2021 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Coca-Cola 600

That was something last week with the rain and many teams not having the right tires on when the race started and having to pit early and then all of the drivers who kept spinning out. Another fiasco in my opinion. Hard to tell who was where with so many drivers pitting on a different sequence, but at least they got the race in albeit a bit shortened.

COCA-COLA 600

This week the series heads home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway and the running of the Coca-Cola 600. This is the longest race of the season and can play havoc on engines, but things have been pretty good over the past few seasons in that respect. Toughest thing here is starting with sun on the track and finishing under the lights. This track goes through a lot of changes and those who are good at the beginning might not be so good at the end. It’s all about having enough room to make all of the adjustments you need through the whole race.

Martin Truex Jr.: I have to go back to the hot hand on the mile and a half tracks and pick Martin to win again. He has finished in the top five in seven of his last ten starts at Charlotte including three wins with two of those being in this long race. No reason to believe he isn’t going to be good all day and into the night again in this race.

Chase Elliott: Now looking for his second win of the year, Chase has run very well here over the past couple of years. He won the second race here last season and has finished in the top five in four of his last five starts. Besides the win in the second race last season he finished second in the first race. Of those four top five finishes he has the one win and was runner-up twice. This could be the week he gets the monkey off his back.

Kyle Busch: Kyle and his team have been improving every week and he has been running well at all types of tracks. This is one of those tracks where he has run well even when the team was in a bit of a slump. He has finished in the top five in four of his last six starts here including a win in dominating fashion in this race in the 2018 season. He might be worth taking a chance on this week.

Brad Keselowski: Brad won the first race here last year and won the both stages in this race two years ago. I’m not sure what to think about the rumors that he might move to Roush next season and become a part owner. I don’t know what Roger Penske thinks about that either. I’m guessing Roger is going to wish him luck and they will part on good terms and that it won’t affect them at all the rest of this season.

Joey Logano: Joey has won a fall race here and came in second in this race two years ago. This team is hard to figure out. Some weeks you think they should run well and they disappoint and the next week they’ll run really well again. This is a long race with a lot of adjustments being made. I’m not sure if this team can keep up for the whole six-hundred miles.

Denny Hamlin: Denny is looking for his first ever win at this track. He came close in the second race last season finishing runner-up. He’s still been very good here with six top five finishes in his last nine starts. If Denny can be patient early and keep from making mistakes in the last third of the race on pit road he should be in contention once again to pick up that elusive win at this track.

Ryan Blaney: Ryan finished third in both races here last year and always seems to have a fast car. Once again, it comes down to keeping up with the changing track conditions as the race progresses and being patient early, especially if things aren’t handling the way you would hope. Remember, those who aren’t the best early on can be the fastest at the end of the race when the track changes and adjustments are made.

Kevin Harvick: Kevin is a driver who hasn’t had the best of luck so far this season and they don’t seem to be at the top of their game yet. I think that will change as the season wears on. Kevin has finished in the top ten in twelve of his last fourteen starts at Charlotte and has won this race twice and a fall race here during his career. One of these weeks they are going to break out and they really seem to have good communication on what adjustments they need to make and that is huge in this race.

Alex Bowman: This is Alex’s type of track. Last year he won three of the four stages run, but didn’t come away with the finishes he wanted finishing the race outside the top fifteen both times. Still, if he was fast early on he can be fast at the end. With two wins already this season this team is relaxed right now and only looking to add momentum to their season and maybe pick up a couple of more wins before the playoffs start.

DRIVER GROUP GAME FANTASY NASCAR PICKS FOR CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Driver Group Game Group A

• Martin Truex Jr.
• Chase Elliott

Driver Group Game Group B

• Kyle Busch
• Alex Bowman
• Kyle Larson
• Aric Almirola

Driver Group Game Group C

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Michael McDowell

MY TOP-5 OVERALL AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1. Martin Truex Jr.
2. Chase Elliott
3. Kyle Busch
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Kevin Harvick

Dark Horse: Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stay Away From: Ryan Newman

Big 18: Ryan Blaney