Click “Read More” to see the article links. Thanks. (more…)
Coca-Cola 600
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Coca Cola 600
Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Race: Coca-Cola 600
Date: May 24, 2020
____________________________________
No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 9th
Stage 1: 15th
Stage 2: 12th
Stage 3: 8th
Finish: 1st
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 405/405
Laps Led: 21
Point Standings (behind first): 5th (-56)
Notes:
- Brad Keselowski held off Jimmie Johnson in a NASCAR overtime finish to win the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski scored his first career victory in NASCAR’s longest race. The win was his first of the 2020 season and the his second in his career at Charlotte. It represented his 31st victory in NASCAR Cup Series competition and his 30th triumph in NASCAR’s premier series for Team Penske. With the win, he jumps up to fifth-place in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings.
- Keselowski qualified ninth for the race but unapproved adjustments to the Miller Lite Ford Mustang forced the former Cup Series champ to start at the rear of the 40-car field. He had moved up to 16th position when rain forced the cars to pit lane on lap 50 for a delay of just over an hour. When the event resumed, Keselowski has his hands full with the handling on the No. 2 Mustang, but he persevered and finished 16th when Stage 1 concluded on lap 100.
- Stage 2 was much of the same for the No. 2 Miller Lite team. Keselowski ran inside the top 15 for most of the segment but worked his way up to 12th position when the stage ended on lap 200. He pitted for four tires during the caution on lap 204, and quick work by the No. 2 Crew moved Keselowski up to 10th position when the race went back to green on lap 208.
- Keselowski ran inside the top-10 for nearly all of Stage 3. He took the lead for the first time during a cycle of green flag stops on lap 256. He held the top spot for seven laps before pitting under green on 263 for four tires and adjustments. Keselowski was 11th when the fifth caution slowed the pace of the field on lap 276 and he was running eighth when the stage ended on lap 300. The Miller Lite Mustang made a four-tire stop during the stage caution and restarted seventh when the final segment began on lap 307.
- Adjustments by crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the No. 2 crew for the changing track conditions paid off in the final segment. Keselowski was up to fourth when the seventh caution flag was displayed on lap 349. Excellent work by the Miller Lite team moved Keselowski up to second place for the race restart on lap 353. He passed Jimmie Johnson for the lead one lap later, holding the top spot until Chase Elliott moved by Keselowski on lap 363.
- Elliott appeared to be in command of the race until the final caution flag flew with two laps to go, setting up a NASCAR overtime finish. Elliott chose to pit on lap 401, while Keselowski stayed on the race track and reclaimed the lead. Keselowski cleared Jimmie Johnson to maintain the lead off Turn 2 moments after the race went green on lap 403 and he never looked back. The Team Penske driver scored his first Coca-Cola 600 victory by .293 seconds ahead of Johnson, who was later penalized after his car failed post-race tech inspection.
Quotes: “I’m so happy for my team. I wish my wife and my daughters were here. It’s the Coke 600 and this leaves only one major left for me, the Daytona 500, so we’re checking them off. I’m really happy for Miller Lite and Ford and everybody who just works their butt off at Team Penske. We might not have been the fastest car today, but, wow, did we grind this one out. The pit crew at the end – during the yellow right before the last one – had a blazing stop to get us up front and put us in position. All these things just came together and I’m tickled to death. It’s a little overwhelming to be honest.”
________________________________________________
No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 26th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 9th
Stage 3: 3rd
Finish: 3rd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 405/405
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (Behind First): 7th (-79)
- Ryan Blaney capped off a strong night with a third-place finish in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang. This was the High Point, NC native’s best finish in eight prior starts at the 1.5-mile oval as well as his first top-10 finish since the Daytona 500 in February.
- Blaney started 26th and within the first 10 laps of the event, he worked his way into the top-20. After being blocked in on his first pit stop on lap 23, Blaney was running 26th before a rain delay halted the event for just over an hour. Once racing resumed the DEX Imaging Ford marched forward scoring a 12th-place finish in Stage 1.
