Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • Mark Martin Scores 50th Career Pole With Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

    Mark Martin Scores 50th Career Pole With Coke Zero 400 at Daytona

    At the end of qualifying for the Coke Zero 400, it was 52-year old Mark Martin scoring his 50th career pole as he put the No. 5 on the pole.

    [media-credit id=22 align=”alignright” width=”221″][/media-credit]”Oh, this is awesome. I need to thank Hendrick Motorsports and just everybody. The CARQUEST Auto Parts colors are beautiful and I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow night. We’ve had a good run at Talladega with Jeff (Gordon) and we’re looking forward to tomorrow night.” Martin said.

    Martin qualified with a lap of 182.065mph (49.433 seconds) for Hendrick Motorsports’ third restrictor plate pole in a row. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole for the Daytona 500 while Jeff Gordon won the pole at Talladega.

    “We keep sharing these poles on these speedways for Hendrick Motorsports. So great run for Mark (Martin) and a really good run for us and our PepsiMax Chevrolet.” Gordon said.

    Trevor Bayne, the youngest Daytona 500 winner at the age of 20, qualified second (182.002 mph), followed by Clint Bowyer (181.624), Gordon (181.583mph) and Ragan.

    Earnhardt Jr. qualified sixth, followed by Andy Lally, Jimmie Johnson, A.J. Allmendinger and Paul Menard.

    Points Leader Carl Edwards, meanwhile, qualified 14th.

    The only drivers missing the show were Tony Raines and J.J. Yeley.

    Starting Lineup
    Coke Zero 400, Daytona International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=17
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 182.065 49.433
    2 21 Trevor Bayne Ford 182.002 49.45
    3 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 181.624 49.553
    4 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 181.583 49.564
    5 6 David Ragan Ford 181.32 49.636
    6 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 181.24 49.658
    7 71 Andy Lally* Ford 181.039 49.713
    8 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 180.995 49.725
    9 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 180.948 49.738
    10 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 180.934 49.742
    11 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 180.894 49.753
    12 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 180.781 49.784
    13 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 180.752 49.792
    14 99 Carl Edwards Ford 180.748 49.793
    15 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 180.745 49.794
    16 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 180.661 49.817
    17 16 Greg Biffle Ford 180.581 49.839
    18 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 180.571 49.842
    19 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 180.549 49.848
    20 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 180.469 49.87
    21 51 Landon Cassill Chevrolet 180.343 49.905
    22 97 Kevin Conway Toyota 180.31 49.914
    23 0 David Reutimann Toyota 180.296 49.918
    24 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 180.242 49.933
    25 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 180.173 49.952
    26 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 180.04 49.989
    27 38 Travis Kvapil Ford 179.856 50.04
    28 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 179.852 50.041
    29 60 Mike Skinner Toyota 179.784 50.06
    30 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 179.734 50.074
    31 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 179.652 50.097
    32 13 Casey Mears Toyota 179.616 50.107
    33 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 179.605 50.11
    34 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 179.433 50.158
    35 135 Geoff Bodine Chevrolet 179.261 50.206
    36 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 179.229 50.215
    37 20 Joey Logano Toyota 179.083 50.256
    38 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 178.855 50.32
    39 34 David Gilliland Ford 178.646 50.379
    40 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 178.617 50.387
    41 32 Terry Labonte Ford 178.586 50.396
    42 7 Mike Bliss+ Dodge 177.904 50.589
    43 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 179.087 50.255
  • TNT’s Embarrassment To The Sport Coverage Needs To Go

    TNT’s Embarrassment To The Sport Coverage Needs To Go

    As I sat down ready to watch some of the road course action at Sonoma this past weekend, I was looking forward to a solid race where I could see the action. No doubt the action was heated on track with the feuds, though the coverage took away from that greatly.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]For starters, how much coverage was actually shown? Every seven minutes or so, it looked as though they were going to commercial. The statistics show that that there were 143 minutes of the race shown with 52 minutes of commercial. That works out to 26% of the race being commercials, instead of racing action. For the race at Michigan, it was 22% while Pocono was 27% commercials.

    Of course, if you look back to FOX’s final race at Kansas where there were 52 minutes of commercials equaling 27% of the broadcast, I guess you could say that they’re on par.

    Though even if they’re on par, they’re not doing a good job. FOX was good at showing different angles, keeping fans informed with what’s going on with a bunch of drivers and giving you the full recap of a wreck.

