Here at VAVEL USA, we'd like to thank you for being part of this day. This was a very, very hard race to cover. A lot to cover in 600 miles. Knowing a lot was missed through the race, we apologize. But when the action was happening up front, we were sure to give you the best coverage, as we always will. Thank you for taking a part out of your Memorial Day Weekend to make this LIVE Event a success. From all of us at VAVEL USA, I'm Steven Patrick. Happy Memorial Day, and be sure to come back next week as we bring you live coverage from the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway.
Twelve races into the season, and Jimmie Johnson is the tenth different winner this season.
Kevin Harvick did pass Matt Kenseth for third. Another great run for the Budweiser Chevy SS.
Jimmie Johnson looks very tired. But he comes out to celebrate his 67th career win. That being 8th all time in NASCAR history.
"I'm Jimmie Johnson. Boom, confetti."
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
Jimmie Johnson wins the Coca Cola 600 in DOMINATING fashion.
WHITE FLAG
3 to go: The battle will be for second between Kenseth and Harvick.
5 to go: It's all over but the crying.
6 to go: Jimmie Johnson is pulling away from the field.
8 to go: New leader, Jimmie Johnson.
9 to go: Jimmie Johnson is on a rail!
11 to go: The two winningest drivers from last year are first and second. Both are currently winless. Will Kenseth or Johnson win, or will Harvick steal one?
12 to go: This may be a four car battle for the win.
15 to go: Jimmie Johnson now in second.
15 to go: Harvick battling for fifth.
16 to go: Matt Kenseth assumes the lead.
17 to go: GREEN FLAG
18 to go: Jimmie Johnson divebomb to the lead on the restart? He's in third?
20 to go: Jeff Gordon is the leader. Action is about to get crazy.
22 to go: Alex Bowman blew a tire. Carl Edwards is on pit road.
23 to go: CAUTION
23 to go: Carl Edwards is the leader. Will the fuel last?
25 to go: Jeff Gordon takes two tires!
26 to go: Jimmie Johnson is on pit road.
27 to go: Matt Kenseth on pit road.
29 to go: Carl Edwards reports he can make it to the end without pitting.
36 to go: Cars beginning to come down pit road. It's the "Money Stop".
37 to go: Harvick creeping back into the fram. he's in fourth place.
40 to go: Keselowski still has a vibration.
43 to go: Brad Keselowski on pit road for an unscheduled pit stop.
49 to go: Brad Keselowski being told that he needs to save three laps.
51 to go: Matt Kenseth is closing on Jimmie Johnson very quickly.
54 to go: Jimmie Johnson now back to the lead.
56 to go: Brad Keselowski now surrenders the lead.
57 to go: Ryan Newman on pit road now.
61to go: Brad Keselowski stays out on track.
66 To go: Brad Keselowski still on track and still leading.
Lap 332: Jimmie Johnson surrenders the lead to pit.
Lap 331: Second place Matt Kenseth now on pit road.
Lap 329: Kyle Busch now on pit road for a scheduled pit stop.
Lap 326: Very shocked that Kevin Harvick got mried back in seventh spot.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
Can confirm that the weather will not bother the conclussion of this race. Boys have at it.
Lap 316: Jeff Gordon passes Kyle Busch for 7th.
Lap 313: New leader, Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 311: Problem with Dale Earnhardt Jr. He's on pit road now.
Lap 307: Brad Keselowski has rebounded from being midpack and is now in the fourth spot.
Lap 305: Matt Kensethhas built a half second lead on second place Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 300: Jimmie Johnson battles Matt Kenseth for the lead.
Lap 297: Matt Kenseth just ran his fastest lap of the race. Speed is definitely picking up.
Lap 295: Matt Kenseth assumes the lead.
Lap 294: GREEN FLAG.
Lap 291: Pit road is open. A few cars outisde the top 10 come down.
Lap 286: Kurt Busch's teammate Danica Patrick just had her engine expire.
Lap 286: CAUTION
Lap 284: Truex dives under Jeff Gordon for fourth.
Lap 284: Jimmie Johnson will assume the lead.
Lap 283: GREEN FLAG.
Lap 278: The top 5 is Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., and Joey Logano.
Lap 275: Kurt Busch completed 906 miles today of the 1,100 he would attempt. Huge day for him. Hopefully he gets well rested.
Lap 275: Pit road is now open.
Lap 273: Kurt Busch's motor just went up in smoke. Caution came out as green flag pit stops began.
Lap 273: CAUTION
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
lAP 272: jamie McMurray comes down pit road. Matt Kenseth now takes the lead.
Lap 268: Full darkness has set in on the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Lap 264: Kevin Harvick down pit road. green Flag pit stops have begun.
