NAS | Bobby Labonte Budweiser Duel 1 recap

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After starting 20th in Duel 1 at Daytona, Bobby Labonte's first appearance in the top 10 was at lap 7 of the 150-mile qualifying race.

As the race advanced, his No. 47 Kroger/USO Toyota Camry was tight-handling off of Turn 4 during the 60-lap event. Also, when the 23-car pack made pit stops at different times, it broke the field up. Labonte came in alone at lap 38 for right-side tires. A caution around lap 52 involving Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and others brought the field back together. With four to go, NASCAR turned the field loose. Labonte was credited with a 11th-place finish. He will start 23rd in Sunday's race.-JTG Daugherty

Feb 21 - 7:49 PM

Ragan stresses preparedness for Coke 600

David Ragan cites the Coca-Cola 600 right up there with the rest of NASCAR's historic races: the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500.

Only the 600-miler is an even greater test of the endurance of both the driver and the car. "Half-way into the Coca-Cola 600, you're 300 miles in. And in a typical race you don't have much longer to go. In fact, that's about the standard distance of a Nationwide race. But in the 600, they tell you you're just half-way and you've got to do 300 miles all over again. So, it is a long night."-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:43 PM

Josh Wise preps for his first 600-Miler

Josh Wise will run his first Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day weekend and has been preparing both physically and mentally.

Wise is a triathlete, with both Half Iron Man and Full Iron Man competitions on his schedule this year. He says his physical conditioning has him ready to run the extra mileage in Sunday night's Cup race. He's preparing mentally with racing simulators, video and a little help from his teammates.-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:39 PM

Coca-Cola 600 is one of Gilliland's favorites

The annual Coca-Cola 600 is one of David Gilliland's favorite races; it's also among the most challenging.

Gilliland has 13 career starts at the 1.5-mile oval. His best finish came last fall when he finished 23rd at the October Sprint Cup event. He says adjustability is the key to making it through Sunday night's 600-mile event - being ready to adapt the car to the changing conditions over the course of the night. Gilliland also points to the importance of not losing focus and making mistakes during the extra 100 miles of the marathon race.-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:36 PM

Timmy Hill prepares for season's longest race

Timmy Hill, the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, has five previous NASCAR starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as a start last weekend in the Sprint Showdown.

Said Hill: "Charlotte is one of the few tracks that I have already had Sprint Cup experience at along with it being my favorite 1.5-mile track. My debut with FAS Lane Racing came in the fall race at Charlotte last year. This will be my first 600 mile race so patience and focus will be keys for me throughout the night."-Integrity Sports Marketing

May 21 - 9:30 PM

Notes of interest at Charlotte on Kyle Busch

The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Kyle Busch’s 19th points-paying Sprint Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He has eight top-fives, 11 top-10s, and has led a total of 793 laps in the 18 Cup starts at Charlotte. His average Charlotte finish is 15.3. Busch will look to add to his impressive list of "doubles" this weekend at Charlotte as he has captured both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races on the same weekend eight times – twice this season. Both of Busch’s Sprint Cup wins this season – Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. in March and Texas in April – were preceded by a Nationwide Series win the day before. Busch is competing in both series again this weekend at Charlotte.-True Speed Communication

May 21 - 9:24 PM

News & Notes on Kenny Wallace at Charlotte

Charlotte Motor Speedway will see a familiar face Saturday for the History 300, as Kenny Wallace climbs back behind the wheel of the No. 29 RAB Racing ToyotaCare Camry.

Wallace has notched seven laps led, seven top-10, and 20 top-20 finishes in a span of 22 years racing at Charlotte. He will pilot RAB Racing chassis No. 40 in Saturday's NNS race. This chassis last saw action at Richmond in April, when Alex Bowman piloted this Toyota Camry to a 27th-place finish.-RAB Racing

May 21 - 9:15 PM

Trevor Bayne History 300 race advance

This Saturday Trevor Bayne will try to improve on his third-place finish during last fall’s NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS).

Bayne is the strongest NNS passer at CMS, averaging 40.7 Quality Passes during a race (passing a car running in the top15 while under green). Chassis RK-763 last ran at Auto Club Speedway in March. The car spent much of the night in the top five before finishing ninth and recording one of Bayne’s three top-10 finishes this season. This is the first of three races that the No. 6 Ford Mustang will feature new partner Pillow Pets.-Roush Fenway Racing

May 21 - 9:02 PM

Chris Buescher at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Chris Buescher will attempt to make his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend.

The 20-year-old driver has competed in three races this season and has been the highest finishing Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang in each of those races. Buescher finished seventh at Bristol, 17th at Texas and 12th at Darlington Raceway. The No. 16 team brings chassis RK-747 to the track for the second time this season. This chassis last drove to a 17th-place finish at TMS in April, with Buescher behind the wheel.-Roush Fenway Racing

May 21 - 8:59 PM

Travis Pastrana at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Travis Pastrana visits Charlotte Motor Speedway for the second time in his NASCAR Nationwide Series career.

Last May he raced at the 1.5-mile track, finishing 24th in just his fourth NNS start overall. For the second time this season, the No. 60 team brings Chassis RK-740 to the track. This chassis last raced to a 10th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. Pastrana remains 15th in the NNS point standings.-Roush Fenway Racing

May 21 - 8:57 PM

Michael Annett cleared to return this weekend

After being sidelined for eight races, Michael Annett will return to the driver's seat of the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Annett was medically cleared today after suffering a broken and dislocated sternum after an accident in the season-opening Nationwide Series event at Daytona. He underwent surgery for his injuries and was sidelined for three months to allow his injuries to heal. Medical doctors, along with NASCAR officials, determined he was cleared to drive in the upcoming NNS race at Charlotte following an MRI on Monday afternoon.-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 8:54 PM

Danica Patrick at Charlotte Motor Speedway

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway will mark Danica Patrick’s 22nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and her second at Charlotte.

She started 40th and finished 30th in May 2012 at the 1.5-mile oval. Patrick competed in three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Charlotte and scored two top-15 finishes. Last week, she started seventh and finished ninth in the non-points Sprint Showdown. Patrick then won the Sprint Fan Vote, which made her eligible for the Sprint All-Star Race. She started 22nd and finished 20th in the 90-lap exhibition race.-True Speed Communication

May 21 - 8:44 PM