It’s no secret that Charlotte is a great place to live and work but there is so much more to the Queen City than just real estate and businesses. NASCAR fans know that one of the best places to catch some of the year’s most exciting races is right here in Charlotte! Here’s a recap of the last couple of races in the Charlotte area.
NASCAR All-Star Race 2015
Quick thinking and a lightning fast pit crew was the name of the game in last week’s All-Star Race. During a mandatory four-tire stop, Denny Hamlin #11 of the Joe Gibbs’ Racing team made it out first, giving him a leg up on the competition and paving the way for an easy victory. This was the Joe Gibbs’ Racing team’s first All-Star Race win and Denny Hamlin won $1 million for the victory.
During qualifying, thanks to Hamlin’s quick thinking, many cars slid through their pit boxes but Hamlin put his car immediately into reverse, allowing his crew to get him out of the pits the quickest and allowing Hamlin to choose his pit box. This was a huge advantage that definitely helped secure Hamlin and the JGR team’s victory. The rest of the top 5 winners included #4 Kevin Harvick in second, #41 Kurt Busch in third, #24 Jeff Gordon in fourth, and #20 Matt Kenseth in fifth. However, not even Harvick ever seriously challenged Hamlin for the top spot.
Coca Cola 600
It was a good week for the Joe Gibbs’ Racing team. After Hamlin’s win at the All-Star Race, newcomer Carl Edwards took his first victory since joining JGR at the Coca Cola 600. A strategic early pit stop helped Edwards gain the advantage while the other cars were scrambling to refuel later in the race. Thanks to both Edwards and Hamlin, the JGR team swept the Charlotte races this week at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It was an all-around very exciting week for NASCAR in Charlotte and especially for the Joe Gibbs’ Racing team.