    For the big wreck down in turn 11, TNT showed multiple angles of the wreck to show how Brian Vickers got shoved in there by Tony Stewart. However, the only damage they showed was the damage to Vickers. What about Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick who were in that mess? We heard them say at the end how Harvick came back from the incident to finish well. How much do we know of that comeback when you don’t show each car involved with their damage? Then, when Earnhardt Jr.’s motor blows up later in the race, how are we to know that’s caused by the front end damage when we didn’t see how serious it looked?

    TNT missed opportunities to report nuggets during the race that should’ve been discussed, including issues for points leader Carl Edwards. While watching the race, it was twitter first where I heard of Edwards having a crushed quarter panel and it causing him issues. Meanwhile, TNT was more focused on Kurt Busch and his lead and whether or not he could be caught.

    Speaking of the lead, how many times did they come back just after a pass for the lead had been made? Or how many pit stops did they miss? There’s some key story lines right there as they help in telling the story of how the race is going to play out.

    NASCAR keeps wondering why fans complain about the race coverage on TV and are turning away from watching it. They can’t be losing fans because of the racing action as any fan will tell you that Sunday is exciting. So until either TNT fixes their errors or NASCAR drops them off the wagon, the trend of losing fans is going to keep happening.

    If you want an example of what coverage should look like, watch an IZOD IndyCar race as their coverage was beautifully put together and might I add, I got to see lots of action while knowing all the top story lines.

  • Kurt Busch Leads Opening Sprint Cup Series Practice at Sonoma Raceway

    In opening practice at Sonoma Raceway, one of the most underrated road course racers in the series led the way. Kurt Busch took the top spot in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge with a speed of 93.014mph (77.021 seconds).

    [media-credit id=41 align=”alignright” width=”290″][/media-credit]“We’ve definitely had some chances of winning on the road courses in the Cup cars through the years,” Busch said.  “We started third and had a strong top-five run going at Sonoma (Infineon) last year before the late-race run-in.  We came back and really threatened for the win last August at Watkins Glen.  To race with (Juan Pablo) Montoya and (Marcos) Ambrose like we did there was definitely a confidence-builder.  Those two guys come from a different world when it comes to road course racing.  We got by Ambrose at the end and were closing in on Montoya.

    Once qualifying hits the track later today, Busch will go for his fourth consecutive Coors Light Pole Award at Sonoma, to go along with the four top-five finishes and seven top-10s he has scored on his 20 road course starts to date.

    Denny Hamlin drove his No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota to second on the charts at 92.559mph.

    After Red Bull Racing has been in the media all week, Kasey Kahne drove his No. 4 Red Bull Toyota to the third spot at 92.546mph. Kevin Harvick (92.361mph) and Martin Truex Jr. (92.359mph) rounded out the top five.

    A.J. Allmendinger was sixth, followed by Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, David Gilliland and Marcos Ambrose.

    Points leader Carl Edwards, meanwhile, was 37th, 2.052 seconds off the pace set by Busch.

  • What Went Down In The 5 Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]On a day where one Jacques Debris reigned supreme, Jeff Gordon was able to win the 5 Hour Energy 500 at the Pocono Raceway. It was Gordon’s 84th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, which places him in a tie on the all time wins list with Hall Fame inductee, Bobby Allison, and 2012 class nominee, Darrell Waltrip. It was the second win of the 2011 season for Gordon which just about guarantees him a wild card spot in the chase.

    Denny Hamlin once again looked as though he was going to make the Pocono Raceway his personal playground early on in the race. That all came to an end after the 11 team suffered a flat tire coming off of pit road. Denny was able to nurse the car back to the pits without doing too much damage to his race car. His day was a different story however. Denny was never able to recover from the flat as he then lost his brakes and finished the day in the 19th position. The day wasn’t a total lose though, Denny now moves into the 12th spot in the point standings, which currently qualifies him for the elusive wild card birth.

    For the second straight week, both of the Penske entries were solid. Kurt Busch started on the pole for the second consecutive week and ran strong in his Pennzoil Dodge. Kurt finished in the second position after running up front and leading laps throughout the day. His teammate however, wasn’t as lucky. Brad Keselowski’s day started out well. For a moment, he had his blue deuce just outside of the top ten. The team then had to make an extra pit stop for a vibration thought to be caused by a loose wheel. That was not the case. The problems wound up being much more severe for last weeks winner as he was forced to limp the car around for the remainder of the race and finish in the 23rd position. It may not sound like a good day, but the team is making improvements every week. Look for both Penske machines to be weekly contenders in the coming weeks.