Lap 262: Dale Earnhardt Jr. challenges Joey Logono for 8th spot.
Lap 260: 18 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 253: Mulitple drivers also reporting debris. No caution.
Lap 252: Kurt Busch reports that he may have dropped a cylinder.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
Lap 250: Jamie McMurray leads Kevin Harvick by .9 seconds.
Lap 245: Kevin Harvick now back up to second spot ahead of Matt Kenseth.
Lap 244L Ryan Truex into the wall. No caution.
Lap 243: Jamie McMurray assumes the lead.
Lap 242: GREEN FLAG
Live Inline And Coverage Of the Coca Cola 600
Lap 237: Cars that stayed out on the last caution just came in.
Lap 235: A crash involving mutilple cars broke out at the end of turn 4.Cars involved are Marcos Ambrose, Danica Patrick, Landon Cassil, Ryan Truex.
Lap 235: CAUTION
Lap 230: Matt Kenseth looks high and takes fourth spot away from Brad Keselowski.
Lap 229: Dale Earnhardt Jr. assumes the lead on the restart.
Lap 228: GREEN FLAG.
Lets talk strategy. The 4 and 48 have been taking four tires all night long. Could be preparing themselves to take two tires on the "money stop".
Lap 225: Leaders on pit road. Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed out and is the new leader.
Lap 223:debris on the back straightaway is the cause for this yellow.
Lap 223: CAUTION.
Lap 220: Report that Danica Patrick is down a cylinder.
Lap 218: Kevin Harvick cycles through to the lead. he lead Brad Keselowski by 2.1 seconds.
Lap 213: Harvick comes down pit road for a scheduled stop. Jimmie Johnson also coming in, but earleir than expected.
Lap 212: Jeff Gordon now in the third spot. About 5.5 seconds behind leader Kevin harvick.
Lap 207: Brad Keselowski now comes down pit road.
Lap 205: Kevin Harvick leads second place Jimmie Johnson by 3 seconds.
As we are now halfway, hope you guys are hanging tough. less than 300 miles left to go.
Lap 201: Jimmie Johnson battles Brad Keselowski for second place.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
Lap 194: New leader, Kevin Harvick.
Lap 193: Harvick challeneges Keselowski for the lead.
Lap 190: Clouds are slowly creeping in.
Lap 188: Clint boywer made an unscheduled pit stop. Boywer still calims to feel a vibration.
Lap 180: Harvick and Johnson have stalled out at third and fourth spots. Brad Keselowski continues to lead.
Lap 177: Brad Keselowski leads Clint Boywer by .6 seconds.
Lap 174: Harvick and Johnson were pushed back a little due to the differing pit strategy. But they are quickly attacking second place Clint Boywer.
Lap 171: Brad Keselowski assumes the lead on the restart.
Lap 170: GREEN FLAG.
Lap 166: Clint Boywer is first off of pit road by taking two tired only. Brad Keselowski did not pit and is the leader.
Lap 165: Looks like Gilliland blew out his right front tire. he is the first car in the garage.
Lap 163: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. now with a tire rub. Caution is out for David Gilliland who just hammered the wall.
Lap 160: Matt Kenseth has a hole in his grill. Could be good or bad.
Lap 157: Kevin Harvick won't let Jimmie Johnson run away here.
lAP 155:Jimmie Johnson is going to assume the lead.
Lap 154: GREEN FLAG.
Lap 151: Kinda looked like Jimmie Johnson was first off of pit road. Will confirm.
Lap 150: Leaders onto the pits.
Lap 148: Debris on the abck straight away is thereason for the caution.
Lap 148: CAUTION.
Lap 147: Cars that took the wave - around now coming down pit road.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
Lap 142: Danica Patrick now a lap down. Only 18 cars on the lead lap.
Lap 137: Looks like Harvick is looking for grip anywhere he can. Currently riding the wall.
Lap 134: Leaders are beginning to tear through lap traffic once again.
Lap 132: Lights on the track now starting to turn on.
Lap 130: Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson have lead all bu three laps tonight.
Lap 123: Kevin Harvick holds a 1.2 second lead over Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 117: Jeff Gordon takes fourth place away from Matt Kenseth.
lAP 115: Kevin Harvick quickly takes the lead back.
Lap 114: GREEN FLAG.
Lap 110: Jamie McMurray will get back on the lead lap. Plus any driver taking the wave - around.
Lap 110: Top 5 off of pit road are Harvick, Johnson, Boywer, Kenseth, Earnhardt Jr.
Lap 109: Leaders on pit road.
Lap 107: Debris in turn 1 is the culprit for this cuation.
