Mash The Gas: Charlotte Preview

The green flag flies at Charlotte Motor Speedway. [Drew Hallowell/NASCAR via Getty Images]

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series caps off the greatest racing day of the year from the Charlotte Motor Speedway Sunday evening as the Coca-Cola 600 follows F1’s Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the day. The Coca-Cola 600 takes the green flag in the daylight and ends under the lights meaning drivers and crews must keep up with ever changing track conditions. Plus, the 600 has traditionally been known as a tough endurance test on both drivers and equipment as more than a few times, the extra 100 miles has derailed what looked like a promising day. Here are some drivers to watch Sunday evening in the 56th running of the Coca-Cola 600 from the Charlotte Motor Speedway…

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick had been the man to beat on the 1.5 mile tracks this season despite only having a single victory on the “cookie cutters” in 2015. His record in the 600 is pretty stout as well as “The. Closer” has 2 victories to his credit. He’s listed as a heavy 3-1 favorite to win on Sunday and is using the same chassis that won 2 races last season and finished a strong second in Atlanta earlier this year. To win the 600, your probably going to have to go through Kevin Harvick and he should be tough to beat.

Kurt Busch

If things go right for Kurt Busch and he remains calm, the Coca-Cola 600 should produce a good result. However if the crew gets bit by the many curveballs the race throws at them and Busch loses focus, the race could quickly become a nightmare. Busch has shown the speed to run with top dogs Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson this year and he has won the 600 before. The key will be for both driver and crew to stick to the game plan and if they are in contention late, Kurt Busch will go Shen it’s time to charge to the front and he should not be counted out.

Matt Kenseth

In the past, the Coca-Cola 600 has been Matt Kenseth’s favorite race due to the challenges faced with keeping up with the car’s set-up. Kenseth comes into this year’s race without the pressure of needing a win as he’s already punched his Chase ticket in Bristol. The Gibbs cars were strong in the All-Star race and Kenseth is one of the best at providing information to the crew regarding what the race car needs. It’s been 15 years now since he captured his first Cup win in this event and Matt Kenseth could very well add a second 600 trophy to his collection,

Kyle Busch

Sunday begins Kyle Busch’s drive to attempt to make the Chase despite missing the first 11 races. To accomplish the feat Busch needs to be in the top 30 in points (average a 27th place result) and most importantly win a race. The 600 is a tough event to make a comeback from injuries but Busch appears up to the challenge and while somewhat improbable, a win on Sunday night would make for a spectacular story.

Dan Margetta

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