NASCAR - Coca Cola 600

The most welcome site of the day!!!
Took this picture from our seats at the Coca Cola 600!!!
It was very hot, roasting in the sun!!!

Kasey Kahne - Winner Coca Cola 600

Hello All!!! We were at the Coca Cola 600 this year... Actually enjoyed a whole weekend of racing this year... had a great time... Racing however was a little lame... The Nationwide Race had a little more excitement than the Sprint Cup racing, but both races were in line racing for most of the race, like the cars were qualifying right behind each other all race.... Jason Boyles had a little problem with a fire in his car after hitting the wall... Brad Keslowski was the winner in the Nationwide History 300 on Saturday...
Congratulations Kasey Kahne!!! We had seats on the back stretch for the Coca Cola 600 not my favorite place to sit at Charlotte Motor Speedway... the sun is directly in front of you for about half the race and with temperatures in the high 80's you pretty much cooked for 200 laps...The racing was pretty boring with the cars just riding around in single file for 111 laps before the first caution. The restarts kept you on your feet for about 10 laps and then again single file, very little passing until the next caution. which between Lap 111 (the first caution) and Lap 178 there were a total of 4 cautions, which kept you wondering on what the strategy of the teams would be.... Then they raced green flag again for 140 laps the longest run of the night. with the final caution (5) for debris coming on Lap 318... The rest of the race was all green flag racing with one green flag pit stop. That pit stop proved fatal for any win hope for Jimmie Johnson, who left his pit box with a piece of equipment and had to do a drive through plenty, putting him down a lap... Only 9 cars finished on the lead lap with seconds in between each place... There was no race to finish line. Kasey Kahne had a comfortable 3 second lead over Denny Hamlin coming to the checkered flag.

Top Ten Recap
1. Kasey Kahne - started 7 - up 1 position to 15th
2. Denny Hamlin - started 8 - up 1 position to 3rd
3. Kyle Busch - started 17 - up 1 position to 8th
4. Greg Biffle - started 4 - remains the Leader
5. Brad Keslowski - started - up 1 position  to  11th
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - started 12 - down 1 position to 4th
7. Jeff Gordon - started 23 - up 2 positions to 22nd
8. Kevin Harvick - started 14 - up 1 position to 7th
9. Carl Edwards - started 28 - remains in 9th
10. Matt Kenseth - started 10 - remains in 2nd

Race for the Chase
1. Greg Biffle - finished 4th
2. Matt Kenseth - finished 10th
3. Denny Hamlin - finished 2nd - up 1 position
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - finished 6th - down 1 position
5. Jimmie Johnson - finished 11th
6. Martin Truex Jr. - finished 12th
7. Kevin Harvick - finished 8th - up 1 position
8. Kyle Busch - finished 3rd - up 1 position
9. Tony Stewart - finished 25th - down 2 positions
10. Carl Edwards - finished 9th
11. Brad Keslowski - finished 5th - up 1 position
12. Clint Bowyer - finished 13th - down 1 position

With the new format for the Chase this year as it stand now Clint Bowyer without a win so far this year, would be out of the Chase and Ryan Newman with 1 win in 13th position would be in. Kasey Kahne in 15th position also has a win, so the other 4 without a win that are currently in the top the ten in points, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4th), Martin Truex Jr. (6th), Kevin Harvick (7th) and Carl Edwards (10th)  need to secure their position and/or win a race.

I just have to say - NASCAR you have got to do something to get out of this single line racing!!! Racing is starting to prove NON race fans right... we just watch cars go around in a circle...  a lot of races this year has been just that.... I for one would like to see "stock cars" back, get rid of the "COT cars"...

Next race - Dover International Speedway - FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks - Sunday, June 3, 2012 - 12:30pm

Take Care All
Have a Wonderful Week!!!
Barbara