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CONCORD Trevor Bayne is enjoying a second chance at what were to be first impressions. Bayne, the surprise winner in last year’s Daytona 500, was expected to make his Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Cup debut last season in the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 but missed both while recovering from Lyme disease. A fully healthy Bayne made his first appearance in the All-Star Race last weekend, finishing 15th, and will make his first start in the 600 Sunday. “Ricky Stenhouse ran this race for me last year and I’m excited to be in the car this time,” Bayne said. “I was really looking forward to this race. It will be the longest race I’ve ever run.” Running a partial schedule with the Wood Brothers, Bayne ... Continue reading →

CONCORD Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team didn’t win the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, but that’s about the only thing they haven’t won recently. It started with Johnson’s victory at Darlington two weeks ago, giving owner Rick Hendrick his 200th Sprint Cup victory, and the roll continued last weekend. Johnson won the first stage of the Sprint All-Star race then dominated the final segment, siphoning out any potential drama on the way to a $1 million prize Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. So, when Johnson and his team qualified third Thursday night, it only reinforced the perception that the five-time series champion will start as the driver to beat Sunday night. “I’ve been telling all of you that we are close ... Continue reading →

The list: NASCAR’s most influential people, places and things By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com By Jim Utter The Charlotte Observer Thursday, May. 24, 2012 Thursday, May. 24, 2012 Influence. Everyone in NASCAR wants it, from top executives to the drivers and crew chiefs and the fans. Not everyone has it, however. The Observer and ThatsRacin.com unveil its second annual list of the 25 most influential people, places and things in NASCAR. Many remain the same. Some are new. Some have moved around. The 2012 list (with 2011 ranking in parentheses) 1 Race fans (4) Was it possible race fans could have more say than they already did in NASCAR? It certainly seems so. It’s now to the point where track owners are tearing up their ... Continue reading →

In NASCAR, fans loom large Our annual top-25 list of sport’s most influential puts fans first By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com By Jim Utter The Charlotte Observer Thursday, May. 24, 2012 Thursday, May. 24, 2012 CONCORD NASCAR fans buy tickets. They choose whether or not to tune in. And they are more loyal to brands than fans of other sports. But in the past year, NASCAR fans have also driven competition decisions, forcing rules changes that changed the style of racing at superspeedways in Daytona and Talladega and prompting track owner Bruton Smith to make changes to famed Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. That ability to affect change in NASCAR pushed The Observer and ThatsRacin.com to rank race fans No. 1 in our annual list of ... Continue reading →

CONCORD Hail to the King. “The King” of NASCAR, Richard Petty, will take another turn in the spotlight at Charlotte Motor Speedway, this time as an owner. RPM first-year driver Aric Almirola earned his first pole in the Sprint Cup Series and will lead the field to the green flag in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Almirola will be joined on the front row by teammate Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose was the last of 47 cars to qualify, but his qualifying speed of 191.598 mph fell just short of Almirola (192.940 mph). Sunday will mark the first time since 1966 the iconic No. 43 car has lead the field to the green flag in the 600. The No. 43 hasn’t visited Victory Lane since John Andretti won in ... Continue reading →

1,000 volunteers at convention center to fight senior hunger Tennis, racing champions among volunteers packing 1 million meals for seniors By Mark Price - msprice@charlotteobserver.com By Mark Price The Charlotte Observer Thursday, May. 24, 2012 Thursday, May. 24, 2012 NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon and tennis legend Martina Navratilova might seem to have little in common but the two were elbow to elbow Thursday in Charlotte, publicizing a cause little known to many Americans.Senior hunger.North Carolina ranks seventh in the nation for the number of seniors struggling to put food on the table, an estimated 1.4 million people. Nationally, the number is nearly 9 million, officials said. Gordon and Navratilova played a part in promoting the Drive to End Hunger by helping 1,000 volunteers pack meals for ... Continue reading →

CONCORD When Danica Patrick awoke Thursday morning, approximately 500 miles away from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, she thought about what she was missing. She thought about how all the prep work for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 has been done and, were she still driving Indy Cars, she’d be on idle through the weekend until the green flag drops there. But that was her old racing life. Patrick chose NASCAR and, staring at 900 hot miles of racing between Saturday’s History 300 Nationwide series race and the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway, she’s where she wants to be. She won’t rule out a return to the Indy 500 but her priorities have changed. “I was ready to leave IndyCar. I wanted to be here,” Patrick ... Continue reading →

This team sits on the 600 pole #NASCAR Continue reading →