Charlotte Coca Cola 600: Fantasy NASCAR “Mid Pack” Projections

Jeff Gordon – Charlotte is a track that was once on my “Avoid Jeff Gordon At All Costs” list. He’s had some really bad performances in the past but in the late 2000′s he strung together good finishes. Based on his bad luck intangible I wouldn’t flirt with the possibility of picking him in the longest race of the season. It’s just more time for him to have problems. In the last three Charlotte races Gordon’s finished 23rd, 20th and 21st. Gordon’s had good performances on intermediate tracks this year but many of them have been spoiled (Kansas – looked good but had engine problems, Auto Club – had a top ten run going but a pit road mistake ruined his day). Texas is the most similar track visited and Gordon avoided problems in that race and finished 4th. His luck was even bad in that race because he never got the caution he needed to position himself for the win.

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Jamie McMurray – Jamie McMurray has two wins at Charlotte which both came in the fall race. In the 2010 Coca Cola 600 McMurray finished 2nd and led 65 laps. Last year in the Coca Cola 600 McMurray 37th due to engine problems. McMurray was good in this race though. He started in the back and drove all the way to the front. He led 5 laps and his Yahoo! race chart is pretty impressive. At high-speed intermediate tracks this year he’s finished in the top fourteen in every race except for California (got a pit road penalty).

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Joey Logano – Charlotte Motor Speedway is Joey Logano’s best track. He’s raced here six times and has four top ten finishes and a worst finish of 13th. Since 2009 Logano has the second best average finish in the series (8.2) and is one of only two drivers who finished in the top fifteen in every race in this span. The only other driver who accomplished this feat is Matt Kenseth. Logano’s no slouch in the races either. His average running position is 13th and only four drivers have him beat in this stat. I do have concerns though. My concerns are rooted in how he’s performed on this track type this season. His finishes on earlier visited high-speed intermediates are 16th (Las Vegas), 24th (Auto Club), 19th (Texas) and 15th (Kansas).