NASCAR Cup Series

It is safe to say that Martin Truex Jr. has figured out Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.

It was a nice prelude to the All-Star Race in Charlotte on Saturday. First, we had a down and out established team show some life by taking the front row. The pole went to a former champion just a week after he ran his first race of the season.

KAHNE BY THE NUMBERS: In 28 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career starts at Charlotte, Kasey Kahne has an average start of 12.5 and an average finish of 13.4. He’s completed 9,472 of 10,113 (93.7 percent) career laps, and has led for a total of 1,108 laps. Kahne has earned four wins which include three Coca-Cola 600 victories, 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track.

For the first time, Hooters is opening its 22nd Annual Hooters International Pageant to the public this spring, as part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Memorial Day race weekend events, including a special concert from country music singer-songwriter Jake Owen. The event on Saturday, May 26, brings fans front-and-center as celebrity judges, ranging from Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, to Brittany Cartwright, former Hooters Girl and one of the stars of the hit series, Vanderpump Rules, crown one Hooters Girl with the title of 2018 Miss Hooters International.

Today, Victory Junction, a children's camp committed to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camp experiences, unveiled the Smithfield Foods Archery Center. The camp's new indoor facility is funded by a $500,000 gift from the Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Cosmo Motors, a sponsor of Matt DiBenedetto since 2015, will make their season-debut as a primary sponsor of the No.32 Ford this weekend. Cosmo Motors is a family-owned and operated business out of Hickory, North Carolina, who specializes in rare, fast, and exotic vehicles. While Constantine (Cosmo) Kogan and DiBenedetto are great friends, DiBenedetto is also one of his biggest customers and has bought nearly all of his personal vehicles from the dealership.

The longest race of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled for Sunday when the annual Coca-Cola 600 takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ford, which has won 7 of the first 12 races this season, is off to its best start in 20 years and will be looking for its first victory in the 600 since Mark Martin in 2002.

Thorne and Leavine Family Racing (LFR), which fields an entry in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, have announced a partnership for Thorne to provide diagnostic testing and nutritional supplements for the No. 95 team. To launch the partnership, Thorne will be the presenting sponsor of LFR’s inaugural Fan Fest on Friday, May 25, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., at the team’s facility located at 6007 Victory Lane in Concord, N.C.

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today the launch of their first-ever Digital Fan Fest surrounding the team’s activities leading into the biggest race weekend of the season. CGR will compete in the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Verizon IndyCar Series, the longest and most grueling race on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule, the Coca-Cola 600 and also the NASCAR Xfinity race, the Alsco 300.

Riding along with Martin Truex Jr. in Sunday night’s Memorial Day Weekend Classic – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – will be a fallen hero from the Vietnam war – 1st Lt. Arlen Del Richardson, whose name will grace the windshield of Truex’s No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour ENERGY Toyota.