Who has the best shot to stop the Joe Gibbs Racing dominance?
If the racing we saw last Saturday in both the Sprint Showdown and the Sprint All Star race are any indicator of what we can expect Sunday, then I think we are in for a very special Coca-Cola 600.
The thing I always caution folks about is to remember that these race teams naturally approach the Coke 600 a lot different than they do the Sprint All-Star Race.
The goal is obviously still the same -- which is to win the race, the trophy and the big check, but you have to approach it differently.
The All-Star Race was broken into segments, where as the 600 is our longest race of the year. The only breaks in the action we'll see will come from yellow flags, and even then the action never totally stops.
Last Saturday was all about doing whatever you had to do to finish first in that last 13-lap shootout. Sunday's goal is being able to survive 600 grueling miles, where both you and your car have to be in position at the end to win.
Probably the biggest question going into late Sunday afternoon is can anybody break the Joe Gibbs Racing stranglehold on every race track, not just the 1.5-mile race tracks like Charlotte Motor Speedway. The other storyline, which is still tied to JGR, is can Kyle Busch finally get his first point's race win at Charlotte?
If he did, it would whittle the number of tracks he has not won at on the circuit to just one. The irony of that is the one remaining track for him would be Pocono, where we race next Sunday afternoon.
I'm also really curious to see how Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team will do at Charlotte. He used to own this place. As of late however, that has changed -- finishing 40th in the Coke 600 and 39th in the fall race last year.
Yes, Jimmie already has two wins this season, but honestly, I'm not seeing the consistency out of that team every week like I am used to seeing. I think we will be watching Jimmie's teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as Kevin Harvick on Sunday.
Also, how can we discount the 1-2 finish Team Penske finish last Saturday night?
I was astounded that it marked the first time in All-Star Race history that an organization finished first and second. So you better keep an eye on Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski in the 600 as well.
So, we basically have our normal cast of characters I expect to be up front, but again this is the longest race of the year. That extra 100 miles comes into play both physically and mentally for the driver, plus the wear-and-tear on the car.
Which driver, crew chief and team can keep up with the changes the track will go through in that 600 miles is a big question.
But, the biggest question continues to be, who can stop the Joe Gibbs Racing juggernaut?