- Blaney began Stage 2 from the 11th position. He eventually worked his way into the top-10 by lap 150. Blaney reported improvements in the car from Stage 1 but he needed a little more front turn. He brought the DEX Imaging Ford Mustang to pit road on lap 154 for routine service and an air pressure adjustment. Blaney maintained the ninth position when the stage came to its conclusion on lap 200.
- After beginning Stage 3 in the eighth position, Blaney pitted for routine service and a wedge adjustment on lap 25. He drove in fifth position for most of the stage before stopping under caution on lap 277 for right-side tires. The move allowed him to bring home a third-place finish in Stage 2 and valuable stage points in the process.
- Following a tough pit stop, Blaney restarted the final stage of NASCAR’s longest race from the 10th position. With the balance on the No. 12 Mustang going to the free side, Blaney raced his way to seventh by lap 360 and sixth by lap 390. A caution on lap 399 saw crew chief Todd Gordon keep Blaney on track for a green/white/checkered flag finish. He restarted fourth and make his way up to third before he was passed by Chase Elliott, racing with fresh tires, on the last lap as Blaney crossed the finish line in fourth place.
- Blaney is now seventh in the NASCAR Cup Series driver standings, 79 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
Quote: “We started towards the back and gained a lot of spots in the beginning, but we got boxed in on the first stop and lost all those spots we gained. I thought we were in a good spot on the restart with 45 or 48 to go and somebody got loose on the bottom into three and we had to go all the way up to the wall to miss him in the middle of three and four. We lost a lot of spots right there and that really hurt us. That lost us all the track position we gained towards the end. We restarted sixth or maybe even eighth on the top and I thought we were going to roll, but that dropped us back to maybe 12th and we had to fight back from there. I thought our DEX Imaging Ford was competitive, probably not the best car out there, but a top-five car all night. It was a good call to stay out there at the end. We restarted fourth and gave us a chance. We would have come home with a decent day, but we passed a lot of cars and definitely had a long night working on it.”
________________________________________________
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 7th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 7th
Stage 3: 1st
Finish: 13th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 400/400
Laps Led: 26
Point Standings (Behind First): 2nd (-23)
Notes:
- Joey Logano started seventh Sunday night, won the third stage and ran inside the top-10 for the majority of the event before a late-race speeding penalty derailed the strong run. The pit-lane speed violation relegated the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang to a 13th-place finish.
- After starting seventh, Logano settled in for the opening 20 laps of the 600-mile race as he reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little tight handling and then went into a four-wheel slide. At the competition of the caution period, the No. 22 team elected to not make any changes to the air pressure and chassis, but they did add tape to the nose as the track was expected to take a swing to the tight side. Rain then brought a halt to the race for an extended period of time at lap 50.
- At the end of the first stage, Logano reported his Ford Mustang was running just a touch free, but he didn’t want the team to make adjustments as he felt the car was really close to being balanced over the run to lap 100. The Shell-Pennzoil Ford remained free for the majority of the second stage, as Logano ultimately finished in the seventh position. Under the stage caution, crew chief Paul Wolfe called for a significant air pressure adjustment, looking to get the No. 22 Mustang ahead of the changing track conditions.
- Midway through the third stage, Logano reported the Shell-Pennzoil Ford was a little free in clean air while being almost neutral in traffic. At lap 257, Wolfe elected to make a slight wedge adjustment to the car to prepare for the final stage. At lap 277, the team decided to remain on the track and cycle to the lead as many of the leaders pitted to take two tires for the 20-lap run to the end of the third stage. The gamble paid off as Logano cruised to the Stage 3 victory.
- After winning the third stage, Logano restarted second as the No. 21 Ford gained position while electing to take two tires on its stop. On the restart, Logano avoided disaster when the Shell-Pennzoil Ford jumped sideways, and he was forced to rally back from the eighth position. Unfortunately, the No. 22 Ford Mustang took a swing to the loose side, with Logano dropping to the 10th position as the car ran as free as it had been all night long by lap 340.
