Coca Cola 600 Tag

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Harvick has positioned himself to make NASCAR history in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 – a victory in the iconic race would give the 42-year-old former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion his second three-race winning streak of the season. And this weekend will mark only the 13th race of the schedule. That Harvick and his veteran No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team could accomplish such an impressive mark was never a question. And perhaps the motivation was only stoked inRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer CONCORD, N.C. – An extra element of difficulty will face Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. After Joey Logano and other drivers adjusted to the new Monster Energy All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway aero package, they will have to get reacclimated to the package used in all other races at 1.5-mile tracks this year. Logano won the Monster Energy All-Star Race in 2016 but has yet to win one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewels, the Coca-Cola 600. The 27-year-old’s bestRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer After a four-year hiatus behind the wheel, Parker Kligerman will return to the driver’s seat in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Kligerman will strap into the Gaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 Toyota Camry at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. Kligerman last competed in NASCAR’s Premier Series for Swan Racing. In a short 10-race stint, the Westport, CT native earned an impressive 18th-place finish in his debut at Texas Motor Speedway. Since the closure of Swan Racing, Kligerman has become a journeyman driver,Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer When Landon Cassill competes in the Monster Energy All-Star Race weekend and Coca-Cola 600 race weekend, he will have a new sponsor onboard. Dairi-O, a North Carolina restaurant chain, will adorn his StarCom Racing No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. This will be Dairi-O’s first foray into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Cassill has 15 career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with two top-20 finishes. His best Charlotte finish came in 2012 when he finished 18thdriving for BK Racing. Cassill also has seven Monster EnergyRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for the top-30 drivers in the series leading into the 60th running of the Daytona 500. Age: 27 Years in Cup: Four Career Wins: One In 2017, Austin Dillon joined the club of drivers that have won in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with his triumph in the Coca-Cola 600 to claim one of the crown jewels on the schedule. Even though it was due to a fuel mileage gamble,Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CONCORD, N.C. – Armed with a new crew chief and a gas tank that held just enough fuel to get him to the end of 600 miles with less than a second to spare, Austin Dillon won the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series of his career and put the vaunted No. 3 Chevrolet back in Victory Lane for the first time since 2000. Working for the first time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with crew chief Justin Alexander, Dillon was one ofRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor After winning his first Cup race at Charlotte last weekend with a victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race, Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team had high hopes of pulling off the All-Star/Coca-Cola 600 sweep, but would have to settle for a second-place finish on Sunday night instead. Busch started on the outside of the front row alongside Kevin Harvick and was quick to take over the lead at lap two for a 22-lap stint at the front of theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was relatively quiet for the 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contenders in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Of the five ROTY contenders only Gray Gaulding has no previous experience at Charlotte. Erik Jones started a career best fifth in his No. 77 5-Hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota Camry. Jones hit some of the debris that came off Jeffrey Earnhardt’s car, forcing him to pit for repairs on lap 22. Jones finished StageRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – Several weeks ago, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had announced that 2017 would be his final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. With just one top five and Top 10 finish, Earnhardt was looking for some momentum as the series rolled into Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. Off the truck, Earnhardt’s No. 88 Nationwide Patriotic Chevrolet SS team were looking for speed as they were 22nd in the first practice. In qualifying, the Hendrick Motorsports team improved to 19th on the startingRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer CONCORD, N.C. – The third stage of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway seemed like it would be quiet in comparison to the first two stages. Everyone pitted between Stages 2 and 3 with Martin Truex, Jr. holding onto the lead through the pit cycle. Jimmie Johnson had trouble exiting his pit box due to Erik Jones’ No. 77 5-Hour ENERGY Extra Strength Toyota Camry. Johnson spun the tires on the restart, dropping him from second to fifth. TruexRead More