The Sprint Cup teams are preparing for the NASCAR Memorial Day Weekend tradition of the longest race of the year in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Twenty of the teams got some early practice in the Sprint All-Star Race last weekend which was won by Joey Logano. However, this weekend’s race will be different in two major ways (other than the massive difference in length) … it IS for points and there won’t be any confusion on pitting, lap down cars, wave around cars and the like.
The drivers will need to be ready to spend 400 laps (600 miles) behind the wheel as they racket around the 1.5-mile track at average speeds of around 150 mph and top speeds around the 200 mph mark. They will have to be ready to race two and three wide and make sure they don’t cross that fine line that could send them sliding across the track.
The crew chiefs will need to get the car dialed in for the perfect balance between speed and handling for their drivers. The teams will need to be mistake free during pit stops to possibly gain the driver time on the track and at the very least not lose them any spots on the track.
The length of the race will not only demand physical and mental endurance from the teams and drivers, but it will also require the machine to have the endurance to run at peak performance without failing for a very long time.
Which active Sprint Cup drivers have the best record of performance at the track? Let’s take a look.
Top 10 Driver Rating at Charlotte
Jimmie Johnson – 109.0
Kyle Busch – 106.1
Kasey Kahne – 97.4
Matt Kenseth – 95.5
Denny Hamlin – 94.9
Joey Logano – 93.6
Carl Edwards – 90.8
Greg Biffle – 88.0
Brad Keselowski – 87.8
Kevin Harvick – 87.7
(Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2015 races {21 total} among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.)
Not only does Jimmie Johnson have the highest driver rating among active drivers, he also has the most wins among active drivers and all drivers in NASCAR history at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jimmie has won seven Sprint Cup races at the track including four in the 600 mile race.
Jimmie’s Hendrick teammate is next on the list among active drivers with four wins at Charlotte. Kevin Harvick has a total of three career wins at the track.
Four active sprint Cup drivers have a pair of trophies from Charlotte in their cases; Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton and Jamie McMurray.
Tony Stewart, Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano (2015 fall race) and the winner of last year’s 600 Carl Edwards all have a single win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on their Sprint Cup resume.
With the high speeds and the side-by-side racing, the drivers will have to be on their game in every way if they want to be there at the end of the long race with a chance to add to their win total at the track or perhaps get that first win there.
One thing is sure, NASCAR fans everywhere have scheduled watching the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday, May 29th at 5 PM central time (6 pm eastern time) as part of their own Memorial Day Weekend traditional activities.
By: Buck Stevens