- A pit stop at lap 350 saw the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford penalized for speeding on pit road, which dropped Logano to the tail of the field for the final 48-lap shootout. Logano settled into 17th-place, battling an extremely tight-handling Ford Mustang. A late caution flag set up an overtime finish with the No. 22 Ford team choosing to pit for four tires and a major air pressure adjustment. Logano restarted the race 18th and rallied for a 13th-place finish in the two-lap shootout.
Quote: “The Shell-Pennzoil Ford was as fast as anybody when we had track position tonight. We fought loose at times and then got really tight at the end of the race. We pitted before the overtime finish and we were able to battle forward and finish 13th. We scored a fair amount of stage points and got the playoff point for the Stage 3 win, and those are really important once you get to the playoffs.”
Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Racing: Daniel Suárez Coca-Cola 600 Race Report
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 37th / 29th (Running, completed 399 of 405 laps)
Point Standing: 31st with 63 points, 228 out of first
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Started 37th, finished 29th.
● Suárez had a solid launch when the green flag waved, powering his way up to 27th by lap three, but then settled in at 31st from lap five until the competition caution on lap 20. He reported the Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry (Stars & Stripes Edition) was free in turns one and two, tight in three and four. Crew chief Dave Winston made slight air pressure adjustments in both rear tires on the lap-22 pit stop. Suárez rejoined 29th, but NASCAR ruled a crew member was over the wall too early, forcing him to the rear of the lead-lap cars on the lap-27 restart, where he took the green flag 33rd
● Suárez slid forward two positions shortly after the restart and settled in at 31st until the caution flew for rain on lap 48. The race was red-flagged on lap 50 for 68 minutes.
● When pace laps resumed, Suárez pitted from 31st for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and resumed 28th, from where he restarted on lap 57.
● By lap 60, Suárez had worked his way up to 22nd, but then reported his Toyota was starting to get tight.
● On lap 69, still running 22nd, Suárez reported the car began slipping out of gear. He dropped back to 30th while dealing with the issue.
● The caution flag flew for a single-car accident on lap 97, three laps before the scheduled stage break. Suárez was running 30th at the time, just having become the first car running one lap down, but he was the beneficiary of the free pass back onto the lead lap.
● Suárez pitted on lap 103 during the stage break caution for four tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment and rejoined 28th.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):
● Started 28th, finished 29th.
● The segment restarted on lap 106 and Suárez held his relative position, reporting he was losing more and more grip in turns three and four.
● Suárez made his fuel last until lap 169, when he was one of the last cars to pit, having moved into the top-10 under the green-flag sequence of stops. A lug nut issue cost valuable time in the pits and Suárez rejoined in 29th, two laps down. He dropped another lap by the end of the stage, which he finished 29th.
● The stage break pit stop came on lap 204, and the Toyota. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry took four tires, fuel, air pressure and track bar adjustments.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):
● Started 29th, finished 29th.
● Like Stage 2, this one remained caution-free and Suárez made his fuel last until lap 267, when he pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments. He then was penalized for speeding in the first segment of pit lane and had to serve a drive-through penalty on the ensuing lap.
● A single-car accident on lap 276 brought out the caution flag for something other than a segment break since the closing laps of Stage 1. Suárez stayed on track in 29th and took the wave-around to put him at five laps down.
● The team elected to stay out on track during the stage break to take the wave-around and move up to four laps down.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):
● Started 29th, finished 29th.
● Suárez brought his Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry down pit road on lap 339 for a final scheduled stop – fuel, tires and a wedge adjustment. He resumed in 29th, six laps down.
● A lap-347 caution for a single-car incident allowed Suárez to stay on track and take the wave-around to move from six to five laps down in 29th place.
● Another single-car incident two laps from the scheduled finish brought out the caution flag and set up a green-white-checkered finish with Suárez in 29th, six laps down.
● Suárez held his ground in overtime and crossed the finish line 29th.
Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 96 Today. Tomorrow. Toyota Camry for Gaunt Brothers Racing:
“I think this Today. Tomorrow. Toyota has much more potential. We all just have to get better – everybody. In general, it was rough. In qualifying, we had big issues with the splitter – we barely made a lap. The splitter was hitting the ground so hard. We made adjustments going into the race and the car was much better, but it was extremely rough through the bumps in corners three and four. It was a long day. We made it better. I felt like the car had potential to be strong, but we struggled. I felt like we did a very good job on restarts. I felt like we could get to the top-20 and stay there, but we had some big issues on pit road. We had one stop that was extremely long and it was under the green flag. Anyway, we have to keep working. We’ll come back on Wednesday.”
Race Notes:
● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
● Kevin Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
Next Up:
The next NASCAR Cup Series event for Suárez and the Gaunt Brothers Racing team is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
RCR Post Race Report – Coca-Cola 600
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Charlotte I Race Report
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 40th/16th (
Point Standing: 11th (207 points, 82 out of first)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Aric Almirola started 40th and finished 20th.
● Before the green flag waved, the No. 11 car dropped debris on the track, which made contact with Almirola’s splitter causing damage.
● Almirola advanced the No. 10 Smithfield Ford to 27th before the lap-20 competition caution.
● Inclement weather delayed the race for 68 minutes on lap 49. When racing resumed, the No. 10 team pitted for four tires, fuel, air pressure and chassis adjustments, and repaired splitter damage.
● Almirola advanced to 20th by lap 89 and continued to note loose-handling conditions.
● He pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and adjustments.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):
● Almirola started 17th and finished 16th.
● The No. 10 Ford driver pitted on lap 153 for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct loose-handling conditions.
● Almirola was 16th when green-flag pit stops cycled through.
● He successfully raced to stay on the lead lap for the remainder of the stage.
● Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits at the conclusion of Stage 2 for four fresh tires, fuel, and air pressure and chassis adjustments.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):
● Almirola started 13th and finished 13th.
● The No. 10 team advanced to its highest position of 11th on lap 212.
● Almirola pitted under green on lap 255 for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments. He was scored 15th after green-flag pit stops cycled through.
● He pitted again under caution on lap 272 for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The team found a puncture in the right-rear tire.
● Almirola raced in and around the top-15 before the end of the stage. He pitted for four tires, fuel and adjustments following Stage 3.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):
● Almirola started 15th and finished 16th.
● Almirola said the No. 10 car was extremely tight after the recent adjustments and needed better turn in the corners to make passes.
● The Smithfield Ford driver passed teammate Kevin Harvick for 13th on lap 347.
● Almirola pitted during the seventh caution of the race with 50 laps to go for four tires, fuel and adjustments to correct tight-handling conditions.
● He restarted 13th with 48 laps to go and raced to 11th before the caution on lap 398.
● Almirola brought the Smithfield Ford to the pits for two fresh tires and lined up 10th for the restart.
● On the final restart, Almirola was shuffled to the middle lane and lost positions before crossing the finish line in overtime.
Notes:
● This was Almirola’s third straight top-16 finish at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 11th in last year’s Coca-Cola 600.
● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.
● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.
● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“From the start of the day to the end of the day it was just a tough day. I was loose on the qualifying lap and spun, but was able to keep car from having much damage. We started in the rear and, on the pace laps, debris came out of the No. 11 car and damaged some of the splitter, so we had to make some repairs there later on. We battled both ends of the balance with the car all four stages and started to ease our way to the top-10 at the end before that final caution came out – then the restart didn’t go my way. The Coke 600 is such a long race and so much can happen. I’m proud we battled back up there, but didn’t get the finish we wanted. Luckily, we’ll be back here in a few days and see if we can get the Smithfield Ford Mustang up front the second time around like we did in Darlington.”
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Coca-Cola 600 Race Report
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 28th/13th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)
Point Standing: 22nd with 118 points, 171 out of first
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Cole Custer started 28th and finished 23rd.
● Custer pitted from 24th during the competition caution for adjustments to help his tight HaasTooling.com Mustang.
● At lap 50 the race was red-flagged for precipitation. When the event resumed, Custer pitted from 30th for more adjustments and restarted 24th on lap 57.
