Coca-Cola 600 Predictions
CONCORD, NC (The Spread) – The Sprint Cup Series, after an All-Star break, heads to Charlotte, N.C. on Sunday, May 27 at 5pmET for the Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Sprint Cup drivers who vainly tried to keep pace with Jimmie Johnson at Charlotte Motor Speedway did get some good news for the week ahead. Last year, Kevin Harvick wasn’t even in contention to win the 600 until the very end when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran out of gas a half-mile from the checkered flag and for the first time in history this race came down to a Green-White-Checkered finish.
In 125 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing teams have earned six points-paying victories. Four wins were claimed by Dale Earnhardt, while Jeff Burton added to that total with a win in the October 2008 race and, most recently, Harvick took home the trophy.
He ranks 1st in Percentage lf Laps run in the Top 15 (99%), is tied for 1st in Average Running Position (4.7) and is second on Fast Laps Run (80) in 1.5 milers. He has two wins at Charlotte, scoring his first career Cup win in 2000 at this race and then winning the last race held here this past October.
Biffle had great numbers at Kansas, Texas and Las Vegas earlier this year, ranking 2nd in Average Finish (3.0), 3rd in Fast Laps Run (79) and 4th in Laps Led (92). He has been very good on cookie cutters in 2002. He has led 92 laps and owns the second-best Driver Rating of 120.4 over those three races.
Live Longshot
Keselowski has been up-and-down this year. He has a win at Talladega, a 15th at Darlington and second at the Sprint All-Star Race. Keselowski is poised to have a career night at Charlotte on Sunday. His best finish thus far in five career starts has been 12th, and that came while driving for Hendrick Motorsports in 2009. Brad sat on the pole for the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 and was a top 10 car all night before finishing a disappointing 19th. He has just one finish outside of the top 20 here in his career.
2012 Coca Cola 600 Information
Race Date: Sunday, May 27
Location: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte, N.C.
Start Time: 5:30pmET
Green Flag: Approx. 6:19PM ET
TV Coverage: FOX
Radio Coverage: Performanc Racing Network (MRN/Sirius NASCAR Radio)
Track Type: 1.5-mile oval (400 laps, 600 miles)
Last Year’s Race
Top 5
Kevin Harvick
David Regan
Joey Logano
Kurt Busch
A.J. Allmendinger
Recent Winners
2011: Kevin Harvick
2010: Kurt Busch
2009: David Reutimann
2008: Kasey Kahne
2007: Casey Mears
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