Lap 107: CAUTION
Lap 106: Only 10 cars on the lead lap. Wow.
Lap 102: Denny Hamlin comes in for an unscheduled stop.
lap 100: Austin Dillon slightly into the wall. No caution.
Lap 100: Kevin Harvick cycles abck to the lead and holds a 4.5 second lead over Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 99: Jimmie Johnson now into the pits.
Lap 97: Kevin Harvick Surrenders the lead to come in for service. Jimmie Johnson up front for now.
Lap 96: Green flag stops have begun.
Lap 91: only 15 cars left on the lead lap.
Lap 89: Kevin Harvick currently holding a 1.5 second lead over second place Jimmie Johnson. Another five seconds back to Clint Boywer.
Lap 85: Green fag pit stops about to begin again. Still caution costless.
Lap 80: Kevin Harvick now holds a lead of six tenths over Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 77: New leader, Kevin Harvick.
Lap 75: Kurt Busch should have stayed in Indy. He's currently 24th, one lap down.
Lap 72: Danica Patrick slips out of the top 10. Now Denny Hamlin in the front 10.
Lap 66: Seems as though the only way Harvick is getting around the 48 right now is if he catches him in traffic.
Lap 64: An injured Jeff Gordon has just took the ninth spot away from Danica Patrick.
Lap 61: Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick are about to battle for the lead.
Lap 59: Matt Kenseth also hold the fourth spot.
Lap 58: Kevin Harvick is now the second place car.
Lap 53: Interesting fact. The car Jimmie Johnson is using tonight was the same car he used to lead 255 laps and win with at the Texas Motor Speedway last season.
Lap 51: Marcos Ambrose will serve a pass - through penalty for equiptment leaving the pit box.
Lap 51: Jimmie Johnson cycles back to the lead. He's up by 6 tenths on Clint Boywer.
Lap 50: Brad Keselowski leads a lap and then comes in for service.
Lap 49: Leader Jimmie Johnson now comes in for service.
Lap 46: Green flag pit stops have begun. We've went the entire distance so far caution costless.
Lap 42: Half the track now bathed in sun, the other is sitting in shade.
Lap 40: Danica Patrick now sliding back to sixth.
Lap 31: Jimmie Johnson and Clint Boywer are halfway to Indianapolis. Rest of the field being demolished.
Lap 28: Kevin Harvick now takes third spot away from Danica Patrick.
Lap 26: Hard to tell if the Clint Boywer is actually able to outrun Jimmie Johnson or if it's just the lap traffic holding up the 48 car at the moment.
Lap 23: Clint Boywer slowly starting to shrink the gap as now Brian Scott hits the wall. No caution.
Lap 20: Jimmie Johnson now starting to hit lap traffic.
Lap 14: Clint Boywer takes second spot away from Danica Patrick. Two second behind race leader Jimmie Johnson.
Lap 13: In the back, Kurt and Kyle Busch about to crack the top 30.
Lap 10: Now Clint Boywer up to third spot.
Lap 8: Jimmie Johnson with a breakaway from Danica Patrick with Kasey Kahne sitting in the third spot.
Lap 5: Brad Keselowski currently sliding. Down to the 4th spot.
Lap 4: Danica Patrick up to second spot.
Lap 3: Jimmie and Brad battling for the lead. A battle that Jimmie Johnson will win with Danica Patrick in third.
Lap 1: GREEN FLAG!
Pace Laps: Only two times has the pole sitter won the Coca Cola 600. Both by tonights polesitter Jimmie Johnson.
6:17 PM EST: Last chance to go get something off of the grill before we set these horses loose.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
6:15 PM EST: The finale of the greatest day in racing. Thank you for being here to enjoy the Coca Cola 600 on VAVEL USA.
6:13 Pm EST: The command was given by the men inside of the International Space Station. Absolutely incredible. Now, it's time to play.
6:06 PM EST: Only one thing left now. It's time to fire these puppies up!
6:02 PM EST: Amazing Grace played by the Charlotte Fire Department followed by Taps.
6:00 PM EST. And now the invocation.
5:52 PM EST: Opening ceramonies are right around the corner. Almost time to light this candle up/
5:52 PM EST: Just a reminder. If you see a veteran of the great country known as the United States of America, pelase be sure to thank them for their service. This race, this community, this livlihood we all have would not exist without them. Happy Memorial Day.
5:48 PM EST: A little bit of unfair treatment. NASCAR forcing Kurt Busch to start in the rear of the field because he missed the drivers meeting. Adding insult to a rather pathetic qualifying run.