● As the laps clicked off, Custer reported his Mustang went from loose to tight, and lost all grip in the final 10 laps of the stage.
● During the Stage 1 break the 22-year-old pitted from 23rd for a bevy of adjustments, four tires and fuel.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):
● Custer started 19th and finished 21st.
● On lap 116 the California native reported his Mustang fired off a tick loose, but had tightened up.
● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop from 24th on lap 156 for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
● The rookie driver went one lap down on lap 168 while in the 22nd spot.
● Custer pitted from 21st during the Stage 2 break for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his tight-handling Mustang.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):
● Custer started 18th and finished 20th.
● Custer made a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 242 from 19th for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
● With the caution out on lap 275 he pitted from 20th for four tires, fuel and adjustments to help with his tight condition.
● During the Stage 3 break Custer reported his No. 41 Mustang remained tight. He was the beneficiary of the free pass from 20th.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):
● Custer started 20th and finished 13th.
● The Ford driver worked his way up to 18th with a tight car. He made a pit stop under caution on lap 350.
● After the pit stop, Custer served an uncontrolled tire penalty and was forced to start at the rear of the field in 20th.
● A green-flag run ensued until the caution was displayed with one lap to go. Custer pitted for fuel and four tires after reporting his Mustang was pretty solid during the run.
● The SHR driver restarted 19th for overtime and was able to maneuver his way to a 13th-place finish.
Notes:
● Custer made his 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start and his first on the oval at Charlotte.
● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.
● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.
● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“Man, definitely a persevering night for the HaasTooling.com Mustang. I could’ve done better at the start of the race. We definitely got the car better throughout the race. We fought hard all night. We fought hard to stay on the lead lap and got our lap back that one time. To finish 13th in my first 600 that I’ve run was definitely pretty cool. I got a good restart at the end. We have some things we know we can do better when we come back Wednesday. I can do some things better. I’m looking forward to it. We’re moving in the right direction with this package. We just have to keep grinding through it.”
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Racing: Clint Bowyer Charlotte 600 Race Report
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to an overtime finish.
Start/Finish: 20th/40th (Running, completed 96 of 405 laps)
Point Standing: 15th with 171 points, 118 out of first
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Clint Bowyer started 20th and finished 40th.
● The No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang reported a lack of rear grip to begin the race.
● Bowyer restarted the race in 14th after the competition caution at lap 25.
● Bowyer moved to 11th by lap 50 when rain stopped the race for a little more than an hour.
● The Ford driver restarted the race in 12th on lap 57.
● Bowyer’s race came to an end on lap 97 when a mechanical issue at the front of the car sent him hard into the turn one wall while racing in 11th.
● Bowyer gingerly climbed from the car before visiting the care center where he was evaluated and released.
● The No. 14 suffered too much damage to continue racing.
Notes:
● Sunday marked Bowyer’s first DNF (Did Not Finish) this season and only his second in 27 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on Charlotte’s oval
● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.
● This was Ford’s 690th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory.
● This was Ford’s 31st NASCAR Cup Series victory at Charlotte’s oval, the most among all manufacturers. The last Ford driver to win the Coca-Cola 600 was Mark Martin in 2002. Ford’s first Coca-Cola 600 victory came in 1962 via Nelson Stacy.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joe Logano.
Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“It knocked the wind out of me there. I mean, we’re 100 laps into a 400-lap race and to be out already, you talk about a helpless feeling. The guys worked really hard on the Rush Truck Centers/Mobil Delvac 1 Ford, but it just wasn’t meant to be. We’ll get ready for next Wednesday and we’ll be back at it. I’m going to go somewhere and take this thing (mask) off and find somewhere where I can find a cold beer. I’m out of here.”
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Kevin Harvick Coca-Cola 600 Race Report from Charlotte
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 22nd/6th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)
Point Standing: (1st with 289 points, 22 points ahead of Joey Logano)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Kevin Harvick started 22nd and finished 14th.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang was lacking rear grip early in the race while in 22nd-place.