    After how dominant Juan Pablo Montoya has been at Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before he got his arms around the Pocono Raceway. Montoya ran most of the race in the top 5 and at one point had a lead that wasn’t even worth Denny Hamlin chasing down. The Target team made some interesting calls by taking two tires on numerous pit stops which left a lot of people scratching their heads. When the black flag with white squares flew, Montoya was in the seventh position. It’s only a matter of time before Juan picks up a win on an oval.

    Two drivers that you rarely see run well at Pocono did just that on Sunday. Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This is just the run these drivers needed as they further their case as championship contenders. By running good at a “weak track”, they and their team prove that they are “in it to win it”. Look for this to be the case from not only them, but all of our title contenders this season.

    Speaking of Harvick, he and Kyle Busch come of their probation next weekend in Michigan. But in the beginning of the race, they sure didn’t race like it. Harvick was seen running Busch down to the water on the front stretch and beating on his bumper. Harvick said after the race, “He’s got one comin’”. “It says a lot about his character” said Busch when asked about Harvick. I know all you fans, including myself, can not wait to see what transpires between the two in the coming weeks.

    With Pocono now in the books, the eyes of the NASCAR world look towards the Irish Hills of Michigan. Will we see the fuel mileage battle that is so common at MIS and lately in NASCAR? Will the Harvick and Busch fued resume? All these questions and more will be answered next Sunday.

    Next Race- Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400
    Sunday on TNT at 12pm EST. MRN Radio

  • 5-hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway Preview

    5-hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway Preview

    Pocono may just be the most interesting race track that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits. No other track has three different straightaways of different lengths and three completely different corners. This creates a challenge for both driver and crew. The driver must be able to adapt to all the elements that the track presents them while their crew chief must not only keep up with the track, but make the car handle the best it can in all three corners of the track.

    [media-credit name=”PoconoRaceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Many people often ask the question, “What corner is most important at Pocono?’ The most common answer that I have heard is, “The one right before the longest straightaway.” The reason for this is so that the car can carry as much speed as possible down the long straightaway into the next corner. If that is the case, what do you do about the remaining three corners? Most crew chiefs today try to get the car as balanced as possible through all corners of the track, while some make one corner really good and have their driver deal with an ill handling car in the remaining. Both styles of setup have worked before so there really is no one way to go about it.

    Also, for the first time in since NASCAR implemented the gear rule, drivers will be able to shift going down the long straightaways at Pocono. Back in the day, this was common practice and the fast way around the track. A few years back, NASCAR changed the gear that the teams had to run which made shifting the cars a thing of the past. Now that it’s back, it just adds another challenge for these drivers and teams on Sunday. Don’t look for transmission failures like you used to see in the past. These things are bullet proof now and they rarely go out.

    Many fans and drivers alike complain about the races at the Pocono Raceway. Fans think the races are too long, too boring and we should only visit there once a year. Many drivers agree that the races are too long as some drivers have said that 500 miles at Pocono feels longer that 600 miles at Charlotte. It’s not secret that the triangle shaped track doesn’t have a history of exciting racing, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen.

    Remember the 2000 Winston Cup Series season? Go back to the day when Jeremy Mayfield and the Dale Earnhardt duked it out on the 2.5 mile triangle. When Mayfield pulled an Earnhardt on Earnhardt. Go back to just last year. Where Joey Logano gave us one of the great sound bites of recent memory when he questioned Kevin Harvick’s role in his family. The late Tim Richmond also pulled off a stellar win at the tricky triangle after coming back from illness. These moments prove that you can have great events happen at Pocono Raceway.

    Now to get down to business.

    Hot Drivers at Pocono

    Denny Hamlin- What more needs to be said about Denny other than he is simply masterful at Pocono. Ever since he has began racing in the Cup Series, he has pretty much owned this joint. In ten starts, Denny has four wins most recently coming in this race last year. Plus, Denny is on a role as of late. This would be a prime weekend for the 11 team to get to victory lane.

