Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying Update

Lowe's Motor Speedway Charlotte -- 05/24/2009

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Sunday May 24 2009 2:38am

An important question hanging over Sunday’s big Coca-Cola 600 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is how many rain clouds will be hanging over the track come race time.

Showers interrupted both the Nationwide race and final Cup practice Saturday, and the forecast calls for a 70% chance of more rain in the Charlotte area Sunday.

NASCAR will make every attempt to get the race in on Sunday, but several factors could come into play if it does rain heavily, including the relatively late start time of the race (5:35 PM EST), as well as its length – 600 miles – with at least half needing to be completed before the race could be officially called. If the race does get postponed, more fans than usual would be able to catch the finish on Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday.

Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch will lead the field to green Sunday, followed by Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin in row 2 and Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne in row 3.

Denny Hamlin paced the first practice on Saturday, followed by Greg Biffle, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch, and Brian Vickers.

Saturday’s Happy Hour practice – the one which would have been most similar to actual race time/conditions - was only eight laps in length before rain forced its premature end. In that short period, Jimmie Johnson had the fastest lap, followed by Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Brian Vickers. Kasey Kahne, Michael Waltrip, Tony Raines, and Max Papis did not post times in the final practice session.

There were a few practice incidents involving contact with the wall by Robby Gordon, Jamie McMurray, and Reed Sorenson on Saturday. It is unclear at press time whether any will be forced to a back-up car.

With the Nationwide Race ending early due to rain Saturday, the Coca-Cola 600 will set sail on a relatively green track Sunday. Look for the possibility of a competition caution if NASCAR decides it is the prudent thing to do.

The only drivers to run in the top 10 in both Saturday practice sessions who also qualified in the top 10 on Thursday were Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers, and Mark Martin.

Of the 100 Cup races run at Lowe’s including both spring and fall dates, 58% have been won from a top 5 starting spot and 78% from the top 10. The last time this race was won from the pole was in 2004 by Jimmie Johnson; Kasey Kahne won last year from P2.

“We really have to keep it simple and just race the race track for the first three-quarters of the race,” said Kahne regarding his team’s approach to the Coca-Cola 600. “If you want to win, you have to be there at the end and hope that you’ve kept up with the track as it changes. The last 100 laps are always interesting here. Track position will certainly be a key late in the race. If you can work your way up to the front and have clean pit stops, and not lose too much track position, you’ll give yourself a shot at a win.”

One other thing to keep in mind for Sunday’s race is that rain-shortened events often produce unexpected winners, such as Mike Bliss’s victory in the Nationwide Race Saturday. Whoever happens to be out front when the caution comes out for rain is declared the winner if the race is unable to restart.

Odds-makers' Favorites:

Jimmie Johnson +350
Kyle Busch +450
Jeff Gordon +450

Mid-pack Maybes:

Tony Stewart +800
Mark Martin + 800
Carl Edwards +1200

Long-shots to Watch:

Ryan Newman +2000
Matt Kenseth +2500
Kasey Kahne +5000

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