NASCAR Pre-race: FOX - 5:30pm/et

Television Race Coverage: FOX, 6:00pm/et

In the Booth: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds

Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Krista Voda

Hollywood Hotel: Chris Myers and Michael Waltrip

Virtual Garage: Jeff Hammond

SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 3:30 pm/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace

Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times: Wednesday, May 30 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED

TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV

This Week - Performance Racing Network (PRN) and SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR Channel 90

goprn.com

PRN Live Streaming

siriusxm.com

Practices:
Thursday, May 24, 5:30 - 7:30pm/et, TV-SPEED
Saturday, May 26, 10:00 - 10:55 am/et, TV-SPEED

Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Saturday, May 26, 1:00 - 2:00pm/et, TV-SPEED

Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Thursday, May 24 at 7:10 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled at 10:30pm/et.

Track Specifications:
Superspeedway: 1.5-mile quad oval
Race Length: 400 laps, 600 miles
Banking: turns: 24 degrees; straights: 5 degrees
Straights: Frontstretch - 1952.8 feet; Backstretch - 1360 feet
Grandstand Seating: 146,000
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Pace Car Speed: 55mph
Opened: 1960
Carry-In Items
Coolers: Allowed (14"x14"x14" limit).
Glass containers: Not allowed.
Alcoholic beverages: Allowed.
Cameras/recording devices: Allowed

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin
Command to start engines: Col. Gregory Gadson
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory
Honorary Race Director: Actress Brooklyn Decker
Invocation: NASCAR Hall of Gamer Darrell Waltrip
National Anthem: Darius Rucker
Military Flyover: B-52 Bomber, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana

Track Websites:
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Speedway Motorsports
Facebook - Charlotte Motor Speedway
Twitter - CLTMotorSpdwy
2012 Cabarrus County Destination Guide

May 2011: see my Charlotte Race Info page

October 2011: see my Charlotte Race Info page

In the Charlotte, NC for the races? some cool places to check out that Jayski has been to an enjoyed since moving to the Charlotte area in January 2004:
Memory Lane Museum on Hwy 150 W in Mooresville, NC,
North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame Lakeside Park, Mooresville
And a must is the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, checked it out in July 2010 and it is really cool
In October, For somerthing different: the Carolina Renaissance Festival is a blast, fun stuff and lots of good eats, I go every year, hmm...pumpkin beer...and the Tortuga Twins are a hoot!
SOME EATs: Lancaster's Bar-B=Que is a large place with a lot of NASCAR stuff all over the walls, also I enjoyed: Jeffrey's. In Huntersville check out Mickey & Mooches for great steaks and the huge chocolate cake
TEAM SHOPS: and to check out some team shops, see my Team Address page, on that page there are a few links for Race Shop Tours [click here].
Or drive up I-85 and head to [Richard] Childress Vineyards.
in Concord, check out the racing stuff at Quaker Steak and Lube for some great wings and food
and check out the Sam Bass Gallery, right near Charlotte Motor Speedway.
(this is not an ad and not looking for suggestions, just some things to helps folks in town)
ALSO: see my Racing Charities page and Driver Appearances page for driver appearances and more thing going on in the area.

