The list of storylines going into this Sunday’s Memorial Day Weekend NASCAR tradition extends almost as long as the race itself. The Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race and a “Crown Jewel,” offers up a number of unique challenges – and the wins list suggests only the best-of-the-best triumph.
A few of the key angles to watch …
Carl Edwards: Edwards, fresh off becoming the eighth different winner in the last eight NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races, also looks to become the eighth different driver to accomplish the All-Star/Coke 600 sweep. The other seven: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991); Dale Earnhardt (1993); Jeff Gordon (1997); Jimmie Johnson (2003); Kasey Kahne (2008); Kurt Busch (2010).
Jimmie Johnson: With six Charlotte victories, Johnson is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Darrell Waltrip for most all-time at the track. He is coming off a rarity: a poor NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Johnson finished 11th, posting his worst all-star event Driver Rating of his career, at 85.2.
Matt Kenseth: With all festivities over the last two weeks, it’s easy to forget that Kenseth won the last points race, at Dover. The victory was Kenseth’s second of the season, the first coming at Texas Motor Speedway.
Joey Logano: Logano is looking for his milestone 25th-career top-10 finish. Statistically, it could come at Charlotte. Logano has three top 10 in four races, and ranks third in the series in Driver Rating at 102.8.
David Reutimann: Just 26th in points, Reutimann needs a win to get back into Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contention. At Charlotte, he nabbed his first career series win, in 2009. He pilots the same car he drove to a third-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
Mark Martin: Coming off a runner-up finish at Dover, Martin sits in 11th place, only four points outside an all-important top 10 spot. He has four wins at Charlotte, most recently in 2002.
Brian Vickers: It’ll be a rather busy week for Vickers. Three days after he runs the Coke 600, on Wednesday, June 1 at 11 a.m., he’ll become the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to skydive into historic Daytona International Speedway.
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