Long Overdue: Johnson Circles 600 As Drought Quencher
Unless Jimmie Johnson breaks a long-standing tie atop the Charlotte wins this Sunday – and nabs the potential Chase for
the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot that goes with it – this first third of Johnson’s season will be a dirty dozen, indeed.
Johnson’s
season-opening stretch of 0-for-11 isn’t unprecedented. But it’s close.
Only once in his prolific career has
Johnson needed 12 races to capture his first victory – way back in
2003, his sophomore season. Otherwise, he wins early – and often.
This
seems like as good a site as any for the breakthrough win. Over the
past 25 years, the Coca-Cola 600 has been a
momentum-starting race. In fact, for 13 of the last 25 Coca-Cola 600
winners, it was their first win of the season. That might be a
comforting stat for Johnson, who shares the all-time wins lead at
Charlotte with NASCAR Hall of Famers Darrell Waltrip and Bobby
Allison.
Johnson,
who will open this week’s NASCAR festivities by voting for the 2015
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday,
has done just about everything BUT win this season. Seventh in points,
Johnson has three top fives and six top 10s and ranks second in laps led
with 527. Only Kevin Harvick has led more laps this season (672).
Long Day: Busch Latest Driver To Attempt Indy-Charlotte Doubleheader
On Sunday, for the ninth time, a driver will attempt to race both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same
day.
Kurt
Busch is the latest to sign up for this most daring of double-duty,
driving at Indy for Andretti Autosport. Green
flag is at noon (ET) for open-wheel’s biggest race. Later Sunday
afternoon he’ll jet down to Charlotte to jump into his No. 41 Haas
Automation Made in America Chevrolet for the 6 p.m. (ET) start of
NASCAR’s longest race.
The
eight previous double-dips have been divided up by only three drivers –
John Andretti (1994), Robby Gordon (1997,
2000, ’02, ’03, ’04) and Tony Stewart (’99 and ’01). Stewart has the
best result – by far – in the books, having finished sixth at Indy and
third at Charlotte in 2001, in the process becoming the only driver to
complete all 1,100 miles between the two races.
Busch qualified 10th for the Indianapolis 500, but crashed in a Monday practice session and will be forced to a back-up
car.
McMurray Gunning For Charlotte Sweep
It’s a short – and stellar – list. And Jamie McMurray, winner of Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, yearns
to join it.
Only
seven drivers have swept Charlotte “Speedweeks,” winning both the
all-star race and the Coca-Cola 600: Darrell Waltrip
(1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon
(1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch
(2010). Five of those drivers have won one or more NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series championships.
McMurray,
a big stage driver, already has won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400.
His first career win came in the October
Charlotte race, in his second career start. His last two points paying
wins came in the Chase race at Talladega Superspeedway and the fall
500-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. McMurray has even won the
Sprint Showdown at CMS. The only Charlotte race
McMurray is missing at this point in his career is the Coca-Cola 600.
McMurray’s best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 came 2010, with a second place finish. He has three top-10 finishes in the
Coca-Cola 600, in 11 starts. McMurray’s average finish in the race is an 18.2.
But
don’t let these somewhat average number’s fool you. McMurray has defied
historical statistics since his first career
win in 2002, as a replacement driver for Sterling Marlin. With momentum
on his side at the track he has won at the most in his NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series career (including special events), look for McMurray to
challenge to become the eighth driver to complete
Charlotte Speedweeks sweep.
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