    Jimmie Johnson– Johnson is the only other driver to average a top ten finishing position at Pocono( Hamlin is the other). Jimmie has always been extremely solid here and even swept the races in 2004. Be sure to watch that 48 team this weekend!

    Jeff Gordon- In 36 starts at the triangle, the wonder boy has ripped off 4 wins, 16 top 5’s and 25 top tens. His average finish is 10.5 which puts him in elite class at this track. Gordon has not been up to the Gordon standard as of late, but you really can’t count him out for a good run.
    Solid Pick

    Tony Stewart- Pocono was the track where Stewart-Haas Racing picked up their first points paying Sprint Cup win back in 2009. In his last 11 starts at Pocono, Tony has 10 top 10 finishes. If they team can give Smoke a piece to work with, he can get it done this weekend.

    Brian Vickers- Few people remember how strong Vickers was in 2005 at Pocono. It looked as though Brian was going to pull off his first Cup win that day until a late race pace by Carl Edwards. The Red Bull team has fast cars and Brian is back to the Brian of old so to speak. With an average finish of 14.5, Brian could be in for a nice day Sunday.
    Sleeper Pick

    Juan Pablo Montoya- Montoya has really taken to the big flat tracks. With how dominant he has been at the Brickyard, it was a matter of time before it transfered to the triangle.

    Sam Hornish Jr.- I know this one sounds a little bit crazy, but just think for a second how close Sam was to winning here just two years ago. Sam is filling in for Travis Kvapil this weekend in the #38 Front Row Motorsports entry. If he can stay on the lead lap, and get a late race caution with some strategy, watch out for the former Indy 500 champ.
    Stay Away From…

    Marcos Ambrose- While Marcos has had a great year so far, the Pocono’s are not place for the Aussie to get excited about. Ambrose, who finished sixth in his first attempt here, has never finished better than 30th since. Sunday might be a challenge for the tin topper.

    With all that said, my pick for the race is…..
    Denny Hamlin

  • Fuel Mileage In America’s Heartland, The STP 400 at Kansas

    Fuel Mileage In America’s Heartland, The STP 400 at Kansas

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”248″][/media-credit]For the second straight week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series saw a race come down to fuel mileage once again involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. Like last week, Earnhardt came up short as it was Michigan’s Brad Keselowski taking the blue deuce back to victory lane in the inaugural STP 400 at the Kansas Speedway. Brad was able to stretch his fuel for the final 57 lap run to earn his second career victory. Keselowski said, “I didn’t even realize I was in the lead until two to go when I looked at the pylon.” It was the first victory for Keselowski since Talladega in the spring of 2009, and the first win for both Dodge and Penske for the 2011 season.

    So much for Kurt Busch having “undriveable” cars this season. Kurt took the lead on lap 18 from Juan Pablo Montoya and began to pull away. The elder Busch lead 152 laps. That’s quite a feet considering that prior to Sunday’s race, Kurt had only lead 123 through the first 12 races of this season. It wasn’t until lap 258 when the day went wrong for Kurt when he was forced to pit for fuel. Then, just one lap later, he struggled getting the car going as the fuel was not picking up to the motor. Kurt was still able to salvage a ninth place finish on the day catapulting him to sixth in the point standings

    Tony Stewart was another driver that got a much deserved good day. Kansas has always been a great track for Smoke as he is a two time winner in America’s Heartland( 2006 and 2009 respectively). Stewart ran up towards the front just about all race long and looked like he may challenge for his first win in 2011. That all came to and end when he like most drivers, had to pit for fuel late in the race. It wasn’t all for nothing though, Tony got an eighth place finish and moved up one spot to eighth in the points. Just the day Smoke needed to kick off the summer stretch of the season.

    As always, there were some notable performances from Sunday’s STP 400 that had an overall good day.

    Remember how everyone pretty much wrote off Denny Hamlin about five weeks ago? Well, don’t look now, but Denny is back. Hamlin had a very strong showing on Sunday once again. Hamlin was able to get out front, lead some laps, battle in the top five and ultimately came home in the third spot. Hamlin now sits eleventh in the Sprint Cup points which currently qualifies him for the wild card spot.

