CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 12 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 6 P.M. ET, SUNDAY, MAY 24 (FOX/PRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 35 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
10th in standings
11 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
4 top-10 finishes
38 laps led
Career
407 starts
17 wins
26 pole positions
84 top-five finishes
150 top-10 finishes
4,579 laps led
Charlotte Career
22 starts
4 wins
0 pole positions
9 top-five finishes
13 top-10 finishes
1,106 laps led
IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Kasey Kahne’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with “SFC. STEPHENS.” Sergeant First Class Riley Gene Stephens, 39, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alpha Company as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant when he died Sept. 28, 2012, of wounds received from small-arms fire in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kahne currently ranks second in laps in the top 15 (2,997), fourth in average running position (11.276), fifth in fastest speed in traffic (9.364 average rank), fifth in fastest drivers on restarts (11.273 average rank), fifth in fastest drivers late in a run (7.556 average rank), sixth in fastest drivers early in a run (7.889 average rank), sixth in green-flag speed (7.333 average rank), sixth in fastest laps run (136), seventh in driver rating (95.6) and eighth in quality passes (870).
KAHNE AT CHARLOTTE: Three of Kahne’s wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway came in the 600-mile race. Kahne and Matt Kenseth lead all active drivers with three runner-up finishes at Charlotte. Kahne recorded his first win for Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte’s 600-mile event in May 2012 after leading 96 laps and establishing a 4.295-second margin of victory. The win happened in his milestone 300th Sprint Cup start.
BEST OF THE BEST AT CHARLOTTE: Nearly every statistical category at Charlotte ranks as a personal best for Kahne, who has competed in 22 Cup events at the 1.5-mile oval. Kahne’s four wins, 13 top-10s and nine top-five finishes are personal bests. Kahne has completed 97.4 percent of the laps he has attempted at Charlotte and has led a personal-best 1,106 laps at the track. His 11.5 average finish at Charlotte ranks as his second-best among active tracks.
CHARLOTTE LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data in the last 20 points-paying events at Charlotte, Kahne ranks second in both fastest laps run (667). He ranks third in the following categories: driver rating (100.8), green-flag passes (1,642), average running position (11.839), fastest drivers early in a run (178.713 mph), speed in traffic (175.663 mph) and laps led (894). He also ranks fourth in green-flag speed (176.601 mph), fourth in quality passes (874), fifth in fastest on restarts (170.605 mph), fourth in laps in top 15 (4,725) and fifth in fastest drivers late in a run (174.852 mph).
CHARLOTTE CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-911 for Sunday’s race at Charlotte. In October 2014, Kahne drove the car to a 10th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In March 2015, he drove the car at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 14th. Most recently, Kahne raced the chassis at Texas Motor Speedway in April, where he finished eighth.
INTERMEDIATE STATS: Kahne has collected 10 of his 17 career Cup wins and 15 of his 26 pole positions at ovals one-to-two miles in length. In 196 starts on those tracks, he has posted 45 top-five finishes and 77 top-10s.
LIFTMASTER: LiftMaster will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Charlotte, and will be the primary sponsor on the car for two more Sprint Cup Series races this year: Kentucky Speedway on July 11 and Kansas Speedway on Oct. 18.
LIFTMASTER MEMORIAL WEEKEND STAIR CLIMB: On Thursday, join LiftMaster for the Memorial Weekend Stair Climb at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 2:30 to 9 p.m. local time, the first of its kind to be hosted at a motorsports facility. It is not a timed race event, but a way for firefighters and members of the community to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, so that others might live. Each participant in the stair climb pays tribute to a FDNY firefighter by climbing the equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center. Proceeds benefit FDNY CSU and the programs provided by the NFFF to support the families of our nation’s fallen firefighters. Each registrant receives a free ticket to Thursday’s LiftMaster Pole Night and an event T-shirt. To register, please visit www.firehero.org/event/stairclimb15-liftmaster.
CHARLOTTE DOUBLE DUTY: In addition his duties behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend, Kahne will pilot JR Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet in the 300-mile NASCAR event on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 20 NXS starts at Charlotte, Kahne has posted one win (May 2007), one pole award (May 2005), two top-five finishes, five top-10s and a total of 151 laps led.
