NASCAR 2015 Sprint Cup Futures
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series continues its extended stay at the Charlotte Motor Speedway after last weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race with the running of the Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day Weekend.
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series continues its extended stay at the Charlotte Motor Speedway after last weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race with the running of the Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day Weekend.
It is that time of year when NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series pays an extended visit the Charlotte Motor Speedway in advance of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend. This Saturday kicks-off the two week festivities with the running of this season’s Sprint All-Star Race.
It is crunch time in this season’s Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup title as a few of the biggest names in this sport need a great run this week in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to keep their fading title hopes alive.
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series remains at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the second-straight weekend for the running of this year’s Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night as part of the Memorial Day Weekend festivities.
NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series will take a break from its point race schedule for the running of this year’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Saturday night.
This week the Sprint Cup series will remain at Charlotte Motor Speedway after last Saturday night’s All-Star Race for the running of the traditional Memorial Day Weekend Coca Cola 600. Sunday night’s race is set to get underway at 6 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the next two weeks in preparation for the running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend, but this Saturday night it will stage its annual All-Star Race.
This week, the Sprint Cup series hits the midway point of this year’s Chase to the title with the running of the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series spends its second-straight week in Concord, North Carolina for the running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series takes a break this weekend from its point race schedule for the running of the 28th annual All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
Preview: The Coca-Cola 600 is considered by many to be one of NASCAR’s iconic races, along the lines of the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. But, at a length of 600 miles – 400 laps on the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval – this is the longest and most grueling race of the NASCAR season.
Race: Coca-Cola 600 – Charlotte Motor Speedway
Date: Sunday, May 29, 2011
Time: 6:15 PM EST (scheduled green flag)
TV: 6:00 PM EST on FOX
Starting in the daylight and ending under the lights, the race challenges the adaptability and endurance of both man and machine. The last four Coca-Cola 600 races have had some surprising results, including winners Casey Mears in 2007 and David Reutimann in 2009. Just as surprising is Sunday’s starting front row, consisting of Brad Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger. Kurt Busch won this race last year.
• Safe Bet: (odds of 10/1 or less)
Carl Edwards (5/2): Coming off his win in the All-Star Race and sitting atop the Sprint Cup point standings, Edwards has everyone’s attention heading into Sunday’s race. His momentum really goes back to the end of the 2010 season, when he won the final two races of the year at Phoenix and Homestead. Many insiders are crediting the new Ford engine with finally coming into its own and giving the Ford drivers success on tracks like Charlotte, traditionally thought of as a GM stalwart. Edwards rolls off 3rd Sunday.
• Mid Range: (odds between 10/1 – 20/1)
Denny Hamlin (14/1): Hamlin qualified 4th and was 6th-fastest in Happy Hour, but what caught my attention was the glint in his eye Friday when he talked about how fast his car is. The question will be whether that car can make it 600 miles and whether it is as good on long runs as short ones. Currently 13th in points, Hamlin will need to pick up a few wins soon if he hopes to make the Chase.
• Long Shot: (odds of 20/1 or greater)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (25/1): Although he qualified 25th, Dale Jr. had the second-best 10 consecutive lap average in Happy Hour on Friday, right behind Kyle Busch. Currently 4th in the standings, a win for Junior on Memorial Day weekend would be a huge shot in the arm for this race team and for his confidence level.
Summary: Don’t be surprised if this race produces another surprise winner Sunday. After rain at the track earlier in the weekend, weather is not expected to be an issue Sunday, except in terms of high temperatures that will produce a super-slick racing surface.
As the track cools after sunset, the successful teams will be the ones that adjust best to the changes.
NASCAR – Coca-Cola 600 – Odds To Win
Edwards, Carl 3-1
Busch, Kyle 6-1
Johnson, Jimmie 6-1
Hamlin, Denny 8-1
Biffle, Greg 15-1
Gordon, Jeff 15-1
Harvick, Kevin 15-1
Kenseth, Matt 15-1
Stewart, Tony 15-1
Bowyer, Clint 20-1
Burton, Jeff 25-1
Earnhardt Jr., Dale 25-1
Reutimann, David 25-1
Allmendinger, A.J. 25-1
Busch, Kurt 25-1
Lagano, Joey 30-1
Keselowski, Brad 30-1
Kahne, Kasey 30-1
Ragan, David 40-1
Martin, Mark 40-1
Newman, Ryan 50-1
McMurray, Jamie 60-1
Menard, Paul 60-1
Montoya, Juan 60-1
Ambrose, Marcos 60-1
Vickers, Brian 60-1
Smith, Regan 150-1
Labonte, Bobby 500-1
Against the Field (any other driver) 150-1
Becca Gladden is a freelance writer and race handicapper specializing in NASCAR.
Preview: It’s All-Star weekend, bringing NASCAR fans plenty of no-holds-barred racing action from Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The race features some of the best stock car racers in the business, but not everyone’s favorite driver will be on the track.
Preview: Thursday was a tale of two track sessions – practice and qualifying. Several teams that struggled in practice ran surprisingly well in qualifying and vice versa. Jeff Gordon, for example, was only 33rd on the speed chart in practice, but went out and captured the pole a few hours later.
Tony Stewart, on the other hand, was sixth quickest in practice, but qualified 29th.
Preview: The number ‘600’ in the Coca-Cola 600 represents 600 miles – 400 laps on this 1.5-mile quad oval track – which is a very long race, even in NASCAR terms. And the race won’t get under way until after 6 PM ET so that motorsports fans can catch the Indy 500 earlier in the day. NASCAR has been racing at this track since 1960 with a total of 102 Cup races in the books.
Preview: Before planning any wagers for the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Challenge, you’d better check and see if your favorite driver is in the field. And that can be complicated, because three of the race’s entrants – the 1st- and 2nd-place finishers in the preliminary Showdown Race, and the winner of the fan vote – won’t be known until moments before the green flag.