5:44 PM EST: It was announced yesterday that Trevor Bayne will have a fulltime ride in the Sprint Cup Series. He'll be driving the 6 Advocare Ford Fusion owned by Jack Roush.
5:38 PM EST: Throughout the evening, the racing won't be the only thing we look. keep a close eye on the radar. There is a chance of an isolated thunder storm tonight. Could pop up. Or a massive system could roll in. Currently there is a rather larage storm traveling southeast that will miss the Charlotte Motor Speedway, but a couple of smaller cells traveling the same direction may hit the track. We'll keep you posted.
Live Inline and Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
5:32 PM EST: Jeff Gordon is dealing with back spasms. Should it be needed, the 24 car will be maned by Regan Smith.
5:26 PM EST: The Outlaw has arrived on scene. After a fantastic 6th place finish in the Indy 500, Kurt Busch is ready to rumble in the Coca Cola 600
5:00 PM EST: Another big dark horse to look out for is going to be Kyle Busch. Kyle qualified in the 7th position, but will be forced to start in the back of the field due to the 18 team going to a backup car after Kyle smacked the turn 4 wall in Final Practice on Saturday. Kyle is always a stiff customer, and he will be hell bent on getting up front as soon as possible.
4:55 PM EST: Want to root for a dark horse to win the Coca Cola 600? Look at Ryan Newman. Newman has an absolutely horendous starting position. All the way back in the 42nd position. That is 2nd to last. Ryan isn't quite the guy that will always come up every race and have a chance. But he's a good guy to root for. And he's not a guy you should ever doubt either. Ryan will have to climb his way up very stiffly, but if things fall perfectly, the 31 CAT Chevy SS may be the car sitting in victory lane at the end of the night.
4:50 PM EST: Is it possible that we can see a repeat winner today? In a way, we could have three. If Kurt Busch somehow manages to win the Indy 500, he could go back - to back and pull off the Coca Cola 600. The last points paying race saw Jeff Gordon winning at the Kansas Motor Speedway. Jeff has looked great so far this season, he's even leading the points. But, Jeff won two weeks ago, and there was an All - Star race last week. Jamie McMurray could go back - to - back and claim to have won two of the three Charlotte races in the season, with the third race later to come in the fall.
Live Inline And Coverage Of The Coca Cola 600
4:45 PM EST: The defending winner of the Coca Cola 600 is Kevin Harvick. In this years edition of the 600, Harvick is starting in the 11th position. Kevin is one of two drivers in the series with two wins and has had a very good car at just about every track on the tour so far this year. This very well may be another race that Kevin can chalk up and take home with him.
4:40 PM EST: Kurt Busch has a very busy day tomorrow. Kurt is attemtping to become the first ever driver to win both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600 in the same day. Kurt will be the fourth driver to ever attemp this feat. Kurt though seems to have a better shot of winning at Indy, where he will start 12th. In Charlotte, he is starting in the 28th position. In other words, Kurt Busch has a better chance of winning a race that he's never competed in than he does in a race that he has a multitude of experience in.
4:35 PM EST: Danica Patrick has a very realistic chance of winning the Coca Cola 600. No, we are not even joking the slightest bit. Danica is starting 4th and she has looked very well im practice throughout the weekend. She may be able to record her new best finish. And if the stars align perfectly for her, she may find herself in prime position to steal the race. Fuel milage is typically a factor in the Coca Cola 600. If Danica's crew chief Tony Gibbson makes the right calls, the 10 Go Daddy Chevy SS in Victory Lane.
Live Inline Commentary: Charlotte Motor Speedway
4:30 PM EST: Jimme Johnson has one six times at Charlotte Motor Speedway (ten if you count the All - Star Race). But he hasn't won a points paying race in Charlotte since 2009 in the 500 mile race held in October. Jimmie will look to fork in his claim that Charlotte is still his home, and can make a statement on what has been an average season for the entire 48 crew thus far.
4:25 PM EST: On the pole for tonights show is the man who over the years has basically owned the joint. The track even used to be named after his sponsor (Lowe's Motor Speedway anyone?). The field will be led to the green flag by 6 - time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the 48 Lowe's Patriots Chevy SS. Joining Jimmie on the front row will be Brad Keselowski In the Miller Lite Red White And Blue 2 Ford Fusion. The rest of the top 5 to start the race will be Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick, and Clint Boywer
4:20 PM EST: Welcome to VAVEL USA's coverage of tonight Coca Cola 600. My name is Steven Patrick. Tonight, is one of the "Big Four" of NASCAR. The longest race in NASCAR. 600 miles of beating and banging on the mile and a half long tri - oval known as the Coca Cola 600 on this great Memorial Day weekend.