Coca-Cola 600   
Charlotte Motor Speedway 
 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway     
May 26, 2013 
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Kevin Harvick), 12th (Jeff Burton) and 13th (Paul Menard).
According to NASCAR’s post-race loop data statistics, Harvick averaged a 180.822 mph lap time ranking him second in the Speed in Traffic category and spent 396 Laps in the Top 15, positioning him fourth in the loop data category.
Harvick earned the third-best Driver Rating (112.8), was third in Quality Passes (50), was the third-Fastest Driver Late in a Run (179.721 mph), fourth-Fastest Driver Early in a Run (184.211) and fifth-Fastest on Restarts (170.488 mph).
Burton made 87 Green Flag Passes during the 600-mile event.
Menard made 105 Green Flag Passes during the 400-lap event ranking him sixth overall.
Menard ranked 11th in Quality Passes during the 600-mile race with 38.
Harvick earned his second victory of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, June 2.  The 13th race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
 
 
 
Menard Earns Hard Fought 13th-Place Finish in Prestigious Coca-Cola 600
 
Starting from the 22nd position, Paul Menard and the No. 27 Serta/Menards team
faced handling issues and late-race damage in Sunday night’s 600-mile event, earning a 13th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In the early laps of the event, Menard gained several positions and was running 16th by lap 75. Communicating to crew chief “Slugger” Labbe that the No. 27 machine was loose on entry and tight through the center of the corners, Menard came into the pits at lap 115 for four fresh tires, fuel and a variety of chassis adjustments. Shortly after pitting, a cable supporting the overhead television camera on the frontstretch fell and landed on the track surface damaging several cars and bringing out the red flag on lap 127. The downed wire cut the right-rear tire on the No. 27 machine and the crew went to work changing four tires and adding fuel during a 15-minute red-flag period given to the teams by NASCAR officials to make repairs. Restarting 20th, Menard quickly made his way to 15th by lap 153. Continuing to fight a loose condition though the center of the corners, Labbe called for an array of chassis adjustments on the ensuing pit stops in an attempt to remedy the cars handling condition. The series of adjustments provided some relief to the Eau Claire, Wis., native and he was running in eighth when a multi-car incident on lap 335 caused right-front fender damage to the Serta/Menards Chevrolet. The pit crew made repairs during two separate visits to pit road and Menard restarted 15th with 63 laps to go. During a round of green-flag pit stops, Labbe elected to leave his driver on track to lead lap 381 before pitting for right-side tires and fuel. Pitting under green, Menard fell a lap down to the leader. As luck would have it, the caution-flag was displayed just two laps later allowing the 31-year-old driver to be credited with the “Lucky Dog”, placing him back on the lead lap in 13th for the ensuing restart. With 11 laps remaining in the 400-lap event, Menard was able to maintain his position and finish 13th in the longest race of the season. Menard’s 13th-place effort in the Coca-Cola 600 moves him up two positions, placing him eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
 
Start – 22          Finish – 13          Laps Led – 1          Points – 8th
 
 
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“It was a tough day for the No. 27 Serta/Menards crew. We had a pretty good car early on and began to struggle with the handling as the night went on and the track conditions changed. The late race damage to the right front put us behind a little, but I have to give my team credit because they never gave up and made the repairs we needed to get back out and be competitive. We just ran out of laps at the end, but we’ll take a top 13 and a good points night.”
 
 
 
    
Harvick Wins Second-Career Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser team picked up their second win of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, driving to Victory Lane following the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The California native started the 400-lap event from the 15th position and battled a tight-handling red, white and blue Chevrolet during the early stages of the event. In an effort to combat the handling issues Harvick was facing, the Budweiser pit crew made adjustments through the course of multiple four-tire pit stops. Harvick broke into the top 10 during the lap-131 restart, following a 27-minute break in the action for track workers to clean up debris on the racing surface from a fallen overhead camera cable. As the race progressed, Harvick continued to methodically work his way through the field settling into the top five prior to the caution flag being displayed on lap 259. The Richard Childress Racing driver remained near the front of the field during the final laps taking the lead on two occasions before the yellow flag waved on lap 386. Crew chief Gil Martin called Harvick to pit road for right-side tires and fuel under caution, positioning the Budweiser Chevrolet in second for the lap-389 restart. As green-flag racing resumed, Harvick moved back out front and led the field to the checkered flag. Following Harvick’s second win of the season, he gained three positions in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, moving up to seventh.
 
