CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 29: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Toyota, celebrates with champagne in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Not really. Although Harvick looked like he would be able to make a challenge for the win off a late restart before Truex once more pulled away, he said that the fact that he had been mired in 10th for much of the night made being in position worthwhile. “It’s a big day, got the troops on the cars, special weekend. It just shows you how good that No. 78 (Truex) was”. “But just an unbelievable day, an awesome weekend for all of us and just weekend you dream about”.
With Charlotte being yet another 1.5-mile track, you can expect many the usual suspects to be in the mix for the win this weekend. How drivers and teams navigate between day and night could be the difference in the race. NASCAR’s longest race of the year always has its share of ebbs and flows but this year’s version could be more exciting than previous. He spent 588 of 600 miles at the front of the field, the most ever in a single race in NASCAR history. Bayne won the first segment in the All-star race and also has carried over speed for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600.
The green flag is set to drop around 6:30pm.
Martin Truex Jr (78) and Joey Logano (22) lead the field out of Turn 4 for the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Sunday, May 29, 2016.
“I had confidence. I had faith”, Truex said. They all know the story behind the driver’s on-track heartbreak, which includes the struggle Truex and his long-time girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, went through as she battled breast cancer. “This is just icing on the cake”. Did he feel frustrated chasing Truex late laps in the race? There weren’t many cautions on the day and the race had a clean start. “From that point on, it was a lot better. I would flat-foot [turns] 1 and 2 and have a nose on him and we would drive right back by me into turn 3”. Cars have been so good and we’ve really had a great season. Jimmie Johnson ran third and led the second-most laps – five.
“I kind of felt like he was playing with us”, Johnson said smiling.
“It was very impressive”, Johnson said.
Kevin Harvick was second, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch.
Because of the blazing pace exhibited by Truex, his average speed of 160.644 miles per hour broke the previous track-record for quickest race set by Kasey Kahne (155.687 mph) in the 2012 Coca-Cola 600.
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WHO’S NOT: Kyle Busch has suddenly gone cold with his second straight finish in the 30s after spending much of the season in the top five. Next week: Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400, June 5, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
