NASCAR Cup Series

Watching Martin Truex Jr.’s performance in the spring race at Charlotte Motor Speedway it would be hard to tell that the Chase contender has had a history of struggling at the 1.5-mile oval.

To quote a famous Oscar-winning film, "There's no place like home." This Saturday, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Bank of America 500, the 30th race of the season, the fourth of the Chase and first of the Contender Round.

The Challenger Round came to a conclusion Sunday at Dover International Speedway and it was defending series champion Kevin Harvick who conquered Miles the Monster to punch his ticket to the Contender Round.

Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started on the pole after qualifying was canceled and finished seventh at Dover, easily advancing to the Contender Round.”

Well, I mean, every race is important, obviously. But I think for this round, Talladega being the third race is really like on everybody's mind. It's like Charlotte, Kansas, all right, what can we do to hopefully win, if not be in a really comfortable position going to Talladega.

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth were made available to the media at Contender Chase Media Day in Charlotte:

Bayne makes his seventh career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever that any wall in NASCAR’s top three series isn’t SAFER barrier protected. The only real case one can make toward not having it is Eldora Speedway due to the low speeds.

Richard Childress Racing's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Charlotte Motor Speedway ... In 148 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing teams have earned seven points-paying victories (four wins with Dale Earnhardt, one with Jeff Burton and two with Kevin Harvick) and four All-Star race victories (three with Earnhardt and one with Harvick), giving RCR 11 total Sprint Cup Series checkered flags at the Concord, N.C.-based track. RCR boasts 21 top-five and 47 top-10 finishes on the 1.5-mile surface.

Greg Biffle honored his second cousin, Private Dean VanDyke, whose name was displayed across the windshield of the No. 16 Ford with a second-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600. Biffle was a constant figure in the top 10 for the longest race of the year and in the end was able to stretch fuel mileage to earn his best finish of the season in what was also his 450th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start.