    Denny’s arch enemy from last year, Jimmie Johnson, also had a strong showing on Sunday. The five time champ battled his way up from the thirty-first starting position to finish a respectable seventh on the day. This shows that the 48 team does not need a good qualifying run in order to run well and get a good finish. They showed preserverance and determination as they took to the slick Kansas Speedway. Johnson now sits third in the points, 40 markers out of the lead. That’s nearly a whole race out. The 48 team will have to have runs just like this one, and better if they want a shot at Carl Edwards in the chase.

    Sunday also brings the NASCAR on FOX portion of the season to a close. 2011 marks the 11th season of the combination and arguably the best one of the relationship. The entire crew from the booth to the Hollywood Hotel and pit road stepped up to the plate and delivered a terrific presentation to the viewers at home. The coverage now switches to TNT and they kick off their fifth annual “TNT Summer Six Pack” which includes the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona and the inaugural Quaker State 400 at the Kentucky Speedway.

    Sunday’s race provided everything we normally see when we go to a 1.5 mile track. Side by side racing, long green flag runs, pit strategy and the occasional fuel mileage duel. We saw that many races may come down to fuel mileage which will create many tense moments in races to come. I personally can not wait to see whats to come next weekend in the Poconos.

    Next Race- Pocono 500 on TNT

  • Inaugural STP 400 at Kansas Speedway Preview

    Inaugural STP 400 at Kansas Speedway Preview

    For the first time in NASCAR history, the drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take on the slick Kansas Speedway in the heat of June. The STP 400 replaces the fall race at the Auto Club Speedway due to a lack of attendance and the new casino to open near the Kansas Speedway. This is just one of the many changes to the 2011 Sprint Cup schedule. Drivers and teams should expect a hot and slick racetrack, unlike what they undertake when they come to the track in October for chase time.

    [media-credit name=”Kansas Speedway” align=”alignright” width=”163″][/media-credit]One question that is on a lot of race fans mind’s coming into Kansas is, “Will the Fords continue their domination like they did over the past two weeks at Charlotte?” All indications are that they will. The Ford camp, especially Roush-Fenway Racing, have been the cars to beat on the 1.5 mile ovals so far this season. Not only are the cars fast, they also handle extremely well. The combination of the two have become deadly as Ford has won four Sprint Cup races this year. It may sound deceiving, but the Fords have been up front at every track. Although they have not always come away with the win, they have been fast and they have been very competitive.

    This weekend, we will see the return of popular of the popular Canadian driver, Patrick Carpentier as he hops aboard Franky Stoddard’s FAS Lane Racing Ford. This will be Carpentier’s first Cup start since last season and it will mark the first time that he will not have to qualify for the race as the number 32 is already locked into Sunday’s starting field.

    As previously stated, this will be the first time that NASCAR’s premier division makes a stop at Kansas in the month of June. When they have came to Kansas in past events, it was always in the cool fall month of October. This race will present a whole new challenge for the teams as they have never dealt with a hot and slick Kansas Speedway. They will be able to use notes from other 1.5 mile race tracks but remember, not all of them are the same. They all have unique quirks to them that give the drivers a different challenge each time they make a stop at them.

    Hot Drivers at Kansas Speedway

    Tony Stewart- Stewart is a two time winner at the Kansas oval and has always ran strong here. Smoke was strong at Las Vegas which is the track that most resembles Kansas that we have visited so far this season. Look for a strong run for Smoke.

    Carl Edwards- Everyone remembers Carl’s dare devil-esk move on Jimmie Johnson here in 2008. In that race, Carl had the best car at the end of the day. With how strong him and his Roush-Fenway team have been this season, you can never count him out.

    Greg Biffle- The numbers say it all about “The Biff” at Kansas Speedway. In nine starts, Biffle has 2 wins, 6 top 5’s, 6 top 10’s and an average finish of 8.1. Needless to say, Greg is very strong at Kansas

    Jimmie Johnson- As is the case at just about every track we go to, you can never count out Jimmie Johnson. Johnson won here in 2008 and has seven top 10’s in nine starts at Kansas. The numbers don’t lie here. With a driver like Johnson and Knaus on top of the box, don’t count out Mr. Five Time
    Pretty Nifty Pick (Solid Drivers)

    Jeff Gordon- In ten starts at Kansas, Gordon has ten top 10 finishes. Even though Jeff hasn’t had the best season this season, when it comes to a strong track for him, he usually runs where he’s supposed to.

