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After a thrilling start to the NASCAR playoffs the schedule transitions back to the home track of NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s the second 1.5-mile track of the playoffs, after Chicago in the opening week. Charlotte however is a different layout than that of Chicagoland being that Charlotte is a quad-oval. With the track distance being what it is, there is a lot more recent track-type data to pull from than at other distances. In the last four races here overall the laps led have been dominated by one car with a second one picking up a bulk of the remaining. However before that recent stretch, they were reasonably spread out over several drivers.
Track Data
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Avg. | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Top 20s | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 8.2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 756 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 124.3 | 3.2 | 189 | 37.80 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 10.4 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 197 | 0 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 105.3 | -9.6 | 49.25 | 9.85 |
| Austin Dillon | 18.8 | 13.6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 87.9 | 5.2 | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| Joey Logano | 8 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 248 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 100.5 | -8 | 62 | 12.40 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5.8 | 10.2 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 115 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 1 | 107.2 | -4.4 | 28.75 | 5.75 |
| Matt Kenseth | 10 | 11.8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 103 | 2 | 2 | 42 | 1 | 98.5 | -1.8 | 25.75 | 5.15 |
| Kevin Harvick | 5.8 | 11.8 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 83 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 1 | 106.7 | -6 | 20.75 | 4.15 |
| Kurt Busch | 13.6 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 119 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 102.2 | 6.6 | 29.75 | 5.95 |
| Ryan Newman | 16.2 | 8.8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 85.1 | 7.4 | 0.25 | 0.05 |
| Brad Keselowski | 10.8 | 13.4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 39 | 1 | 84.6 | -2.6 | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| Kyle Busch | 8.2 | 14.4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 68 | 0 | 2 | 33 | 1 | 101.3 | -6.2 | 17 | 3.40 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 17.8 | 13.75 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 87.2 | 4.05 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Larson | 25.6 | 19.4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 33 | 1 | 83.8 | 6.2 | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| Kasey Kahne | 23.6 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 2 | 64.9 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jamie McMurray | 20.4 | 14.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 77.1 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Aric Almirola | 20.8 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 26 | 0 | 70.2 | 3.8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chase Elliott | 11.5 | 24.25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 103 | 0 | 8 | 38 | 2 | 76.8 | -12.75 | 25.75 | 6.44 |
| Erik Jones | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 94.6 | -2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Clint Bowyer | 22.6 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 23 | 0 | 68.2 | 5.6 | 0.75 | 0.15 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 17 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 37 | 0 | 69.7 | -3 | 0.5 | 0.10 |
| Paul Menard | 20.8 | 22.8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 36 | 1 | 66.4 | -2 | 1 | 0.20 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 18.8 | 23.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 37 | 1 | 67.1 | -4.4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Danica Patrick | 18.2 | 19.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 25 | 0 | 60.4 | -1.4 | 1.75 | 0.35 |
| Michael McDowell | 26.4 | 25.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 34 | 0 | 49.6 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ryan Blaney | 15 | 26.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 42 | 1 | 74.4 | -11.2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Trevor Bayne | 23 | 21.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 27 | 0 | 58.1 | 1.4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Chris Buescher | 25.7 | 24.33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 37 | 0 | 54.3 | 1.37 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Daniel Suarez | 20 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 83.4 | 9 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Landon Cassill | 32.4 | 27.2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 39 | 0 | 45.8 | 5.2 | 0 | 0.00 |
| David Ragan | 24.6 | 31 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 41 | 2 | 53.5 | -6.4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 34 | 31.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 37 | 1 | 37.9 | 2.6 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Jeffrey Earnhardt | 38.3 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 40 | 1 | 27.4 | 3.3 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Gray Gaulding | 32 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 38.9 | 5 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Cole Whitt | 36.4 | 32.4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 38 | 2 | 35.7 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Reed Sorenson | 39 | 33.25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 40 | 1 | 31.8 | 5.75 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Timmy Hill | 36 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 33.7 | 7 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Brett Moffitt | 38.5 | 30.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 31 | 0 | 38.3 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Corey LaJoie | 40 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 32 | 1 | 40.3 | 8 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Ty Dillon | 27 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 36 | 1 | 41.7 | -9 | 0 | 0.00 |
| B.J. McLeod | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Top-15 Drivers at Charlotte Historically
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | ||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Top 20s | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 8.1 | 12.72 | 32 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 24 | 1,930 | 4 | 1 | 40 | 5 | -4.62 | 482.5 | 15.08 |
| Kasey Kahne | 12.6 | 13.59 | 27 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 1,106 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 3 | -0.99 | 276.5 | 10.24 |
| Kevin Harvick | 15.7 | 15.18 | 33 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 379 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 2 | 0.52 | 94.75 | 2.87 |
| Matt Kenseth | 16.3 | 13.39 | 36 | 2 | 12 | 20 | 29 | 704 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 6 | 2.91 | 176 | 4.89 |
| Jamie McMurray | 22.2 | 16.23 | 30 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 279 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 3 | 5.97 | 69.75 | 2.33 |
| Kurt Busch | 19.5 | 17.56 | 34 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 624 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 4 | 1.94 | 156 | 4.59 |
| Joey Logano | 12.9 | 11.76 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 251 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 0 | 1.14 | 62.75 | 3.69 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 17 | 15.67 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 765 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 1.33 | 191.25 | 7.97 |
| Brad Keselowski | 16.4 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 217 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 2 | 1.4 | 54.25 | 3.39 |
| Clint Bowyer | 17.3 | 17.09 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 119 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 1 | 0.21 | 29.75 | 1.29 |
| Austin Dillon | 20.9 | 13.86 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 7.04 | 2.25 | 0.32 |
| Kyle Busch | 12.4 | 14.96 | 27 | 0 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 971 | 2 | 2 | 39 | 6 | -2.56 | 242.75 | 8.99 |
| Denny Hamlin | 11.2 | 12.79 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 19 | 302 | 1 | 2 | 42 | 2 | -1.59 | 75.5 | 3.15 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 15.6 | 18.76 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 22 | 360 | 1 | 3 | 42 | 4 | -3.16 | 90 | 2.65 |
| Ryan Newman | 9.4 | 17.06 | 33 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 278 | 9 | 2 | 43 | 5 | -7.66 | 69.5 | 2.11 |
Top-15 Drivers at 1.5-mile Tracks (since Feb. 2015)
| Avg. | Avg. | Laps | High | Low | Difference | Laps Led | Laps Led | |||||||||
| Driver | Start | Finish | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Top 20s | Led | Poles | Finish | Finish | DNF | Rating | Pts. | Pts. | Pts./race |
| Jimmie Johnson | 14.4 | 13.41 | 32 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 25 | 771 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 3 | 100.2 | 0.99 | 192.75 | 6.02 |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 7.3 | 7.91 | 32 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 31 | 2,024 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 116.5 | -0.61 | 506 | 15.81 |
| Kyle Busch | 9.4 | 8.39 | 28 | 4 | 14 | 19 | 26 | 827 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 108.7 | 1.01 | 206.75 | 7.38 |
| Brad Keselowski | 6.3 | 10.59 | 32 | 3 | 11 | 25 | 28 | 1,043 | 4 | 1 | 39 | 4 | 102.7 | -4.29 | 260.75 | 8.15 |
| Joey Logano | 6.5 | 11.03 | 32 | 2 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 908 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 3 | 103.4 | -4.53 | 227 | 7.09 |
| Kevin Harvick | 6.8 | 8.84 | 32 | 2 | 16 | 27 | 29 | 1,710 | 6 | 1 | 42 | 2 | 115.3 | -2.04 | 427.5 | 13.36 |
| Denny Hamlin | 8.9 | 13.94 | 32 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 360 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 4 | 93.4 | -5.04 | 90 | 2.81 |
| Austin Dillon | 16.1 | 19 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 21 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 3 | 77.8 | -2.9 | 3.5 | 0.11 |
| Kyle Larson | 16.2 | 16.34 | 32 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 20 | 321 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 3 | 90.6 | -0.14 | 80.25 | 2.51 |
| Matt Kenseth | 10.8 | 11.06 | 31 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 27 | 477 | 3 | 2 | 42 | 2 | 98 | -0.26 | 119.25 | 3.85 |
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 17.6 | 13 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 0 | 87.9 | 4.6 | 2.5 | 0.10 |
| Chase Elliott | 13.2 | 15.91 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 228 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 4 | 91.5 | -2.71 | 57 | 2.59 |
| Kurt Busch | 10.1 | 11.23 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 27 | 342 | 3 | 3 | 34 | 2 | 94.1 | -1.13 | 85.5 | 2.85 |
| Ryan Newman | 13.9 | 14.78 | 32 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 24 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 2 | 81 | -0.88 | 7.25 | 0.23 |
| Kasey Kahne | 19 | 17.78 | 32 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 43 | 4 | 77.3 | 1.22 | 2 | 0.06 |
Drivers to watch this week
Martin Truex Jr.: Truex continues to be one of the hottest drivers on the track and now we head to one of his best tracks recently. Everyone remembers the dominant performance he had in last year’s .jpg)
Coca-Cola 600 when he led 394 laps of 400. He also led 233 in the same race this season, before finishing third. He has two other top-fives for a total of four in the last five races with 756 laps led and the best average finish of P5 in that span. He is the most expensive driver this week, but he’s still cheaper than he was last week at Dover.
Jimmie Johnson: JJ has been up and down here recently with a win, two top-fives, two top-10s, and 197 laps led in the last five races. His win is great, but he also has a 40th place finish and a DNF. Overall he has the most wins (eight), the most top-fives (15), the second-most top-10s (19), second-most top-20s (24), and most laps led (1,930) in his career over 32 races. He is the defending winner of this particular race and is coming off a good race at Dover, which he has said helps him do well at Charlotte.
Kyle Busch: Charlotte is one of the few tracks that Kyle hasn’t one a points-race at in his career, though he did win the All-Star race there this year. Busch has a top-five, two top-10s, and four top-20s at Charlotte recently, and 11 top-fives in 27 career races. He also has the third most laps led in the field, career-wise, with 971 in those races. Busch continues to be the fastest car on the track over the last several weeks, and this week shouldn’t be any different, though a win may not be in his future.
Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has three top-fives and four top-10s in the last five races with 115 laps led in that span. He also has the second-best driver rating of 107.2. Denny, like Kyle, hasn’t won here in a points-race but he has similar overall stats to Busch in a few less races. In scheme of things, he is lower on the totem pole this week than the three listed above him but, that doesn’t mean he’s not worth a look if he shows speed in practice.
Kasey Kahne: Kahne was eliminated from the playoffs last week but that doesn’t mean he still can’t do well this coming Sunday. As his time with Hendrick winds down, he get to race at a track that he’s won at four times with 10 top-fives in his career. In the last five races he has a top-five and a top-10 and two top-20s. Kahne has also led the second-most laps in the field, only to Jimmy Johnson and both of them are over 1,100 for their careers. Those kind of numbers and a desire to win one last time before switching teams, could be enough upside for Kahne this weekend.