TRAINING AT FORT BRAGG: On April 23, Kahne joined paratroopers at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for tower jumping, howitzer training and repel tower walking to help promote this Sunday’s Charlotte 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. During the 600 pre-race activities, soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division will repel from helicopters onto the frontstretch grass, as other soldiers fire blanks out of howitzers to show off the firepower of the U.S. military. Go behind-the-scenes during Kahne’s trip there, where he got a taste of some military training: VIDEO | PHOTOS
THE DRIVE: Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson and Kahne selected the Strong Against Cancer initiative to be the beneficiary of The DRIVE, a private charity concert, auction and celebrity-amateur golf event scheduled for June 29-30 in Cle Elum, Washington, at the Suncadia Resort. Fans are encouraged to join Wilson and Kahne to support Seattle Children’s Hospital and the Strong Against Cancer initiative. To donate, please visit . Together, with help from fans, they will raise awareness and valuable funds for research that supports immunotherapy — a medical treatment that harnesses the power of a child’s immune cells to fight cancer. For more information on The DRIVE, please visit http://kaseykahnefoundation.org/.
No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
9th in standings
11 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
2 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
161 laps led
Career
772 starts
92 wins
80 pole positions
322 top-five finishes
461 top-10 finishes
24,825 laps led
Charlotte Career
44 starts
5 wins
9 pole positions
17 top-five finishes
24 top-10 finishes
787 laps led
IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Jeff Gordon’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with “CWO. HARRIMAN.” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stanley L. Harriman, 34, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alpha Company, Operational Detachment Alpha 372 when he became the first Operation Enduring Freedom casualty from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on March 2, 2002, during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.
AT CHARLOTTE: Gordon’s 17 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s are most among active Sprint Cup drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while his nine pole positions are tied for most among active competitors.
SITE OF FIRST WIN: On May 29, 1994, Gordon led the final nine laps at Charlotte to capture his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. He now sits third all-time with 92 career wins.
ANOTHER FIRST AT CHARLOTTE: In October 1993 at the 1.5-mile track, Gordon won his first career pole position in NASCAR’s premier division. Overall, Gordon is third all-time with 80 career Sprint Cup poles.
CHARLOTTE TOPS LIST: The driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS has nine pole positions at Charlotte Motor Speedway – his most prolific track in terms of number of pole positions. Second on that list is Martinsville, where he has set the fastest lap during qualifying on seven different occasions.
INDY-CHARLOTTE ‘DOUBLE’: The 43-year-old driver is doing a version of the Indy-Charlotte “double” on Sunday. Gordon, driving a Corvette Z06 pace car, will lead the field to the green flag in the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500. He will then fly to Charlotte where he will compete in the annual 600-miler.
DRIVE TO END HUNGER AT CHARLOTTE: Gordon will drive the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS in this Sunday’s race, and AARP’s “Real Possibilities” will again be featured on the car. AARP and its Foundation are helping to combat hunger by coordinating with local agencies and food banks and sponsoring innovative teaching programs and more. Thanks to these efforts, they have already donated more than 29 million meals. To learn more about Drive to End Hunger, please visit aarp.org/possibilities. If you don’t think “Feeding the Hungry” when you think AARP, then you don’t know “aarp.”
600 CHASSIS: No. 24 team crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-861 for this Sunday’s race. The chassis has been raced six times previously. Earlier this year, Gordon finished seventh at Texas while he had finishes of 17th at Atlanta, sixth at Michigan (June), seventh at Charlotte (May) and Darlington and 13th at Fontana in 2014.
No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS / Chase Elliott
Driver Chase Elliott Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 19 Resides Dawsonville, Georgia
IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Chase Elliott’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with “CWO. DUSKIN.” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Stephen Duskin, 42, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alpha Company as an assistant detachment commander when he died on Oct. 23, 2012, from wounds received from small-arms fire in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.
NO. 4: Elliott, driver of the No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS, will make his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this Sunday night in the 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will mark Elliott’s third points-race start in the No. 25 Chevy SS. The 600-mile, 400-lap Memorial Day weekend race will serve as the longest race Elliott has ever run in his entire racing career.
OUT OF THE GATES: Elliott’s first start in the No. 25 Chevrolet SS at Martinsville demonstrated one thing: resiliency. The 19-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native went 69 laps down early, dropping him to the 43rd position, but when he came back onto the track, he showcased a tenacious focus as he quickly found his groove. Elliott competitively ran lap times inside the top 15. In the process, Elliott picked up five spots before the checkered flag flew, finishing 38th. In Richmond four weeks ago, Elliott took things one step further by making it to the second round of qualifying and finishing on the lead lap in the 16th position. With the opportunity at hand in last Friday’s Sprint Showdown, Elliott picked up a total of 10 spots between two 20-lap races. Sunday night for Elliott and the knowledgeable No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS team will serve as another opportunity to gain experience together in the sport’s highest series.
THREE CHARLOTTE RACES IN 10 DAYS: Elliott is getting a heavy dose of Charlotte Motor Speedway, running in three races over the course of a 10-day stretch. Elliott — who competed in the Sprint Showdown on Friday, May 15, finishing eighth in the first 20-lap segment after starting 11th and finishing fifth after starting 12th in the second 20-lap segment — will drive in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race Saturday afternoon before taking on the 600 Sunday under the lights.