Track Qualifying Record: #38-Elliott Sadler, Oct 2005, 193.216mph

Coke 600 Qualifying Record: #12-Ryan Newman, May 2005, 192.988mph

Youngest Pole Winner: Jeff Gordon, 22 years, 2 months, 6 days, 10/10/1993

Oldest Pole Winner: Bobby Allison, 49 years, 10 months, 8 days, 10/11/1987

2011 May Race Winner: #29-Kevin Harvick, 132.414mph, started 28th

2011 October Race Winner: #17-Matt Kenseth, 146.194mph, started 2nd

Track Race Record 500 miles: Jeff Gordon, Oct 1999, 160.306mph

Track Race Record 600 miles: Bobby Labonte, May 1995, 151.952mph

Slowest Race Record: Junior Johnson, 107.752mph, 1960

Worst Starting Spot to Win: Jimmie Johnson, May 2003, started 37th

Oldest Winner: Cale Yarborough, 46 years, 6 months, 9 days, 10/6/1985

Youngest Winner: Jeff Gordon, 22 years, 9 months, 25 days, 5/29/1994

The Numbers for the Coca Cola 500:
1 - fewest cars on the lead lap at finish (13 times, most recent 5/24/87)
1 - fewest cautions (10/14/62)
2 - fewest laps led by race winner (Kevin Harvick, 5/29/11)
3 - fewest leaders (twice, most recent 5/21/61)
6 - most wins (Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmie Johnson)
6 - fewest caution laps (10/14/62)
6 - number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend
8 - fewest lead changes (10/16/60)
11 - consecutive poles (David Pearson)
14 - most poles (David Pearson)
14 - wins from the pole (most recent, Jimmie Johnson, 10/17/09)
21 - most leaders (5/29/05)
22 - most cautions (5/29/05)
26 - most cars on lead lap at finish (5/25/09)
39 - different pole winners
42 - most cars running at finish (5/25/09)
44 - different race winners
54 - most lead changes (5/27/79)
113 - most caution laps (5/25/80)
120 minutes - approximate amount of time it takes to dry the 1.5-mile track after a significant rainfall
335 - most laps led by race winner (Jim Paschal, 5/28/67)
2012 Caution Update
1 - fewest cautions this season (Fontana)
4 - races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega and Darlington)
10 - most cautions this season (Daytona)
61 - number of cautions in the first 11 races of 2012; includes 26 for accidents, 17 for debris and eight for spins
343 of 3,488 - number of laps under caution in 2012
438.071 of 4,233.118 - miles under caution in the first 11 races
(Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports and Dodge)(5-25-2012)

Stats & Facts Charlotte Motor Speedway:
· Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959.
· The track's first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960.
· The track was repaved midseason in 1994.
· The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe's Motor Speedway in 1999. It changed back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2010 season.
· The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.
· There have been 106 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year since the track opened in 1960. In 1961, there were two 100-mile qualifying points races held the week before the May race. The first six fall races at Charlotte were 400-mile events (1960-65).
· 39 drivers have posted poles, led by David Pearson with 14.
· Fireball Roberts won the pole for the first race, in 1960.
· David Pearson posted 11 straight poles at Charlotte from the fall of 1973 through 1978.
· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles, with nine. Jeff Gordon has eight.
· Jeff Gordon won five straight poles for the spring races between 1994 and 1998.
· 44 drivers have won races, led by Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson, with six each.
· Joe Lee Johnson won the first race, in 1960.
· There have been 13 back-to-back victories, including three consecutive by Fred Lorenzen (fall 1964 and both 1965) and four straight by Jimmie Johnson (both in 2004 and 2005).
· A NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race/Coca-Cola 600 sweep has occurred seven times: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison ('91), Dale Earnhardt ('93), Jeff Gordon ('97), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne ('08), Kurt Busch ('10).
· 14 races have been won from the pole, the last by Jimmie Johnson (October, 2009).
· Jimmie Johnson won the 2003 Coca-Cola 600 from the 37th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
· Joey Logano is the only driver with more than two Charlotte races to average top-10 finish (8.2).
· A number of active drivers earned their first win at CMS: Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears and David Reutimann. Inactive drivers David Pearson, Buddy Baker and Charlie Glotzbach also got their first series win at Charlotte.
(NASCAR)(5-22-2012)

For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Charlotte Motor Speedway Track News/Rumors/Links page

Kahne wins at Charlotte: #5-Kasey Kahne won the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his 1st win of the year, 4th at Charlotte, 3rd Coca Cola 600, his 1st win for Hendrick Motorsports and his 13th career win.
#11-Hamlin finished 2nd followed by #18-Busch, #16-Biffle [led most laps], #2-Keselowski, #88-Earnhardt Jr., #24-Gordon, #29-Harvick, #99-Edwards and #17-Kenseth
Pole sitter, #43-Almirola finished 16th. #10-Danica Patrick finished 20th in her third Sprint Cup start.
There were 5 cautions for 23 yellow flag laps. The race speed average was 156.696mph, the fastest Coca Cola 600 ever.. There were 31 lead changes among 11 drivers.
The estimated attendence was 140,000, down from 145,000 in 2011.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Charlotte Race Results page (pdf).(5-27-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Charlotte, race 12 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle [1 win], 453
2) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 443, -10
3) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 437, -16
4) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 435, -18
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 405, -48
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 404, -49
7) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 398, -55
8) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 391, -62
9) #14-Tony Stewart [2 wins], 388, -65
10) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 372, -81
Chase wild card drivers:
11) #2-Brad Keselowski [2 wins, 11th in points], 368, -85
12) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win, 13th in points], 337, -116
#5-Kasey Kahne [1 win, 15th in points], 330, -123
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(5-27-2012)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Dover:
#36 drops to 35th but is 45 points ahead of 36th, and that is a part time #21 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
33) #32-Sorenson/FAS Lane Racing, 172, +56
34) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 169, +53
35) #36-Blaney/Baldwin,161, +45 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 116, -45 from the top 35
37) #33-Leicht/Childress, 110, -51
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 92, -69
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings (pdf).(5-27-2012)

