NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 24, 2015
Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing teammates Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Austin Dillon finished sixth, 14th and 16th, respectively, in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Newman ranks 11th in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Kevin Harvick by 130 points, while Menard ranks 13th and Dillon 23rd.
- Carl Edwards earned his first win of the 2015 season and was followed to the line by Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex, Jr.
- The 13th race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season is the FedEx 400 benefitting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 31, 2015, which is scheduled to be televised live on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Drives Cheerios Chevrolet to 16th-Place Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon finished 16th in the No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. The Coca-Cola Racing Family Driver started the Coca-Cola 600 from the 11th spot and ran in the top-10, and as high as fourth, during the early stages of the race before the sun set on the 1.5-mile speedway. Following a pit stop on lap 91 for right-side tires, Dillon dropped from fourth to eighth in the running order and noted handling issues developed as the tires wore away. As daylight turned to night over the Concord, N.C., based speedway, Dillon reported a tight-handling condition on the Cheerios Chevrolet and dropped to 15th in the running order. The Gil Martin-led team made wedge and air pressure adjustments during routine pit stops, leading to a loose-handling condition on the No. 3 Chevrolet. Following a pit stop on lap 275 for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments, the balance of the car improved and Dillon spent the remainder of the race battling for position. He worked his way to 10th but ultimately earned a 17th-place finish after pitting for fuel with 17 laps remaining as several teams stretched their fuel mileage to the end. Dillon now ranks 23rd in the point standings leading into the next race on the schedule, the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 31.
Start – 11 Finish – 16 Laps Led – 0 Points – 25
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“Our biggest struggle was the first five laps of a run. We did not have speed on takeoff, but once we got going the Cheerios Chevrolet was really good. We had a great car tonight. Some other teams used strategy with fuel mileage to their advantage. I’m excited to come back to Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Fall.”
Paul Menard Finishes 14th at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sunday night’s 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway marked the longest race on NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series schedule. The No. 27 Serta/Menards Chevrolet team qualified 23rd Thursday afternoon during Pole Day at the Concord, N.C.-based facility. Once the green flag dropped, Menard easily found his way to the front of the field picking up seven spots before the NASCAR-mandated competition caution on lap 25. Crew chief Justin Alexander made the call for four tires and fuel with no adjustments on lap 27. The Wisconsin native continued to race within the top 15 for the remainder of the 400-mile event with a complaint of a tight-center and loose-off handling condition. The Alexander-led team made adjustments on pit road nine additional times for a combination of two- and four-tire stops with wedge and track bar adjustments, along with one stop for fuel only. With 22 laps remaining, Menard was in the sixth position and poised for a top 10 finish but crossed the finish line 14th after fuel strategy won the race in the closing laps. Up next for the team is Sunday’s event at Dover International Speedway.
Start – 23 Finish – 14 Laps Led – 0 Points – 13
PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
“We had a fast car tonight. Justin (Alexander, crew chief) and the guys made great adjustments all week. Fuel mileage definitely won out there at the end. We had a solid car and were on the way to a good finish in the Serta/Menards Chevy.”
Late-Race Strategy Earns Ryan Newman and Quicken Loans Team a 6th-Place Finish
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS to a sixth-place finish in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., driver started 19th and battled both loose- and tight-handling conditions throughout the 400-mile event while racing in the top 20. Shortly after halfway, Newman lost a lap to the leader but managed to race back onto the lead lap with about 60 laps. While scored in 18th position, crew chief Todd Parrott instructed his driver to conserve at least four laps of fuel while the leaders started to pit with 20 laps to go. Newman managed his speed and mileage to earn the team’s seventh top-10 in 11 events. The result moves the No. 31 team up to 11th position in the championship point standings, just two markers out of 10th. Up next for Newman is next Sunday’s400-miler at Dover International Speedway. Caterpillar will be on board as primary.
Start – 19 Finish – 6 Laps Led – 0 Points – 11
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“We did what we had to do through the course of 400-laps and I have to applaud the entire Quicken Loans team for completing fast pit stops, and working to put us in position to race back onto the lead lap and in contention to salvage a strong finish. We implemented a strategy, stuck with it to earn a top-10 finish. This team fights through adversity and we never give up.”