● On lap 24, Harvick brought his car to pit road for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Came out in 19th place.
● After a rain-delay of more than an hour, Harvick pitted on lap 54 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He was 16th.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):
● Harvick started 18th and finished 11th.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 102 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment. Crew is taking a big swing at it.
● On lap 153, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Was in 13th place.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):
● Harvick started ninth and finished 19th.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang came to pit road on lap 205 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Car is still lacking rear grip.
● On lap 256, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.
● He did not pit and restarted second late in the stage. However, he fell to 19th.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-400):
● Harvick started 17th and finished sixth.
● The No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang pitted on lap 303 for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure and chassis adjustment.
● On lap 350, Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment. Will restart 12th.
● Harvick pitted on lap 400 for four tires as the race went into overtime.
● On the overtime restart, Harvick moved from 13th to sixth-place, which was the highest he’d been all day.
Notes:
● Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his 31st career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his second on the oval at Charlotte. His margin of victory over second-place Jimmie Johnson was .293 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 20 of the 40 drivers in the Coca-Cola 600 finished on the lead lap.
● Harvick remains the championship leader after the Coca-Cola 600 with a 22-point advantage over second-place Joey Logano.
● Harvick earned his seventh top-10 of the season and his 18th top-10 in 37 career NASCAR Cup Series starts on the oval at Charlotte.
● Harvick is the only NASCAR Cup Series driver to have finished in the top-10 in every race this season.
● This was Harvick’s second straight top-10 at Charlotte’s oval. He finished 10th in the last year’s Coca-Cola 600.
● Harvick has finished outside the top-10 at Charlotte’s oval just twice since joining SHR in 2014.
Next Up:
The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap for the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte
Date: May 24, 2020
Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 7 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 400 laps, broken into four stages (100 laps/100 laps/100 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 11th/5th (Running, completed 405 of 405 laps)
Point Standing: 9th (207 points, 82 behind leader)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 400-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Brad Keselowski of Team Penske (Ford) in overtime
Stage 1 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 3 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-100):
● Kyle Busch started 11th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.
● The M&M’S Red, White and Blue driver qualified in 11th, but soon after the green flag flew, found he had a very loose racecar.
● Good news for Busch was a competition yellow on lap 20, as he came to pit road for tires and adjustments on lap 22. The M&M’S over-the-wall team did quick work, moving Busch up from 12th to 10th on the ensuing restart.
● Busch held his 10th position when green flag racing resumed, but on lap 48, rain made it to the track and the race was red flagged for over an hour while the track was dried.
● When the race restarted, crew chief Adam Stevens called Busch to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustment as a strong stop by the M&M’S team vaulted him up to seventh exiting pit road.
● The race restarted on lap 57, and Busch moved up to sixth by lap 79. Busch radioed to Stevens that his M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry was a little free on entry and tight off the corner. Busch held the sixth spot and finished stage one in that spot.
Stage 2 Recap (Laps 101-200):
● Busch started second and finished third, earning eight bonus points.
● Following the end of the stage, Busch came to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Yet again, the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue pit crew had a phenomenal pit stops, gaining four spots on pit road to restart stage 2 in the runner-up spot.
● The Las Vegas native settled into third-place and hung there for most of stage 2, as Busch radioed to Stevens that his car starts the run a little bit free but trends to the tighter side as the run goes on.
● Busch came to pit road to take on four tires, fuel, and adjustments on lap 157.
● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver cycled out in third and ended the stage in that same spot.
Stage 3 Recap (Laps 201-300):
● Busch started 19th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.
● Busch came to pit road following the end of the stage, taking on four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, gaining one spot on pit road to second. However, Busch was penalized exiting pit road for speeding, sending him to the back of the lead lap in 19th on the lap 208 restart.
● The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion moved up to 15th by lap 275, as he came down pit road on lap 277 for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to loosen up the M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and restarted 13th on lap 282.
● Busch moved up quickly following the restart, as he made it into the top-10 by lap 285 and all the way up to sixth at the end of the stage.