    Mark Martin- Mark may just be in for a break through run this weekend. Martin, has started every race at Kansas Speedway and has an average finish of 12.6. Hendrick Motorsports has always had good success at Kansas so don’t rule out a possible win or top 10 for NASCAR’s favorite brides maid.

    Clint Bowyer- When you come to your home track, you always want to preform at your best. That’s no different for Bowyer. The Kansas native has run well here since his rookie season in the Cup series. With the quality of cars he’s had this year, Sunday could very well be the biggest win for the young driver.

    WARNING: DRIVERS LISTED HERE ARE ONES TO STAY AWAY FROM

    Joey Logano- For some strange reason, the Kansas oval has not been kind to the young lad from Connecticut over the course of his short career. It has been that way since his debut here in 2008. With how much bad luck the Home Depot crew has had this year, don’t bank on Joey turning it around here
    Don’t Sleep On Me!!!

    AJ Allmendinger- AJ is having a banner year so far this season. He has shown speed, consistency and many flashes of brilliance. He just hasn’t been able to close the deal. It’s not will AJ get to victory lane, it’s WHEN will he finally put the whole race together. Sunday could be the day.

    David Ragan- Like Allmendinger, its a matter of when the Georgia native will pull into victory lane. Ragan once again proved he does belong in the Cup series with a second place finish in the 600 this past Sunday. 1.5 mile race tracks are what David Ragan lives for. Look at that UPS Ford to be a contender this weekend.

    My pick for the STP 400- Greg Biffle

  • A Memorial Day To Remember: The 52nd Coca-Cola 600

    A Memorial Day To Remember: The 52nd Coca-Cola 600

    The Coca-Cola 600 is a race where sometimes the strangest things can happen. You could be dominating the race at one point, and then you are fighting with everything you got just to stay on the lead lap. It could be that you’re cutting off the motor, trying desperately to conserve precious fuel, and you run out. That’s what the great races in any series will do to you. And it is no different in NASCAR’s longest race.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photos” align=”alignleft” width=”275″][/media-credit]
    Kevin Harvick passes Dale Earnhardt Jr. coming out of the final turn of the Coca-Cola 600 after Earnhardt ran out of gas.
    Kevin Harvick only led two laps in the 52nd Coca-Cola 600, but that didn’t matter. Harvick was able to get by the fan favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr., after Earnhardt ran out of gas going down the backstretch on the final lap. Harvick, who coming into the race had only one top ten finish at Charlotte, said that this was his worst race track on the Sprint Cup Series schedule.

    David Ragan was able to stay up towards the front of the field all night long and finished a career high second. Many people, including myself, thought this would be a prime opportunity for Ragan to pick up his first Cup win, but it just wasn’t meant to be for the Georgia native.

    Carl Edwards appeared as though he was going to run away with another Charlotte race as he dominated the first one hundred miles of the race; however, when the night time struck the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Scott’s Ford fell through the field and ended the night 16th. When the track turned to dusk and dark, Matt Kenseth looked like the driver that was able to keep his car handling well through the day to night transition. Kenseth was the leader two-thirds through the300 mile race, until a late race “splash and dash” forced Matt to go a lap down. He would later get a lucky dog to return to the lead lap group of cars, but finished a disappointing 14th.

    Jimmie Johnson’s streak of leading at least one lap in eighteen straight races at Charlotte came to an end Sunday night when his Lowe’s Chevrolet blew an engine with just four laps remaining. Johnson joined Jamie McMurray and Michael McDowell as drivers to suffer engine woes in the marathon race. Other notable drivers to be caught up in trouble were Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Burton.

    After all the bad luck in the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day for Roger Penske, Sunday night more than made up for it.

    Brad Keselowski started on the pole and lead early. Brad stayed up near the front of the pack all night long and looked poised for a top five, or even a win. That was until Kasey Kahne ran out of fuel right in front of Keselowski on the final restart of the night.

    Kurt Busch must have ignored what he said earlier in the week about not talking on the radio as his car seemed to get better as the race went on. For the first time in a while, Busch’s car looked like it had speed to it which proved beneficial as he finished fourth.

    You never know what you will get when you get to Coke 600 time. Sometimes you get a wreck fest. Sometimes the race really does feel like you’re watching 600 miles. Sunday we saw a little bit of both. But in the end, we saw a finish for the ages.

    And that folks is why you never leave a NASCAR race until the checkered flag falls.

    Next up: STP 400 at Kansas