Coca-Cola 600
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 400
Race Preview
Memorial Day weekend is always one of the greatest times for racing. NASCAR Sprint Cup's longest night is the traditional cap on a spectacular Sunday of racing, and this week will be no different with the Coca-Cola 600. Rain played havoc with the schedule for last week's Sprint Showdown and All-Star events, and NASCAR's tweaks to the format confused anyone who wasn't already out of sorts due to the rain. When all was said and done, it was Joey Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski who came out on top, which bodes well for Penske Racing's hopes this weekend. Equally as strong were young guns Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney, but Kyle Larson was every bit their match. The speed of the new faces out front in the All-Star race could mean more competition up front for the Joe Gibbs Racing contingent this week. Matt Kenseth finally made his breakthrough to score a 2016 win in Dover, but the rest of the field may be hot on their heels.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Number of previous races: 114
• Winners from pole: 15
• Winners from top-5 starters: 65
• Winners from top-10 starters: 87
• Winners from 21st or lower starters: 9
• Fastest race: 160.316 mph
Last 10 Charlotte Winners
2015 fall - Joey Logano
2015 spring - Carl Edwards
2014 fall - Kevin Harvick
2014 spring - Jimmie Johnson
2013 fall - Brad Keselowski
2013 spring - Kevin Harvick
2012 fall - Clint Bowyer
2012 spring - Kasey Kahne
2011 fall - Matt Kenseth
2011 spring - Kevin Harvick
The Coca-Cola 600 is a monster of a race. The distance alone makes it one of Sprint Cup's hardest races to win, and then add the fact that it takes place on one of the circuit's fastest tracks and you have the right ingredients for a perfect show. The race will start under the setting sun and the track will transition as the moon rises and the temperatures cool. Those cars fastest at the start of the race could completely lose touch with their cars' handling as the track transitions. The sheer length of the race offers more than enough opportunity for teams and drivers to make mistakes, but recovery is also possible. The Charlotte track will demand a car that's difficult to control at the beginning, but becomes more manageable as the track cools and the distance wears on. We saw in the All-Star race that runs off of the high line through turns can make it really difficult to complete passes on the inside. While track position will be important, tire management will be an even greater factor. Get ready for one of the most exciting races on the calendar.
RACE DAY SCORE VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $60K Salary Cap)
Tier 1 Values
Kevin Harvick - $12,200
Kyle Busch - $11,900
JOey Logano - $11,300
Brad Keselowski - $11,300
Tier 2 Values
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - $10,900
Denny Hamlin - $10,800
Matt Kenseth - $10,600
Kasey Kahne - $10,400
Tier 3 Values
Austin Dillon - $10,300
Kyle Larson - $10,100
Ryan Blaney - $10,100
Tony Stewart - $9,500
Long-Shot Values
Greg Biffle - $9,800
Trevor Bayne - $9,100
Casey Mears - $8,900
Regan Smith - $8,600
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Cash Game Lineup ($60K Salary Cap)
Jimmie Johnson - $11,000
Matt Kenseth - $10,600
Kasey Kahne - $10,400
Greg Biffle - $9,800
Tony Stewart - $9,500
Regan Smith - $8,600
Johnson leads the Charlotte driver ratings entering this weekend with a 109 rating and seven wins at the track. He has been in a bit of a slump recently with no top-10s since Richmond. He will be eager to reverse that this week. Kenseth, on the other hand, is fresh off of his first win of the season and past his bad luck stretch. He has two Charlotte wins and started both races from pole here last season. The current season has seen a big improvement from Kahne, and two top-fives in his last four races could give him a boost at this week's track, where he has won four times. Roush Fenway Racing made the most of their appearances in the Sprint Showdown, and Biffle won a segment in each of the past two years to advance to the All-Star race. Last year's segment victory preceded a second-place finish in this race, and there's no reason that couldn't happen again this year. Stewart is racing better now than he did in the past two seasons. Charlotte suits his driving style, which makes this track an ideal one for him to grab another top-10 since returning to action. The final slot in this roster goes to Smith who has an average finish of 19.9 from nine career Charlotte starts compared to an average starting position of 27th.
Higher-Risk Tournament Lineup ($60K Salary Cap)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - $10,900
Chase Elliott - $10,700
Austin Dillon - $10,300
Kyle Larson - $10,100
Trevor Bayne - $9,100
Casey Mears - $8,900
The higher-risk lineup for Charlotte forgoes the heavy favorites to take some risks on newcomers. Earnhardt should be the steadiest choice in this option. He has never won at Charlotte but finished third in this race last year and was second at both Texas and Atlanta earlier this season, which are two very similar tracks to Charlotte. Elliott showed in the Sprint Showdown last week that he could challenge to win given the right conditions, so consider taking him this week. Dillon also led laps in the Showdown and picked up his first Charlotte top-10 in the fall race last season. There's no denying that Larson may have his best shot at winning his first Sprint Cup race this week after the tremendous races he had in last week's exhibitions. This roster is then rounded out by Bayne, who won a Showdown segment last week, and the 2007 Coca-Cola 600 winner Mears.