Final Stage Recap (Laps 301-405):
● Busch started fifth and finished fifth.
● Busch came to pit road on lap 303, taking on four tires and fuel, as he gained one spot to restart in the top-five for the restart of the fourth and final stage.
● The M&M’S Red, White, and Blue driver dropped after the restart, as Busch reported that he couldn’t get back to the gas, but he couldn’t quote figure out what happened to the handling of his car, as he dropped to 11th by lap 337.
● When the caution waved on lap 348, Busch came to pit road on lap 350 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment back out from the previous stop. The M&M’S over-the-wall crew is one of the best on pit road, and they showed it yet again, gaining an incredible five spots on pit road to restart sixth on lap 353.
● On the next restart, Busch continued to struggle with the handling of his M&M’S Toyota, falling to eighth by lap 364 as it appeared he was going to end up in eighth as the laps wound down.
● However, a caution waved with two laps to go for a spin by William Byron. Stevens decided to bring Busch to pit road for two tires.
● Busch restarted in ninth, and over the course of the final two laps, gained four spots to secure what looked like an unlikely top-five finish.
Notes:
● Busch’s fifth-place finish was his fourth top-five finish of the season in seven starts.
● The top-five finish was Busch’s 14th top-five at Charlotte in 31 career starts at the 1.5-mile oval.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Red, White and Blue Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:
“During the middle stages of the race, I thought we were really fast. I feel like we had a great M&M’S Red, White, and Blue Camry and ran up front and got back up front from having to go to the back. But we put tires on it and it was never the same after that from about lap 280 or 290 when we put tires on it and it wasn’t the same as it was before that. We were lucky to steal a fifth-place finish out of it today and we’ll have to go back to work and figure out some things to make our stuff better for when we come back on Wednesday and get back after it. I certainly want to give a huge shout out and a huge thanks to all the men and women who have served for our country her on Memorial Day weekend, we appreciate you. Everyone be safe tomorrow and have fun.”
Next Up: The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Alsco Uniforms 500k on Wednesday, May 27 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Mechanical Issue Spoils Coke 600 for Newman, No. 6 Roman Team
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (May 24, 2020) – Ryan Newman appeared poised for a strong run in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, having powered his No. 6 Roman Ford inside the top 10 before a faulty battery dropped the team off the pace just over halfway through the race. With only four cautions over the final 150 laps, Newman and the team continued to battle, but were unable to gain back the valuable positions lost — settling for a 28th-place finish in the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
For NASCAR’s longest race of the season, Newman qualified 18th in an afternoon time-trial session, just a spot ahead of teammate Chris Buescher. With a competition caution set for lap 20, teams were able to complete early service, before rain set in by lap 50, forcing a red flag that would last just over an hour.
With a quick dry of the 1.5-mile track surface, Newman rolled off 14th for the green again at lap 51, and fought his way to 11th when the caution flew at lap 96 ending the stage. After pitting for service on his No. 6 machine, the Indiana native restarted 10th.
He worked his way to eighth just a few laps into stage two and pitted from the 10th spot when green flag stops cycled at lap 156. He would end the stage in 15th, reporting his balance was neutral aboard the Roman Ford.
Newman fired off 14th at lap 208, before a few laps later reporting a battery issue at lap 230. He went on to pit at lap 236 to replace the battery, putting his machine three laps down after stops cycled through. The yellow would wave again at lap 275, when Newman waved around to get back to two laps down in 25th.
He would maintain that spot through the remainder of the stage, ending it in 25th, but hitting pit road for fresh tires. With three additional cars on his lap, Newman worked his way to the front of his group by lap 348 in the 22nd spot. When the ensuing caution came out, he took the wave again to get back to one lap down.
Newman was eventually forced to pit road for fuel at lap 374 due to being off pit cycle, before battery issues again arose with just 10 laps remaining, again sending him down pit road for repairs. The caution flew one final time with two laps to go shaking up the lead pack as Newman crossed the line 28th.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday for a 310-mile (205-lap) event, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90).