1.5-mile track (Texas) this season.
• Kevin Harvick (6.0) and Greg Biffle (9.3) have top-10 average finishes in the three races on 1.5-mile tracks in 2010.
• Jeff Burton has an 11.5 average finish in the four races at Charlotte with the COT.

Track Performers
Jimmie Johnson leads all drivers with a 5.0 average finish on the 1.5-mile tracks in 2010. Johnson, who won at Las Vegas in March, also ranks fifth in laps led with 57. Kasey Kahne (6.0), Kevin Harvick (6.0), Matt Kenseth (9.0) and Greg Biffle (9.3) round out the top five in average finish. Jeff Gordon leads all drivers in laps led with 343. Kahne (144) and Atlanta winner Kurt Busch (131) are the only other drivers to lead more than 100 laps on the three 1.5-mile tracks that the series has raced on so far in 2010. Based off 1.5-mile tracks: Las Vegas, Atlanta (1.54-mile) and Texas

Spoiler Alert
Denny Hamlin leads all drivers with three wins in the seven races contested so far with the new rear spoiler. He also won the only race with the new spoiler at a 1.5-mile track - Texas. Hamlin's teammate Kyle Busch, who has two wins, leads all drivers with a 7.3 average finish and 521 laps led. Kevin Harvick (10.3 average finish) and Ryan Newman (11.6 average finish) are the only other drivers with a win. Jeff Gordon, who led 124 laps at Texas, has led a total of 477 laps.

Top 30 Driver Notes - Ordered by current standings

(All stats/notes are in regards to Charlotte Motor Speedway unless noted)

1. Kevin Harvick: Has three top 10s in 18 starts; Last top 10 came in the 2003 fall race; Last lap led came in the 2003 Coca-Cola 600; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 301) that finished seventh at Texas in April.

2. Kyle Busch: Second-best average finish (5.2) in the four races with the COT; Has led the most laps (248) with the COT; Has finished eighth or better in six of the last seven races; Won the pole for this event in 2008.

3. Matt Kenseth: Winner of the 2000 Coca-Cola 600; Coming off 10th top 10 in 21 starts; Has finished in the top 10 in last two Coca-Cola 600s; 15.0 average finish and 47 laps led in the four races with the COT; Will be back in the same car (chassis No. 672) that finished second at Atlanta in March.

4. Jimmie Johnson: Coming off sixth win in 17th starts; Three-time Coca-Cola 600 winner; Leads all full-time drivers with 1,334 laps led; 15.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will debut a new chassis (No. 592) in the Coca-Cola 600.

5. Denny Hamlin: 23.2 average finish in the four races with the COT; Last of three top 10s in nine starts came in this event in 2007; Led 54 laps last fall before the engine expired; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 270) in the Coca-Cola 600.

6. Jeff Gordon: Five-time winner; Last win came in the 2007 fall race; 7.5 average finish in the four races with the COT.

7. Greg Biffle: Last of five top 10s came in the 2008 fall race; Best finish in 14 starts came in the 2008 Coca-Cola 600 in second; Fifth-best finishing average (11.2) in the four races with the COT; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 585) that finished 10th at Auto Club Speedway in February.

8. Jeff Burton: Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner; Only victory in 11 starts with Richard Childress Racing came in the 2008 fall race; 11.5 average finish and 59 laps led in the four races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 307) in the Coca-Cola 600.

9. Kurt Busch: Coming off first win at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the All-Star race; Finishes in the last two fall races are only top 10s in eight starts with Penske Racing; Best finish came in the 2005 fall race with Roush Racing in second; 15.8 average finish in the four races with the COT.

10. Carl Edwards: Finished fourth in this event last year; Finish was one of seven top 10s in 10 starts; Overall average finish dropped to 12.9 after engine problems relegated him to a 39th-place finish last fall; Has not led a lap in his last five starts; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 639) that finished 39th at Atlanta in March after an accident.

11. Mark Martin: Finished 17th in both races last season in first track starts with Hendrick Motorsports in May; Four-time winner with Roush Racing; Last top 10 came in the 2008 fall race with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 600) that finished 15th at Dover two weeks ago.

