Lowe's Motor
TRACK
FACTS
Opened:
1960
Location:
First
NASCAR Cup Series Race:
June
19, 1960 (Joe Lee Johnson, winner)
Qualifying
Record: Elliott Sadler, Ford; 193.216 mph (27.948 seconds), October 13,
2005
Race
Record: 600 miles - Bobby Labonte, Pontiac; 151.952 mph (3:56:55), May 28,
1995; 500 miles - Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet;
160.306 mph (3:07:31) October 11, 1999
Distance:
1.5 miles
Front
Stretch: 1,980 feet
Back
Stretch: 1,500 feet
Banking
in Turns 1-4: 24 degrees
Banking
in Straights: 5 degrees
Miles/Laps:
600 miles/400 laps; 500 miles/334 laps
Grandstand
Seats: 165,000
Tickets:
704-455-3267
Website:
www.lowesmotorspeedway.com
Did
You Know? The land Lowe's Motor Speedway now occupies was the site of a
working plantation during the Civil War and George Washington ate lunch and
rested in a house that once served as the speedway's offices.
Last
Year: Jimmie Johnson edged
past Bobby Labonte in
the final turn to win the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29 for the third straight
year. Jimmie Johnson had all kinds of problems. He started in the
rear, his alternator failed, the battery had to be switched mid-race and the
entire electrical system was on the fritz. Then after cutting a tire like
nearly everybody else, the driver of the Lowe's Chevy ended up where he always
does at Lowe's, in Victory Lane for the UAW-GM Quality 500 on Oct 15.
Driver
Jimmie Johnson on his record at LMS: "Going to Lowe's, there is really
only one direction for us to go and that's not winning."
"Hot
Spots": Prior to the infamous levigation, Turns 3 and 4 seemed to be the
biggest trouble spots for drivers. It was bumpy and caused the cars
to bounce around allot. After last season's debacle at both events, it's
really any body's guess where the wrecks will happen.
Who
To Look At: Besides the obvious (Jimmie
Johnson), Roush drivers should offer more of a challenge here since this is one
of its seemingly favorite type of tracks. Drivers Carl Edwards, Matt
Kenseth, Mark Martin & Greg Biffle should all be a threat here. The
verdict is still out on Roush's newest driver Jamie McMurray, he
hasn't performed as well as people thought he would, but he does know how
to win at Lowe's. Driver's not in the Top Ten at Lowe's to watch
include Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick & Kasey Kahne.
Tracking The Top 10
Best
active drivers at Lowe's based on average finish (minimum of four starts)
Driver
Races Avg Fin Wins Top 5s Top
10s DNF Avg Start Poles
Jimmie
Johnson
9
6.7
5
6
8
1
8.6 2
Tony
Stewart
14
11.7
1
6 9
0
9.5 0
Bobby
Labonte 26 12.9
2
11 16
4
13.2 3
Jamie
McMurray
7
13.9 1
2
4
1 18.0
0
Jeff
Gordon 26
15.5
4
13 15
6 7.8 7
Matt
Kenseth
13 15.6
1
4
6
3
24.2 0
Greg
Biffle
6
16.0 0 1
2 0
24.3 0
Jeff
Burton 24
16.2
2 5
10
4
24.7 0
Mark
Martin
42 16.2
4 16
20 12
10.9 2
Bill
Elliott
55
16.4 2
11
22
12
14.4 4