Start – 15          Finish – 1          Laps Led – 28            Points – 7th
                        
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“First off, I want to say I hope everybody is okay from that cable. That was quite a weird incident there.  Second, I want to just say thank you to all the guys at Richard Childress Racing. To win at Charlotte (Motor Speedway) is something that we had to overcome for a long time. We kind of won it on gas mileage last time, and we just went and won it this time. I have to thank everybody from Budweiser, Sprint, all the fans, Jimmy John’s, Hunt Brothers Pizza and Rheem. We’ve got this great promotion with Folds of Honor on the car this weekend and the paint scheme resembles Budweiser’s special beer cans. Plus, five cents from every can goes to Folds of Honor.”
 
 
      
Jeff Burton Survives Coca-Cola 600, Finishing 12th
 
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Cheerios Chevrolet team finished 12th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Burton qualified 27th for the longest race on the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule and, while battling a tight-handling race car, climbed into the top 25 for the first portion of the 400-lap marathon. With an early long green-flag run, crew chief Luke Lambert and the No. 31 pit crew were unable to make planned chassis adjustments on the car until the first caution on lap 70 which was followed by a 27-minute red flag that stopped the race. The 21-time Sprint Cup Series race winner continued to run in the top 25 and as day turned into night, the car became loose on entry and exit of th
e 24-degree banked corners of the 1.5-mile facility. As the night progressed, many competitors fell victim to mechanical problems and multi-car accidents, including seven and five-car pileups on lap 327 and 335 which led to another red-flag delay. The South Boston, Va. native managed to avoid the trouble and climbed into the top 15. For the remainder of the event, Burton’s “never-give-up” attitude paid off as he gained valuable track position and posted top-10 lap times throughout the final portion of the 600-mile race, bringing the No. 31 Cheerios Chevrolet home in 12th-place. Burton now sits 21st in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.
 
Start – 27          Finish -12         Laps Led – 0          Points – 21st
 
JEFF BURTON QUOTE:
“We pretty much fought a tight-handling condition for the entire race, especially in the middle of the corners. These No. 31 guys never gave up and we managed to stay out of trouble while bringing home a clean race car and a top-15 finish. I also want to say congratulations to our RCR teammate Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team on their victory.”
 

History 300  
Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Nationwide Series
History 300
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 25, 2013
 
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fifth (Kevin Harvick), 14th (Austin Dillon), 15th (Brian Scott) and 31st (Dakoda Armstrong).
Dillon is seventh in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Regan Smith by 55 markers, while Scott is eighth in the standings, 63 points behind Smith.
The No. 33 Chevrolet team ranks sixth in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 3 team 10th in the standings and the No. 2 team 12th.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick was one of four drivers who spent the entire race running in the top-15 and made 43 Quality Passes, ranking him fourth.
Dillon and Harvick ranked seventh and eighth in Average Running Position (7.125 and 7.920, respectively), while Scott ranked 10th (9.9).
Armstrong made 44 Green Flag Passes.
Kyle Busch earned his sixth victory of the 2013 Nationwide Series season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Harvick.
The next Nationwide Series race is the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, June 1. The 11th race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM NASCAR Satellite Radio.
 
  
 
Brian Scott Finishes 15th After Strong Qualifying Effort at Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
Brian Scott and the No. 2 Shore Lodge team brought home a 15th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway after battling a tight-handling condition throughout the 300-mile event. The Boise, Idaho, native remained strong early in the race, climbing as high as third, while running consistent lap times. As the laps wore on, trash on the grille caused water and oil temperatures to climb as Scott continued to battle the tight-handling condition. On lap 141, Scott brought his No. 2 Shore Lodge Camaro to the attention of his pit crew for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment under green-flag conditions to help alleviate the handling issues. Multiple caution periods took place during the final laps, which didn’t play in favor of the No. 2 team as their car was better on long green-flag runs. Scott lined up 14th for the final restart with 12 laps remaining and ultimately brought home a 15th-place-finish.
 