12. Martin Truex Jr.: Coming off second top 10 in nine starts; Best finish came in the 2005 Coca-Cola 600 in seventh; 20.0 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will make first points-paying track start with Michael Waltrip Racing.

13. Ryan Newman: Won the pole and finished second in this event last year in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing; Eight poles leads all active drivers; Posted five top 10s in previous 16 starts with Penske Racing; 13.8 average finish in the four races with the COT.

14. Tony Stewart: Finished 19th and 13th, respectively, in first track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009; Won the 2003 fall race with Joe Gibbs Racing; Win was one of 11 top 10s with JGR; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 591) in the Coca-Cola 600.

15. Clint Bowyer: Coming off second top 10 in eight starts; Best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 is 19th in 2006; 19.8 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 303) in the Coca-Cola 600.

16. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 29.8 average finish in four starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Recorded eight top 10s in previous 17 starts with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; Led 76 laps and finished fifth in 2008 Coca-Cola 600; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 599) that finished eighth at Texas in April.

17. Jamie McMurray: Won the 2002 fall Charlotte race with Chip Ganassi in track debut; Has posted five top-10 finishes since; Piloting chassis No. 905, which was last run to a 32nd-place mechanical failure finish at Dover.

18. Joey Logano: 7.0 average finish and 13.0 average finish in two starts at track; Taking brand-new chassis No. 272 to track this weekend.

19. Juan Pablo Montoya: Only top 10 in six starts came in this event last year; Has yet to lead a lap; 26.8 average finish in the four races with the COT; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1003) in the Coca-Cola 600.

20. David Reutimann: 14.5 average finish with the COT on the strength of his victory in last year's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 and a 10th-place finish in his only other 600-mile start; 18.2 average finish overall with six starts.

21. Kasey Kahne: Three-time winner; Last win came in 2008 May race; Leads all drivers with a 3.2 average finish in the four races with the COT.

22. David Ragan: Only top 10 in six starts came in fall race in 2008; 23.8 average finish; Driving chassis RK-617 which finished 23rd in last start at Auto Club Speedway.

23. Paul Menard: Best finish of 14th came in track debut in 2006 Coca-Cola 600 with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.; 26.5 average finish in six starts; Piloting chassis No. 683 which he drove to fourth-place finish in last weekend's Sprint Showdown.

24. Brad Keselowski: Finished 12th in first track start in the fall; Bringing brand-new chassis PRS-729 to 600-mile race.

25. AJ Allmendinger: Best finish of 15th came in fall 2007 race with Red Bull Racing; 27.3 average finish in six starts.

26. Scott Speed: 23.0 average finish in two starts; Finished 18th in track debut in last year's Coca-Cola 600.

27. Brian Vickers: No longer competing in 2010 Cup season; Casey Mears is racing No. 83 this weekend.

28. Marcos Ambrose: 24.0 average finish in two starts; Finished fifth in Sprint Showdown last weekend.

29. Elliott Sadler: Last of three top-10 finishes came in this event in 2008; 25.6 average finish in 23 starts; Bringing chassis No. 280, which finished 19th at Atlanta.

30. Sam Hornish Jr.: 22.8 average finish in four starts; Has finished 13th and 16th in two 600-mile starts.

NASCAR Betting Preview and Picks
By Greg Engle

A week after the sneak peek, better known as the NASCAR All-Star Race, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series will contest their longest event on the schedule Sunday at the same track, with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Favorites

Jimmie Johnson (+300)

Johnson led two of the segments last Saturday night but came up short after a tangle with Denny Hamlin sent him through the grass. Johnson looked nearly unbeatable Saturday night and with an overall record six wins (most among active drivers), nine Top 5s, 13 Top 10s and three poles at Charlotte look for him up front Sunday.

Jeff Burton (+1200)

While Burton didn’t exactly set the world on fire last Saturday night, his record of three wins eight Top 5 and 15 Top 10s can’t and shouldn’t, be ignored. Burton’s specialty is managing his equipment during long runs. And Burton could very well end up with a special night when it’s all over Sunday.