NAPA KNOW HOW ON THE HOOD: Primary sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS (www.NAPAonline.com) will decorate the No. 25 Chevrolet SS this Sunday night at Charlotte. Sunday will mark the fourth time this season NAPA has served as Elliott’s primary sponsor, and the organization is slated to be Elliott’s primary sponsor during his two remaining Cup races in 2015 (Sunday, July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Sunday, Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway). It was announced that NAPA will be Elliott’s majority sponsor in the Sprint Cup Series next season.
No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
3rd in standings
11 starts
3 wins
0 pole positions
7 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
364 laps led
Career
482 starts
73 wins
33 pole positions
200 top-five finishes
300 top-10 finishes
17,515 laps led
Charlotte Career
27 starts
7 wins
4 pole position
13 top-five finishes
17 top-10 finishes
1,733 laps led
Jimmie Johnson will be available to members of the media in the media center at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 21, at 1:30 p.m. local time.
IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Jimmie Johnson’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with “LT. HENDERSON.” First Lieutenant Robert L. Henderson II served in the National Guard for more than 15 years. He was a sales manager for Lowe’s store No. 451 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and had also worked at three other Kentucky area stores in his 10-year tenure with the company. While deployed in Iraq in 2004, he was leading part of a convoy when his vehicle was ambushed. Despite being wounded, Henderson turned his vehicle around and drove to a position to return fire and stop the rest of the convoy from heading into the ambush. Though he lost his life, his actions likely saved many others. Henderson was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart as well as a Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal.
PATRIOTIC SCHEME: For the second time this season, Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet SS will be patriotic-themed. Longtime sponsor Lowe’s has a long history of supporting the military. Currently, Lowe’s has more than 14,000 veterans, active military and Guard/Reserve employees. To see the paint scheme and its unveil, click here.
ELLEN SHOW APPERANCE: Johnson will appear on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, June 2. See local listings for air times.
SEVEN TIMES A WINNER: Johnson has a total of seven Sprint Cup wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four coming in the 600-mile event. His victory last May in the 600 broke a tie with NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, making Johnson the all-time series points-paying win leader at Charlotte.
WINNING FROM THE POLE AT CHARLOTTE: Twice in his career, Johnson has won the 600-mile event from the pole position at Charlotte. The first was in 2004, when Johnson started first and led 334 out of 400 laps en route to victory. The second time was in May 2014, when Johnson won the pole and led 164 laps on his way to the win.
600 CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-936, which is a brand new Chevrolet SS. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono Raceway in June 2014.
TICKET PACKAGE AT DOVER: Johnson fans can receive special access to an exclusive question-and-answer session with the nine-time Dover International Speedway winner on Sunday, May 31. Learn more at www.Doverspeedway.com.
TICKET PACKAGE AT POCONO: Pocono Raceway is offering a kid-generated question-and-answer session with three-time Pocono winner Johnson. In addition to the Q&A, this year’s Jimmie Johnson Experience will include hands-on activities for kids to showcase the relationship between NASA and auto racing. Every child in attendance will receive a 12-page, four-color booklet centered around NASA’s Rockets 2 Racecars STEM Education. For more information, click here.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
5th in standings
11 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
104 laps led
Career
552 starts
24 wins
13 pole positions
133 top-five finishes
231 top-10 finishes
7,951 laps led
Charlotte Career
30 starts
0 win
1 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
11 top-10 finishes
360 laps led
IN REMEMBRANCE: Instead of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name on the windshield for the 600-mile Memorial Day weekend event, his name has been replaced with “SSG. MILLER.” Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, 24, was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alpha Company, Operational Detachment Alpha 3312 when he was killed in action on Jan. 25, 2008, while conducting combat operations near Barikowt, Afghanistan. On Oct. 6, 2010, Robbie was posthumously awarded our nation’s highest award for acts of heroism, the Medal of Honor.
PACE CAR PREP: Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis received some driving tips from Earnhardt Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Davis, who won the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award in January, will drive the pace car for Sunday’s 600-mile race. Nationwide brought the two athletes together and is the presenting sponsor of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. The award honors a player’s volunteer and charity work as well as his excellence on the field.
CUP DEBUT: Earnhardt made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career debut on May 30, 1999, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Then 24 years old, Earnhardt started the event eighth and finished 16th.
FIRST POLE POSITION: Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, earned his first career Cup pole position at his hometown track during his 2000 rookie year. He lined up first for the 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in just his 17th start in the Cup Series and finished the race fourth.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend at Charlotte, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-810. Earnhardt most recently raced the chassis to fourth-place finish at Las Vegas in March. It is the same chassis Earnhardt drove to Victory Lane at Pocono in June and August of last season.
