Featured Latest News NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series

Multiple Drivers Have Trouble In Stage 1 Of The Coca-Cola 600 At Charlotte

by Hunter Thomas May 26, 2019 1 comment

CONCORD, N.C. – In the first stage of the 60^th running of the Coca-Cola 600, four drivers found trouble and brought out the caution at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The first caution of the afternoon came out when Erik Jones blew a right front tire and pounded the outside wall in Turn 4. Jones in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Reser’s Main St Bistro Toyota started the race in 16^thbefore bringing out the caution on lap 24. Following the crash, he was forced to finish last in 40^th.

“We just blew a right-front,” Jones said. “There was no real warning. It’s unfortunate. We had a pretty good car. The Reser’s Camry was moving forward and driving really well. I was trying to get some track position and work my way to the front. It sucks. It’s a long race and we are obviously out of it early.”

Not long after Jones hit the wall, Matt DiBennedetto slapped the wall in Turn 2 to bring out the caution on lap 49. DiBennedetto also had a right front tire go down. The driver of the Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Procore Safety Qualified Toyota was able to limp his destroyed car to pit road, but it was too damaged to continue. DiBennedetto finished 39^th.

While leading the Coca-Cola 600, Martin Truex Jr. hit the wall exiting Turn 4. TheFourthTurn.com isn’t sure if it was a tire failure of if he just got a little too high and hit the outside wall to bring out the caution on lap 75. Truex restarted Stage 2 in the 14th position.

The final caution of Stage 1 came out on lap 87, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun down the frontstretch after sliding up in front of Kyle Busch exiting Turn 4. Stenhouse restarted Stage 2 in ninth.

Brad Keselowski was the winner of Stage 1.

The Coca-Cola 600 is broadcasting live on FOX.

Photo Credit: Hunter Thomas/TheFourthTurn.com