2014 Coca-Cola 600 Odds, Free Picks and Predictions: Favorites, Sleepers and Drivers to Avoid: For the second week in a row, the Cup Series drivers will try to tackle Charlotte Motor Speedway. However, this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 is a far cry from last weekend’s All-Star Race. After all, the Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the entire season while the All-Star Race was merely a 100-lap shootout. Sunday’s race will put every aspect of the Cup teams to the test as drivers have to hold up physically and mentally during the marathon event and crew chiefs have to figure out how to keep up with the changing track conditions. Not to mention the fact that the engines have to hold up an extra 100 miles compared to a typical race while running at speeds that average almost 200 mph. Needless to say, winning the Coca-Cola 600 requires a total team effort, and with that in mind, here is a closer look at some drivers that could get it done this weekend.
The Favorites
Not only is Kevin Harvick the defending winner of this weekend’s race, but he has actually won the Coca-Cola 600 twice in the last three seasons. Meanwhile, he has finished 11th or better in seven of his last eight starts at Charlotte, compiling a 7.1 average finish during the stretch. In his last six starts at the track, Harvick has four finishes of sixth or better, including his two victories.
He has been to victory lane at Charlotte four times in his career, and more importantly for Kasey Kahne, three of those wins have come in the Coca-Cola 600. His most recent victory at the track came in the 2012 Coca-Cola 600, and last year, finished second in both races at the track. In his last five races at Charlotte, he has posted a series-leading 3.4 average finish and has led more laps than any other driver.
Although he remains winless in 2014, forgetting about Jimmie Johnson this weekend would be a major mistake. After all, the six-time series champion is a six-time winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway, giving him more victories at the track than any other active driver. Meanwhile, Johnson’s 11.6 average finish at the track ranks third among active drivers, and he logged a pair of top-four finishes in his last three starts at Charlotte.
The Contenders
He is current winless at Charlotte, but Joey Logano could certainly change that this weekend. After all, his 10.4 average finish at the track is actually the best among active drivers. More importantly, he has been the best driver in the series at 1.5-mile tracks in 2014, compiling a series-best 3.0 average finish in three starts and leading a series-high 215 laps.
While he is still looking for his first Cup Series win at Charlotte, Kyle Busch is no stranger to running up front at the track. He has notched nine top-five finishes in his last 13 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, including four in his last five starts. During the stretch, Busch only has two finishes outside the top 10, and he has finished third in the Coca-Cola 600 on three separate occasions.
He hasn’t won a lot of races at Charlotte, but no driver has been more consistent at the track in recent years than Matt Kenseth. His 8.5 average finish in the last 10 races at Charlotte is the best in the series, and he hasn’t finished outside the top 15 during the stretch. Meanwhile, Kenseth did manage to win the fall race at the track in 2011, and recent history suggests he should at least have a shot at winning this weekend.
Sleeper Special
Fresh off a surprise win in the All-Star Race at Charlotte last weekend, Jamie McMurray will try to pull off another upset Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 at the same track. By the way, McMurray has already won the fall race at Charlotte twice in his career, and he finished second in the Coca-Cola 600 as recently as 2010. Don’t be surprised if McMurray is back in victory lane for the second week in a row.
Big Name to Avoid
It’s not that Tony Stewart has been bad at Charlotte, but he hasn’t really been a factor to win either. In fact, he hasn’t logged a single top-five finish at the track since picking up a win in the fall race way back in 2003. Worse yet, Stewart has managed just two top-10s in his last 11 starts at Charlotte. He is one of the bigger names in NASCAR, but it is tough to expect much out of him this weekend when it has been a decade since his last top-five finish at Charlotte.
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