Race Fast Facts - Charlotte Motor Speedway:
#5-Kasey Kahne won the 53rd Annual COCA-COLA 600, his 13th victory in 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first victory and sixth top-10 finish in 2012.
This is his fourth victory and ninth top-10 finish in 17 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#11-Denny Hamlin (second) posted his seventh top-10 finish in 14 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his seventh top-10 finish in 2012.
#18-Kyle Busch (third) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 17 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#33-Stephen Leicht (39th) was the highest finishing rookie.
#16-Greg Biffle leads the point standings by 10 points over #17-Matt Kenseth.
The 53rd running of the Coca Cola 600 was the quickest-to-date at 3 hours, 51 minutes, 14 seconds. Prior to this event the quickest Coca-Cola 600 was 1995 at 3 hours, 56 minutes, 55 seconds.(NASCAR Statistics)(5-27-2012)

Charlotte Notes-n-Nuggets:
" #5-Kasey Kahne is the third driver to win in his 300th start, joining Rusty Wallace and Ned Jarrett.
" Kasey Kahne is the 16th different driver to win for Hendrick Motorsports; this is the fourth team for which he has won: Evernham Motorsports/Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports and Red Bull Racing.
" Kasey Kahne scored his fourth win at Charlotte in his 17th start; his third Coca-Cola 600 win ties Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon for most among active drivers.
" Kasey Kahne led six times for 96 laps, including the final 44.
" Hendrick Motorsports scored its 201st career win.
" Hendrick Motorsports has 17 Charlotte wins and 10 in the 600, both most among all organizations.
" Chevrolet has 40 Charlotte wins, most of all manufacturers, 21 in the 600, and five in 2012 (also most among all makes).
" #11-Denny Hamlin (second) posted his sixth top-five finish of 2012 and second consecutive runner-up; it's his best Charlotte finish in 14 races.
" #18-Kyle Busch (third) posted his ninth top-10 finish in the past 10 Charlotte races; it's his fifth consecutive top-10 of the season (fourth consecutive top-five).
" #16-Greg Biffle (fourth) led a race-high 204 laps and scored his seventh top-five finish of 2012; he had only three in all of 2011.
" #2-Brad Keselowski (fifth) posted his best Charlotte finish in his sixth start; he recovered from a speeding penalty earlier in the race.
" #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (sixth) posted his ninth top-10 finish of 2012; he had only 12 in all of 2011.
" #24-Jeff Gordon (seventh) scored only his third top-10 finish of 2012; he ended a four-race streak of finishes of 21st or worse.
" #48-Jimmie Johnson (11th) has finished in the top-12 in all but two races in 2012; he had a removing equipment penalty on Lap 354 while running third.
" The race speed of 155.696 mph set a record for the 600.(Racing Recall/nascar.com)(5-27-2012)

Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Charlotte: (and their finish)
Caution 1: #42-Montoya, 20th
Caution 2: #14-Stewart, 25th
Caution 3: #24-Gordon, 7th
Caution 4: #99-Edwards, 9th
Caution 5: #55-Martin, 34th
(5-27-2012)

Race Coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, 2012.
Television (TV): FOX at 6:00 pm/et; Pre-Race show at 5:30 pm/et; green flag approx 6:19pm/et
Radio: Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: on SPEED, Wednesday, May 30 at 12:00pm/et

Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway have been made.
Pole sitter #43-Almirola chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #9-Ambrose took pit stall 15, the first pitstall with an opening in front of it.
#48-Johnson, who starts 3rd took the 22nd pit stall, the 2nd stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #55-Martin, who starts 6th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(5-26-2012)

Links to results, practices, qualifying PDF's:
Official Race Report
Race Results
Drivers Points
Owners Points
Happy Hour Practice Speeds
Pitstalls
Practice 2 Speeds page
Starting Lineup
Qualifying Results
Practice 1 Speeds page

NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.

Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.

See Jayski's - 2012 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race

Happy Hour practice for the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 60 scheduled minutes, the top 10:
#2-Keselowski 183.69
#99-Edwards 183.349
#55-Martin 183.231
#48-Johnson 183.231
#20-Logano 182.921
#14-Stewart 182.908
#17-Kenseth 182.82
#22-Allmendinger 182.75
#51 Busch, 182.513
#56-Truex Jr., 182.445
slowest #32-Bell 175.970 and #87-Nemechek 176.783
no speed listed: #30-Stremme, #38-Gilliland and #47-Labonte.
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Charlotte Happy Hour Practice Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf's.(5-26-2012)

First Saturday practice for the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 55 scheduled minutes, the top five, slowest and any notes:
#11-Hamlin 186.24
#27-Menard 186.12
#99-Edwards 186.02
#18-Busch 185.97
#56-Truex Jr., 185.90
slowest #30-Stremme and #33-Leicht.
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Charlotte Practice 2 Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf's.(5-26-2012)

Almirola wins pole at Charlotte: #43-Aric Almirola won the Coors Light pole for the Coca Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 192.940mph for his 1st pole of 2012 and 1st career pole. #9-Amrose was 2nd fastest [and makes it an all RPM front row] followed by #48-Johnson, #16-Biffle, #15-Bowyer, #55-Martin, #5-Kahne, #11-Hamlin, #27-Menard and #78-Smith.
#51-Busch wrecked on his first qualifying lap, spinning off turn 2 and nosing in to the inside wall, Busch will start 42nd and go to a backup car, falling to the rear of the field before the start of the race on Sunday. #10-Danica Patrick will start 40th.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #21-Bayne, #74-Whitt, #98-McDowell, #26-Wise, #33-Leicht, #30-Stremme, #95-Speed & #87-Nemechek.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (4): #19-Bliss, #73-Reutimann, #49-Yeley, #23-Riggs.
See qualifying results & starting lineup on the Charlotte Qualifying / Starting Lineup Page.(5-24-2012)

Qualifying Fast Facts -Charlotte Motor Speedway:
#43-Aric Almirola won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 53rd Annual COCA-COLA 600 with a lap of 27.988 seconds, 192.940 mph.
This is his first pole in 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his first pole and third top-10 start in 2012.
This is his first pole in one races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#9-Marcos Ambrose (second) posted his fourth top-10 start of 2012 and his first in seven races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
#48-Jimmie Johnson (third) posted his 19th top-10 start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It is his seventh in 12 races this season.
#26-Josh Wise (33rd) was the fastest qualifying rookie. (NASCAR Statistics)(5-24-2012)

Coverage of Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 7:10pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 7:00pm/et
Radio online at: PRN Live Streaming
Scheduled Qualifying Re-Air: 10:30pm/et

Qualifying Order for the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted. 47 cars/drivers are listed.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #23-Riggs, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #9-Ambrose, who WON practice [was fastest in first practice].
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Charlotte Qualifying Page.(5-24-2012)

Rain Out Procedures: the rain-out qualifying procedure for all three NASCAR national series is as follows: If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.

Thursday practice for the Coca Cola 60 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over, after 90 scheduled minutes, the top-5, slowest and any notes:
#9-Ambrose 189.215
#83-Cassill 189.182
#22-Allmendinger 188.409
#16-Biffle 188.344
#15-Bowyer 188.016
slowest: #23-Riggs 181.843 & #49-Yeley 182.822
See fastest speeds, best ten-lap averages, laps run and more on the Charlotte Practice 1 Speeds (pdf), no average speeds all laps and NOT changing back to the old way, just posting the pdf's.(5-24-2012)

Go-or-go homers rank in practice for the Coca Cola 60 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. These drivers are not in the top-35 of team owners points and must qualify by speed for the race, eight will make the race and four will miss the race.
If things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#21-Trevor Bayne, 15th fastest overall
#74-Cole Whitt, 29th
#30-David Stremme, 30th
#98-Michael McDowell, 36th
#73-David Reutimann, 37th
#95-Scott Speed, 38th
#33-Stephen Leicht#, 39th
#26-Josh Wise#, 41st
If things stay the same, these four drivers would miss the race:
#19-Mike Bliss, 43rd
#87-Joe Nemechek, 44th
#49-J.J. Yeley, 46th
#23-Scott Riggs, 47th/last
(5-24-2012)

The Entry List for the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted, 47 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Danica Patrick is back in the #10 Chevy, Reutimann moves to the #73
T.J. Bell is in the #32 this week.
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#19-Mike Bliss (47/6)
#21-Trevor Bayne (37/4)(2011 race winner)
#23-Scott Riggs (43/11)
#26-Josh Wise (40/11)
#30-David Stremme (38/11)
#33-Stephen Leicht (36/11)
#49-J.J. Yeley (39/11)
#73-David Reutimann (54/1)
#74-Cole Whitt (46/7)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/11)
#95-Scott Speed (53/2)
#98-Michael McDowell (41/11)
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 21,33,30,49,26,98,87,23
missing the race would be [4]: #'s 74,19,95,73
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Charlotte Entry List.(5-21-2012)

Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Charlotte:
#83 remains in 35th but is now 49 points ahead of the #33 team.
Rank) Car#-Driver/Team, owners pts, +/-
32) #32-Sorenson/FAS Lane Racing, 159, +54
33) #36-Blaney/Baldwin, 157, +52
34) #10-Reutimann-Patrick/Baldwin, 155, +50
35) #83-Cassill/BK Racing, 154, +49 ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #33-Leicht/Childress, 105, -49 from the top 35
37) #21-Bayne/Wood Bros., 96, -58
38) #30-Stremme/Inception, 86, -68
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see the Owners Points Standings page (pdf).(5-12-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings:
[after Darlington, race 11 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle [1 win], 411
2) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 409, -2
3) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 397, -16
4) #11-Denny Hamlin [2 wins], 394, -17
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson [1 win], 372, -39
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 372, -39
7) #14-Tony Stewart [2 wins], 369, -42
8) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 361, -50
9) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 349, -62
10) #15-Clint Bowyer [0 wins], 337, -74
Chase wild card drivers:
11) #2-Brad Keselowski [2 wins, 12th in points], 328, -83
12) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win, 13th in points], 307, -104
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings page (pdf).(5-12-2012)

