NASCAR at Charlotte 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina plays host to the first race in the second round of NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup after four drivers—including Jimmie Johnson—received the boot last weekend.
The Bank of America 500 stands as a pivotal juncture for the series, with those still alive in the Chase once again on equal footing from a points standpoint. In just three races, the field will receive a downsizing to just eight drivers.
For Kevin Harvick and others, getting off on the right foot while fending off each other and drivers outside of the Chase is the goal Saturday night. Here's a look at the schedule and names to watch.
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Viewing Details
Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway
When: Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 3000 |
| 2 | Matt Kenseth | 3000 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 3000 |
| 4 | Carl Edwards | 3000 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 3000 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3000 |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 3000 |
| 8 | Ryan Newman | 3000 |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon | 3000 |
| 10 | Martin Truex Jr. | 3000 |
| 11 | Brad Keselowski | 3000 |
| 12 | Kyle Busch | 3000 |
| 13 | Jamie McMurray | 2098 |
| 14 | Jimmie Johnson | 2086 |
| 15 | Paul Menard | 2075 |
| 16 | Clint Bowyer | 2048 |
Drivers to Watch
Somehow, someway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still alive in the Chase.
Despite finishing 12th in Chicago and 25th in New Hampshire, Earnhardt found a way to turn things around at Dover, starting 12th but improving most of the day on the way to a third-place finish.
It allowed him to stay alive by a single point.
An epic pass made it happen, too, per #TheChase:
Now the globe waits to see if it's a sign of things to come.
It's hard to decide if it will be. Earnhardt finished third in Charlotte earlier this season, but last year in October at the track he finished 20th.
Equal once again with his peers, Earnhardt's first performance in the second round will say quite a lot about his championship hopes.
Like Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon needs a massive upswing in performance from his Round 1 driving in order to stay alive in his hunt for a title to conclude his career.
Gordon wound up 14th in Chicago, then finished in the top 10 in New Hampshire, before last weekend's 12th-place showing in Dover. He started 10th in all events but led laps only in Chicago.
The good news? Gordon knows a thing or two about competing well at Charlotte considering it was the locale of his first Sprint Cup Series checkered flag. Yet a win Saturday night might dwarf the historic moment in Gordon's eyes. The Sports Xchange (h/t UPI.com) provided his thoughts on the matter:
"That could possibly be one of the biggest moments I've ever had at Charlotte, if we do that. You know that, if you get a victory here this weekend, the relief that you're going to feel -- to not have to go to Talladega (and post a top finish), to not even have to worry about Kansas (Oct. 18) -- it's huge. It's absolutely huge.
"
Again, getting off on the right foot in Round 2 should be the biggest goal for all drivers.
This is especially the case for Gordon, though, who has yet to nail down a win in his farewell season. Based on his history in Charlotte, Gordon stands a chance of knocking a few things off his checklist at once if he can come out of the event strong.
Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards hasn't made a ton of headlines over the past few months.
It's not such a bad thing. If anything, it's a little odd.
Dating back to the start of August, Edwards has seven top-10 finishes in nine outings. This includes finishing second in Chicago and fifth in New Hampshire, although he finished Round 1 at Dover in 15th place.
Like most of the drivers, Edwards wants to avoid going into Talladega at the end of the second round out of position. The track's as unpredictable as it gets, and he touched on the topic with USA Today's Mike Hembree:
"You don’t want to go to Talladega having to finish 10th or something. That’s not going to be a fun way to race at Talladega. You either want to go there with a win or with nothing to lose and just go race. Because Talladega looms out there, you have to focus on being as fast as you can the next two weeks.
"
If Edwards keeps on at his current pace, he shouldn't have to worry too much. He's one of the most underrated drivers around—and he took home the checkered flag at this event earlier this year.
While other names hog the headlines, it might just be Edwards stealing first place Saturday night, squashing any concerns whatsoever about the dreaded upcoming visit to Talladega.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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