Kurt Busch (+800)

Busch may not have a single points-paying win at Charlotte and only three Top 5 and four Top 10 finishes, but as his performance last Saturday night proved, the Penske Racing team is strong. Remember, Busch smacked the wall with his Dodge not once, but twice, en route to victory last Saturday. It was a show of strength that definitely can’t be ignored.

Others to watch

Denny Hamlin (+800)

Hamlin looked strong last Saturday night but his over-aggressiveness left him out of victory lane. True, it was a short race for no points, but with a record of only three Top 10s at Charlotte Hamlin will need to find a way to temper his aggressiveness until it matters. As he’s shown this year however, he can never be counted out.

Jeff Gordon (+800)

Gordon has five wins here along with 16 Top 5s, 19 Top 10s and seven poles. He struggled last week and has yet to win this year. But it seems the team is very close to finding that one little element they are missing and should they find it this weekend the rest of the field could be left in their dust.

Martin Truex Jr. (+2500)

Sure he may be a long shot. Looking at his overall stats here, he only has two Top 10s and could easily be dismissed. But as he proved last week by winning the All-Star Showdown to earn a berth in the big show, where he finished second, Truex and his Michael Waltrip Racing team have found the speed they need and could be a surprise Sunday.

Head to head

Carl Edwards vs. Matt Kenseth

Edwards has four Top 5s and seven Top 10s. Kenseth has one win, six Top 5 and 10 Top 10s here. Kenseth’s win, however, came all the way back in 2000, while Edwards seems to still slowly be building steam. Edwards will prevail.

Kevin Harvick vs. Clint Bowyer

Harvick heads into Charlotte as the Series points leader with a record of one Top 5 and three Top 10s here. Bowyer meanwhile has one Top 5 and two Top 10s. Harvick will have a bit more motivation to try and keep his points lead and will also have an edge over Bowyer.

Kyle Busch vs. Joey Logano

Busch has one pole, three Top 5s and six Top 10s while Logano has one Top 5 and two Top10s. Busch finished last Saturday night in the garage, Logano was a surprise to many running competitively all night. Look for Logano to be a surprise again and finish ahead of Busch Sunday.

Practice Notes - Charlotte
By Micah Roberts

Top 8 Rated Drivers Following All Practice and Qualifying Sessions

Rating Driver Odds Practice 1 Qualifying Practice 2 Practice 3

1 Kurt Busch 8/1 11th 2nd 2th 17th
Analysis: Using new chassis this week, but winning set-up notes still fresh from last week’s All-Star race.

2 Jimmie Johnson 3/1 3rd 5th 4th 5th
Analysis: Average finish of 8.7 with six wins at Charlotte; debuts new chassis this week. No top-fives since Texas.

3 Martin Truex Jr. 25/1 13th 3rd 6th 1st
Analysis: Very fast practices on long runs; finished runner-up last week. His car owner won this race in 2009.

4 Kasey Kahne 15/1 5th 4th 1st 3rd
Analysis: Top-10 finishes on all three similar sister tracks of Charlotte this year, only one other driver has done so.

5 Denny Hamlin 8/1 8th 7th 14th 2nd
Analysis: Winner at sister track of Texas. Had the best average speeds during happy hour. Looking for first career top-five on track.

6 Jeff Burton 25/1 9th 12th 5th 8th
Analysis: Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner, three Charlotte wins total, the last in fall of 2008. New Chassis this week

7 Kyle Busch 6/1 14th 9th 22nd 20th
Analysis: Nine career NASCAR wins at Charlotte, but none in Sprint Cup Series. Average finish of 5.2 in four COT races.

8 Jeff Gordon 8/1 16th 15th 11th 24th
Analysis: Won first career race in 1994 Coca-Cola 600; has five Charlotte wins total with last coming in fall of 2007.

Note: The high banked 1.5-mile tracks of Las Vegas, Texas, and Atlanta are similar to Charlotte.