|
|
Odds and Ends - Charlotte
October 7, 2008
By VI News
VegasInsider.com
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
History
Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway, as Lowe’s Motor Speedway was then known, in 1959.
The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960.
The first NASCAR Nationwide Series race was May 29, 1982.
The track was repaved mid-season in 1994.
The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1999.
The first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at LMS was on May 16, 2003.
The 2003 fall race was the first race at LMS to be run completely at night.
The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.
Notebook
There have been 99 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Lowe’s 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).
37 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 Lowe’s from the fall of 1973 through 1978.
Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers in poles, with seven.
Jeff Gordon won five straight poles for the spring race between 1994 and 1998.
41 drivers have won races, led by Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip with six each.
Joe Lee Johnson won the first race, in 1960.
Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson lead all active drivers in victories, each with five.
There have been 13 back-to-back victories, including three in a row by Fred Lorenzen (fall 1964 and both 1965) and four straight by Jimmie Johnson (both in 2004 and 2005).
A sweep has occurred eight times, including three of the past four seasons: Jimmie Johnson (2004 and 2005) and Kasey Kahne (2006).
Hendrick Motorsports has won 14 races, more than any other organization.
13 races at Lowe’s have been won from the pole.
Jimmie Johnson won the 2003 Coca-Cola 600 from the 37th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
Maybe it’s time for Junior?
Hendrick Motorsports has won seven of the past 11 races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Three different HMS drivers have won there since 2002, including sweeps in 2004 and 2005 by Jimmie Johnson and a company sweep last season by Casey Mears and Jeff Gordon.
NASCAR in North Carolina; Now that’s a List!
There have been 507 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in North Carolina.
408 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as North Carolina; 342 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
There have been 42 race winners from North Carolina in NASCAR’s three national series; 28 in the
Lowe’s Motor Speedway Data
Race #: 31 of 36 (10-11-08)
Track Size: 1.5 miles
Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
Banking/Straights: 5 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,980 feet
Backstretch: 1,500 feet
Driver Rating at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Jimmie Johnson 116.5
Kyle Busch 98.7
Kasey Kahne 98.4
Mark Martin 91.5
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 89.7
Carl Edwards 88.2
Matt Kenseth 87.6
Greg Biffle 87.0
Jeff Burton 86.6
Brian Vickers 86.1
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2008 races (7 total) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2007 pole winner: Ryan Newman (189.394 mph, 28.512 seconds)
2007 race winner: Jeff Gordon, 125.868 mph, 10-13-07)
Qualifying record: Elliott Sadler (193.216 mph, 27.948 secs., 10-13-05)
500-mile race record: Jeff Gordon (160.306 mph, 10-11-99)
Estimated Pit Window: Every 50-55 laps, based on fuel mileage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
VI GOLD Membership
Get winning picks from our full roster of handicappers for all sports and receive a 20% discount on all Daily Pick Packs. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
