Edwards Wins Coca-Cola 600 With Mileage Gamble

The winning car in Victory Circle

(CONCORD, NC – MAY 24, 2015) Carl Edwards used a gutsy call by crew chief Darian Grubb to trust fuel mileage on his way to winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The win came in the manufacturer's 300th NASCAR Sprint Cup start and in the 300th win for Toyota in national touring series races.

The longest day of racing started at the luxurious confines of the Principality of Monaco, moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, then to Concord, NC for the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Pole winner Matt Kenseth got jumped at the start by Carl Edwards, who led the first two laps before Kenseth's car retook the lead. A competition yellow on lap 25 scrambled the field after Matt Kenseth retook the lead, holding it until he pitted, allowing David Gilliland to lead for a single lap. Joey Logano led after the pit stops, then Denny Hamlin led for 20 laps. On his first pit stop, Brad Keselowski's car dragged the fuel can out of his pit, drawing a penalty. This early in the race, the penalty really meant little as he was racing for the lead late in the 400-lap grind.

Jimmie Johnson brought out the first "real" caution of the race with a snap spin in the fourth turn on lap 91. Johnson's woes continued when he spun in almost the exact same place on lap 329 but this time, hit the pit wall, sending the No. 48 Chevy behind the wall for repairs. "For us the car was just really loose," said Johnson. "It was fast, but as soon as I would get close to somebody else my car would bug out and get so edgy. [I] Lost it twice, about had it saved both times. Once we would get in clean air and get strung out I could fly up through the field and went from last to fifth there. Then I had a lap car on the outside and a car I had been stalking on the bottom and then I tried to roll into the top behind the lap car. The thing just bugged out in the dirty air and around it went again."

Johnson said that the team approached the race "with an aggressive mindset to bring an aggressive set-up in the car, drive aggressively and take chances. We just don't have anything to lose." Johnson added that the team was "going to come in and swing for the fences. We did and I hit the fence.

"I could see the SAFER barrier and I could see that opening and I could see the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) pit. I was frightened I was going to get through that hole. It wouldn't have been pretty for me, but to have teams and stuff there that was something I was staring at sliding for a long ways. I was very thankful the SAFER barrier was there and wish we could find a way to extend a wall out and redirect the car away from that opening or close that opening up."

Last week's winner Denny Hamlin ceded the lead to Martin Truex on lap 363 by pitting with what he felt was a loose wheel. Truex went on to finish fifth in spite of the green-flag pit stop.Hamlin also reported a migraine headache in the car and was carried to the track medical facility following the race. He reported later that he felt "a lot better now. I knew when my knee was sore afterwards that it was probably fluids. My off-day was 36 holes of golf and a full tennis match," added Hamlin. "I think the dehydration led to a migraine and just felt nauseous the last 100 laps or so." He added that: "when the race is over and everything comes to a stop you realize how bad you feel."

Justin Allgaier wrecked on lap 137 to bring out the yellow flag, followed by Trevor Bayne's brush with the outside wall in turn four. Ryan Blaney's engine failed in a spectacular smoke cloud to cause the longest caution period of the race at nine laps. Michael Annett brought out another caution for his spin on the back straight and the eighth and final caution flew for debris in the fourth turn of the track.

Matt Kenseth, in the No. 20 JGR Toyota, finished fourth. Fellow JGR racer Denny Hamlin reported to his crew that he needed something for a headache after the race and was checked at the track medical center following the race. After a diagnosis of dehydration and some IV fluids, he came to the Media Center to congratulate his teammate. Hamlin finished eighth and the fourth Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Kyle Busch, finished in eleventh place.

"I feel pretty good. All in all, I felt like that was a great race for us," said 'Rowdy.' "We ran really strong. We ran up front, and we showed we had some speed. But sometimes you do win these things by fuel‑mileage races, so congratulations to our teammates, Carl (Edwards) and Matt (Kenseth). They finished up front there. But all in all, I can't say enough about everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing, everyone pulling for me and cheering for me and helping me get back into this race car, and to get out there and have a strong run means a lot."

Greg Biffle finished second, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr in spite of nearly running out of fuel: "I wasn't sure I was gonna stretch two laps of gas out, but it was probably on the straightaway it sucked some air and started flashing the fuel pressure, so I was able to run it around the corners and didn't have any more issues, but I stayed in front of the 88 and finished second and it's a big boost for the team, but probably a bigger boost for the team was how we ran tonight on the race track."

"JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) is back and these Toyotas are great," said Edwards. "I was the slowest of the group tonight and I just had the best guys on the pit box here and did a great job. Subway – I will be having a Coke along with my sub sandwich this week and guacamole on that. "

Unofficial Race Results: 56th Annual COCA-COLA 600

Fin, St, Driver, Car, Lap, Pts, BPts, TLd, LLd, Status
1) 3, Carl Edwards, No. 19 Subway Toyota, 400, 47, 4, 3, 25, Running
2) 4, Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ortho Ford, 400, 42, , , , Running
3) 15, Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet, 400, 41, , , , Running
4) 1, Matt Kenseth, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota, 400, 41, 1, 2, 26, Running
5) 10, Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet, 400, 41, 2, 4, 131, Running
6) 19, Ryan Newman, No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, 400, 38, , , , Running
7) 6, Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, 400, 38, 1, 2, 3, Running
8) 5, Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, 400, 37, 1, 2, 53, Running
9) 8, Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevrolet, 400, 36, 1, 3, 26, Running
10) 14, Kurt Busch, No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet, 400, 35, 1, 3, 118, Running
11) 17, Kyle Busch, No. 18 Skittles Toyota, 400, 33, , , , Running
12) 33, Kasey Kahne, No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet, 400, 32, , , , Running
13) 2, Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, 400, 32, 1, 2, 17, Running
14) 23, Paul Menard, No. 27 Serta/Menards Chevrolet, 400, 30, , , , Running
15) 18, Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, 400, 29, , , , Running
16) 11, Austin Dillon, No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet, 400, 28, , , , Running
17) 21, Aric Almirola, No. 43 United States Air Force Ford, 399, 27, , , , Running
18) 28, Chase Elliott(i), No. 25 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, 399, 0, , , , Running
19) 22, Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Cessna/McDonald's Chevrolet, 399, 25, , , , Running
20) 24, Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Cherry5hrEnrgy/SpclOprtnsWarriorFndtn Toyota, 399, 24, , , , Running
21) 12, Tony Stewart, No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, 399, 23, , , , Running
22) 20, Danica Patrick, No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet, 398, 22, , , , Running
23) 34, Casey Mears, No. 13 GEICO Military Chevrolet, 398, 21, , , , Running
24) 26, Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Twisted Tea Ford, 398, 20, , , , Running
25) 9, Kyle Larson, No. 42 Target Chevrolet, 398, 19, , , , Running
26) 31, Alex Bowman, No. 7 Culer Chevrolet, 397, 18, , , , Running
27) 27, Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford, 397, 17, , , , Running
28) 37, Cole Whitt, No. 35 Speed Stick Ford, 396, 16, , , , Running
29) 30, AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Scott Products Chevrolet, 395, 15, , , , Running
30) 25, Michael McDowell, No. 95 Thrivent Financial Ford, 394, 14, , , , Running
31) 40, Brett Moffitt #, No. 34 CSX/Play It Safe Ford, 393, 13, , , , Running
32) 36, Michael Annett, No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet, 393, 12, , , , Running
33) 39, David Gilliland, No. 38 Love's Travel Stops Ford, 392, 12, 1, 1, 1, Running
34) 42, Matt DiBenedetto #, No. 83 Dustless Blasting Toyota, 392, 10, , , , Running
35) 38, Josh Wise, No. 98 RoyalTeakCollection.com Ford, 392, 9, , , , Running
36) 43, Alex Kennedy #, No. 33 HonorandRemember.org Chevrolet, 389, 8, , , , Running
37) 29, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Fastenal Ford, 382, 7, , , , Running
38) 41, JJ Yeley(i), No. 23 Hope for the Warriors Toyota, 377, 0, , , , Engine
39) 32, Landon Cassill(i), No. 40 Snap Fitness Chevrolet, 375, 0, , , , Running
40) 13, Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet, 370, 4, , , , Running
41) 7, David Ragan, No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, 353, 3, , , , Engine
42) 16, Ryan Blaney(i), No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, 281, 0, , , , Engine
43) 35, Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Brandt Chevrolet, 135, 1, , , , Accident

# = Rookie, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Fin = Finish, St = Start, Pts = Total Points, BPs = Lap Leader Bns Pts, TLd = Times Led, LLd = Laps Led.
Average Speed: 147.803 MPH
Time of Race: 04 Hrs, 03 Mins, 34 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 4.785 Seconds
Lead Changes: 22 among 9 drivers
Cautions: 8 for 39 laps

John Davison

Long-time RIS staffer, beginning in the mid-80s. Charlotte, NC area local contact.

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Volume 2015, Issue 5, Posted 2:47 AM, 05.25.2015