Start – 4                       Finish – 15                   Laps Led – 0                            Points – 8th
 
BRIAN SCOTT QUOTE:
“We had a great qualifying effort and started off the race strong and in contention for the win. As the race wore on, we fought a tight car all day. Towards the end we needed a long green-flag run to gain spots and it just didn’t go our way. We need to regroup and move on to Dover (International Raceway). I’m excited to get back to Dover, it’s a place where I’ve always run strong and have my first (Camping World) Truck Series win. “
 
 
 

Austin Dillon Earns Top 15 Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
Austin Dillon drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet to a 14th-place finish in the History 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The Welcome, N.C. native started the 200-lap race from the pole position, his first pole award of the 2013 season, which he earned earlier in the day. After leading the field to the green flag, Dillon settled into the top 10. He reported to crew chief Danny Stockman that the No. 3 Chevrolet handled on the tight side early in a run. Several caution periods provided the RCR crew opportunities to work on the car’s balance through a series of track bar and air pressure adjustments, which helped Dillon work his way into the third position by lap 157. Still not quite satisfied with the car’s handling, Dillon was scored in the eighth position when he was directed to pit road during a lap 168 caution period so the pit crew could make one final round of adjustments. With several other teams opting not to pit, The No. 3 team lost valuable track position and Dillon was positioned 13th when green-flag racing resumed on lap 172. He fell as far back as 17th before battling back to 14th for the race’s finish and is now seventh in the point standings.
 
Start – 1                       Finish – 14                   Laps Led – 1                            Points – 7th                          
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“Our No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet was strong today. We just needed to find speed for the first five laps of a run because we struggled with a tight-handling condition at the beginning of a run and that hurt us at the end of the race. Strategy has not gone our way so far this season, but we are still proud of our pole effort this afternoon and the fact we had a strong car throughout the day.”
 
 
 
   
 
Armstrong Finishes 31st After Involvement in Late-Race Incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
Making his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start with Richard Childress Racing, Dakoda Armstrong looked to be in position to earn another top-15 finish before a late-race incident took him out of contention Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Qualifying 19th earlier in the day, Armstrong maintained a top-20 running position for the first 150 laps of the 200-lap event while battling a loose-handling No. 21 WinField Chevrolet Camaro. The crew made several chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops in an attempt to remedy the loose condition. The 21-year-old driver communicated to the team that the car was improving late during green-flag runs, so crew chief Shane Wilson elected to keep his driver out during the next two caution periods, allowing Armstrong to restart sixth on lap 172. The caution-flag flew just seven laps later and this time Wilson called the Indiana native to pit road for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Restarting 17th, Armstrong looked to be in position to work his way back toward the front of the field when an on-track incident with the No. 43 at lap 183 caused the No. 21 machine to make contact with the outside wall. Heavy damage to the WinField Chevrolet prevented Armstrong from finishing the race, relegating him to a 31st-place finish.
 
Start – 19                            Finish – 31                             Laps Led – 0                Points – N/A
 
DAKODA ARMSTRONG QUOTE:
“It was an unfortunate end to the day we were having. The Richard Childress Racing guys did a great job giving me a solid WinField Camaro, especially on long runs. I don’t know what happened to cause the contact; I was as low as I could go and tried to give him as much room as I could. Proud of the run we had, just disappoi
nted it ended the way it did.”
 
 
      
Kevin Harvick Earned Top-Five Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway
 
Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet team earned a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The California native started the 200-lap event from the 16th spot and began working his way forward, breaking into the top 10 by lap 37.  Battling a tight-handling Chevrolet throughout the majority of the race, Harvick was able to maintain a position within the top 10 while the pit crew worked on the car’s handling during scheduled pit stops on laps 40, 88,145 and 169. The Richard Childress Racing driver worked his way up to as high as third toward the end of the event, but was shuffled back to sixth during the final restart on lap 189. Harvick was able to pick up one position during the final laps, crossing the finish line fifth.
 
Start – 16          Finish – 5         Laps Led – 0          Owner Points – 6
 
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“We had a tough time getting the handling of the Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet where we needed it to be, but the team worked really hard throughout the race and we were able to salvage a decent finish.”