INTERMEDIATE TRACK STATS: In 267 Cup starts on intermediate (one- to two-mile) tracks, Earnhardt has recorded six wins, eight pole positions, 57 top-five finishes and 113 top-10s. He has an average starting position of 16.1 and a 16th-place average finishing position on those racetracks.
Hendrick Motorsports
600 MILES OF REMEMBRANCE: All five Hendrick Motorsports drivers will participate in “600 Miles of Remembrance” on Memorial Day weekend to honor military service members and their families, and commemorate the launch of NASCAR: An American Salute, the industry’s collective expression of reverence, respect and gratitude for those who have served and continue to defend our nation today. As part of the initiative, the names at the top of their Chevrolet SS windshields will be replaced with the names of United States Armed Forces members who have fallen in service to their country.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT CHARLOTTE: Hendrick Motorsports has 18 wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which ranks first all-time among teams at the 1.5-mile oval. Johnson most recently won the 600-mile event there in May 2014 and has an all-time record seven career victories at Charlotte. Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammates Gordon and Kahne rank second and third, respectively, among active drivers in wins at Charlotte The organization has 56 top-five finishes and 88 top-10s and has led 4,722 laps at Charlotte since 1984.
RECORD BOOKS: Hendrick Motorsports’ 18 Cup victories at Charlotte rank second for the organization behind only Martinsville Speedway, where it has recorded a team-best 22 wins. Its 17 pole positions at Charlotte are tied with Martinsville and Richmond International Raceway for first overall in organization history.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 235 victories, 203 pole positions, 958 top-five finishes and 1,588 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,508 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“It’s been nice not to be so far behind early in the year. We got out of Daytona (in February) without wrecking and that was something different than I think the six previous 500s or something like that, so it was nice to start off in the top 10 right off the bat. We’ve been able to do a pretty good job of staying in that top 10 since. The only reason we’re in 10th right now is because of things happening. Tony (Stewart) got me at Bristol, and then we got in a wreck at Talladega. That’s worth 60 points right there, so that’s why we’re in 10th. I feel like we’re doing a good job. We’re not where we want to be, but we’re much closer and we know the things that we need to keep working on. (No. 5 team crew chief) Keith (Rodden) has his things and the team guys do, as well. We’ve been trying to accomplish those things each week.”
Kasey Kahne on the No. 5 team’s strong start to the season
“That was a neat day. I enjoyed learning and hanging out with everybody there at Fort Bragg. It is pretty cool that they are going to be here supporting the 600, and it will be a neat pre-race event. It’s always great to race on Memorial Day weekend, to know that we have that privilege and try to win one of our big races.”
Kahne on his recent experience at Fort Bragg
“We didn’t win the (NASCAR Sprint All-Star) race Saturday night, but we had a strong effort and finished fourth. Another positive was that we learned a lot for this weekend. We have a few areas that we can work on and improve on so that we can hopefully be better and faster this weekend.”
Jeff Gordon on learning from the All-Star Race
“I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to run in the 600. It’s been a dream of mine to compete in this race against the best race car drivers in the world. It’s such a cool opportunity and I can’t thank (Hendrick Motorsports owner) Mr. (Rick) Hendrick enough for having the confidence in me. I also want to thank NAPA for making this dream a reality. I’m looking forward to going out there and giving it my all Sunday night.”
Chase Elliott on his expectations for the 600
“The 600 miles is a substantial amount of time in a race car and you have to be smart about your preparation going into a race like this. This season at Hendrick Motorsports, my NAPA team has really provided me with all the resources I need to go out there and compete competitively, so I will continue to ask questions going into the weekend. Looking back at running the Showdown last week, it was such a benefit to be able to log more laps at Charlotte before the 600. The extra time will pay huge dividends for our team Sunday.”
Elliott on his goals for the 600
“When we line up for the national anthem at the 600, and I’m wearing this red, white and blue firesuit and have a patriotic-themed Lowe’s Chevy – you can’t help but be thankful for all the men and women who fight for our country. We didn’t have a great All-Star Race but learned some things for the 600. It’s a long night — strategy and pit stops will be really important.”
Jimmie Johnson on a patriotic paint scheme for the 600
“I think the important thing is to get the car to turn down into Turn 1. I think we are going to fight the car being really tight into (Turns) 1 and 2. The track is going to get tighter and tighter all night long, so it’s going to be important to get the car to turn. If you need to move around, you need to be able to get up to the high side and make the car competitive. If you can’t use the high side, you’re going to get stuck behind guys without any way to get around them in the dirty air. If you can’t get to the top and make some passes, you’re going to have a long night.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway
