Good morning everyone and welcome to Charlotte. I hope everyone is ready for the marathon that is the Coca-Cola 600. This is a test not only of the driver's endurance, but also the endurance of his equipment. I love this race because so many changes happen during the course of the event. From day racing transitioning into the night racing, to fuel strategies, and so on. There is no better way to cap off this holiday weekend. Let's get to it.
In the "A" group this weekend, you have a bunch of good drivers who usually fare well at Charlotte to choose from out of the "A" group. Of course the 48 and the 24 will be strong. The 18 and the 99 should be good. But did you guys see how quickly the 14 and his team mate shot to the front at the end of the All Star event. I know it was only the All Star event and not the main show, but that was impressive. I am looking to pair the 14 with probably the 24 or 48 this weekend.
In the "B" group, like I said in the previous paragraph, I was really impressed with what Tony in the 14 and Ryan in the 39 did last Saturday night. I think they are hitting their stride with that team, and I look for good things from the 39 in this spot as well. The 2 and the 5 will be strong. For my dark horse out of this group, I am leaning towards the 1.
In the "C" group, I really like how the 77 and the 12 are running right now, so they are definite start possibilities. But I think I am leaning towards starting the 20 and the 43. I believe they are going to end up with quality finishes Sunday night.
Good luck to everyone and I hope you have a safe holiday weekend.
DJ
Posted In: Dale Jarrett's Expert Analysis