Chassis selections for Charlotte: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? some teams do not report what chassis in the race previews, press releases of websites.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat team will bring Chassis #1208 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis has raced this season at Las Vegas and Kansas, finishing eighth and 14th, respectively.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-826 during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is a brand new chassis to the #2 fleet.
#5-Kasey Kahne: crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-724. This is a new car that has not been tested or raced.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 735 for this weekend's NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Dewalt Ford was run previously this season at Las Vegas and Texas.
#14-Tony Stewart: and crew chief Steve Addington are bringing Chassis No. 14-706 debuted in spectacular fashion in March at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-706 from its ninth-place starting spot to lead twice for 42 laps en route to the win in the rain-shortened race. Prior to Fontana, the car spent numerous hours in the wind tunnel. It is a clone to Chassis No. 14-640, which won Round No. 3 at Las Vegas. Its second start in April at Kansas, was a bit quieter than its debut race, as it started 23rd and gained 10 spots to finish 13th.
#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary Chassis No. 716 started fifth and finished sixth at Las Vegas and started eighth and finished 36th at Kansas. Bowyer was racing in the fifth position at Kansas when he lost a cylinder and was forced to the garage for repairs. Chassis No. 721 is the backup and previously served backup duty at Las Vegas, California, Texas, Kansas, Darlington and last weekend's All-Star Race at Charlotte but never raced.
#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 Fastenal team is bringing primary chassis RK-809 is the same car Biffle qualified third, led 90 laps and won with at Texas. Biffle's #16 Ford will be part of a three-car Fastenal fleet. Kenseth and Edwards will also be running similar patriotic themed Fastenal Fords.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-741 at Charlotte, which last ran at Kansas. Kenseth will pilot the #17 Fastenal Ford Fusion.
#22-A.J. Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be racing their "PRS-825" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 action at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is a brand new car in the #22 Penske Racing Team stable of Dodge Chargers. The "PRS-814" chassis will serve as the backup. It is a new Dodge Charger and has yet to make it onto a race track.
#24-Jeff Gordon: the team has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-718 which finished 21st at Kansas earlier this year.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 328 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. This #27 Menards / Serta Chevy was last seen on track at Phoenix in March where Menard finished 31st after he was spun from behind. This chassis was also used in competition in 2011 at Las Vegas, Darlington and the November event at Phoenix.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will pilot Chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This chassis was used in competition last season by the #29 team at Michigan in August, Charlotte in October and Homestead in November where Harvick finished 22nd, sixth and eighth, respectively.
#31-Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #31 Wheaties Chevy, originally built in 2011, has been utilized once during the 2012 NSCS season at Kansas in April where Burton started 12th and finished 22nd. This chassis has seen significant track time including visits to Indianapolis in July 2011 (started-13th, finished-35th), Atlanta in September 2011 (started-27th, finished-13th) and Kansas in October 2011 (started-31st, finished-21st). Burton also tallied a top-10 finish at Homestead last November, finishing 10th after starting 31st with this car.
#36-Dave Blaney will pilot the No. 297 chassis. Teammate David Reutimann drove the chassis at Phoenix, Martinsville and Richmond this season. TBR debuted chassis No. 297 with Blaney at Texas in November 2011. Blaney also piloted the chassis at Homestead in the 2011 NSCS Season Finale where he finished 28th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing during the 2011 season.
#39-Ryan Newman Chassis No. 39-727 is new to the #39 stable and will turn its first-ever laps on-track Thursday for practice for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The chassis has been wind-tunnel tested.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Chris 'Sunshine' Heroy and the #42 Target / NASCAR Unites team will bring Chassis #1205 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis raced to a 12th-place finish at Kansas this season.
#43-Aric Almirola:: The #43 U.S. Air Force will run chassis number 783 for the Charlotte race. This car ran earlier this season at Texas and Las Vegas.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: Chassis No. 714 serves as the primary for Johnson for the 600-miler. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup.
#51-Kurt Busch This weekend's Coca-Cola 600 will be the third race of the 2012 season for Chassis No. 665. This is the same car the #51 Phoenix Racing team competed with at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in late April. Busch qualified 14th and competed in the top-five for the majority of the race before an engine problem in the closing laps relegated the team to a 17th-place finish. The chassis was also used at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, when Busch earned a season-best starting position of 12th and competed in the top-10 during the early portion of the race. Pit-road issues and an eventual accident resulted in a 35th-place finish. The car was built in 2011 and was used only once last season  the June race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where driver Landon Cassill scored a 12th-place finish after starting 12th.
#55-Mark Martin: will drive MWR chassis 732 and the backup is Chassis 708, neither has raced in 2012. Mark Martin will have special pit crew members Sunday. Aaron's NHRA top fuel drag racer Antron Brown and 2011 Funny Car champion Matt Hagan will man the signboard during pit stops.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-668. Earnhardt won the Sprint Showdown last weekend in this chassis and went on to a fifth-place finish in the Sprint All-Star race.
#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal crew will be bringing chassis RK-811 to CMS. This car was new at Texas in April where Edwards finished eighth.
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(5-24-2012)

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,500, Right-side -- 1,500;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 500, Right-side -- 500

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 13 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for the event

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4428; Right-side -- D-4552

Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.5 in. (2,223 mm);
Right-side -- 88.4 in. (2,246 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 54 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Charlotte this week . . . these are the same tire codes that were run in the Sprint All-Star and Camping World Truck Series races at Charlotte last weekend . . .for Nationwide teams, this is the same left-side tire code (D-4428) they ran at Charlotte last season, but this is a new right-side code (D-4552) . . . compared to what was run at Charlotte last year, this right-side features just a slight construction change . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Charlotte . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.