Alonso takes F1 GP, Wheldon wins the 500, 600 to Come
Hi ho silver, my peeps, and welcome to a surprise special edition of Speed Addicts here at the Pulse! In a stunning move, I left out plenty of material regarding the most important race for me to cover today, the Coca-Cola 600, so lucky you… here’s a brand-spankin’ new edition of Speed Addicts! Enjoy, my little people, that’s how we roll!
Race #12 of 36: The Coca-Cola 600
Date: Sunday, May 29th, 2005 from Charlotte, North Carolina
Time: 5:00 PM on FOX
Pole Sitter: Ryan Newman (192.988 MPH)
Distance: 600 Miles (1.5 Miles per Lap = 400 Laps)
2004 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
The Coca-Cola 600. Long a tradition of NASCAR, but an even longer standing tradition to race fans. Arguably the fourth most important race in the history of auto racing in North America behind the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and perhaps the Grand Prix of Laguna Seca, the Coca-Cola 600 (formerly the World 600 during its incorporation into NASCAR) is one of the most star-studded spectacles in NASCAR today. Nearly surpassing the Indianapolis 500 in the public’s eye, the Coke 600 is viewed by those in NASCAR circles and auto racing fraternities as the ultimate test of a driver’s skill, patience, talent and aggressiveness.
Lowe’s (Charlotte) Motor Speedway is one of the most recognizable tracks in NASCAR, thanks in part to the importance of Charlotte in the NASCAR schedule, along with its unique dog leg that has only recently been copied by Texas Motor Speedway. The racing surface at Lowe’s Motor Speedway has been levigated, to help ensure more excitement in the Coca-Cola 600, but they wont have to do much. Charlotte has played host to some of the most incredible finishes in NASCAR history, and have also seen crashes that have sent the winners to the Emergency Room at Carolina’s Medical Center. It is the stage of champions, and is one of the richest prizes in NASCAR.
Tonight, forty-three men will take to the track, and try their hand at winning one of the last remaining Crown Jewels in NASCAR today, the Coca-Cola 600. Nine former NASCAR Nextel/Winston Cup Champions, six Daytona 500 winners, and a slew of multi-car winners will take the field tonight, but only one will come away the victor. The race has benefited Jimmie Johnson immensely over the past two years; he’s won three of the last four races there, including a sweep of the 2004 series, including the 2004 Coca-Cola 600. Young Kyle Busch, driver of the #5 car, is coming off his second consecutive Busch spring win at Charlotte. Can he contend? What about Mark Martin, the veteran in his final 600. Will the Nextel All Star Challenge winner have a repeat performance at lap 400? Will Brian Vickers and Mike Bliss, Jeff Green and Michael Waltrip tangle tonight, or will the better driver reign supreme? And let’s not forget the hometown favorite, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he rolls off pit road fifteenth tonight. Watch the Coca-Cola 600 tonight at 5:00 PM, only on FOX.
Predicted Finishing Order
1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Ryan Newman
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Mark Martin
5. Tony Stewart
01. #12 Ryan Newman – ALLTEL Dodge
02. #24 Jeff Gordon – DuPont Chevrolet
03. #17 Matt Kenseth – DeWalt Power Tools Ford
04. #9 Kasey Kahne – Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
05. #48 Jimmie Johnson – Lowe’s Chevrolet
06. #5 Kyle Busch – CARQUEST Chevrolet
07. #88 Dale Jarrett – UPS Ford
08. #0 Mike Bliss – NetZero Best Buy Chevrolet
09. #20 Tony Stewart – The Home Depot Chevrolet
10. #38 Elliott Sadler – Pedigree Ford
11. #42 Jamie McMurray – Texaco/Havoline Dodge
12. #99 Carl Edwards – Roundup Extended Control Ford
13. #6 Mark Martin – Viagra Ford
14. #25 Brian Vickers – GMAC/ditech.com Chevrolet
15. #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Budweiser Chevrolet
16. #21 Ricky Rudd – U.S. Air Force/Motorcraft Ford
17. #50 Jimmy Spencer – Arnold Development Companies Dodge
18. #77 Travis Kvapil – Kodak/Jasper Engines Dodge
19. #09 Johnny Sauter – Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts Dodge
20. #2 Rusty Wallace – Miller Lite Dodge
21. #49 Ken Schrader – Schwan’s Home Service Dodge
22. #23 Mike Skinner – AutoManiac Dodge
23. #15 Michael Waltrip – NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
24. #41 Casey Mears – Target Dodge
25. #7 Robby Gordon – Fruit of the Loom Chevrolet
26. #44 Terry Labonte – Kellogg’s Chevrolet
27. #91 Bill Elliott – Stanley Tools Dodge
28. #10 Scott Riggs – Valvoline Chevrolet
29. #16 Greg Biffle – National Guard/Charter Communications Ford
30. #1 Martin Truex Jr. – Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet
31. #07 Dave Blaney – Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktail Chevrolet
32. #22 Scott Wimmer – Caterpillar Dodge
33. #29 Kevin Harvick – GM Goodwrench Chevrolet
34. #18 Bobby Labonte – Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Chevrolet
35. #97 Kurt Busch – Smirnoff Ice/IRWIN Ford
36. #19 Jeremy Mayfield – Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
37. #45 Kyle Petty – Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge
38. #01 Joe Nemechek – U.S. Army Chevrolet
39. #43 Jeff Green – Cheerios/Bugles Dodge
40. #31 Jeff Burton – Cingular Wireless GoPhone Chevrolet
41. #40 Sterling Marlin – Coors Light Dodge
42. #4 Mike Wallace – Lucas/Wide Open Energy Drink Chevrolet
43. #37 Kevin Lepage – Underdog Dodge
Victory Lane
Dan Wheldon won the Indianapolis 500, and Fernando Alonso won the 2005 F1 Grand Prix of Europe. Check back tomorrow for the Race Day Pulse 3-in-1 special! Peace out, guys.
