Dale Earnhardt, Jr. came close Sunday night in Charlotte. The No. 88 team put itself in a position to win but came up a little short on fuel. Kevin Harvick once again showed up at the end to close the deal, the first time a RCR Chevrolet has won the Coca-Cola 600 since Dale Earnhardt, Sr. did it in 1993. Great race and the 145,000 fans in the stands got their money's worth.

VICTORY LANE
Kevin Harvick- Winning his third race of the season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Proving to his critics that he can be a contender this year.
David Ragan – A second-place finish in the longest race in NASCAR history.

THE GARAGE
Kyle Busch – Two spin outs and a DNF to go with his 32nd place finish.
A.J. Allmendinger – In the top five until his engine failed on lap 166
Storyline that we will remember: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Running out of gas in turns three and four.
Storyline that we will forget: Jimmie Johnson losing an engine and finishing 28th.

Power Rankings
(Rankings will be based off of who is running the best, with an emphasis on the last several races but having respect for the duration of the 36 race schedule. Last Week’s Rankings can be found in parenthesis.)
1. (1)Carl Edwards – Still top in points so he isn’t going to be bumped yet.
2. (5) Kevin Harvick – Three wins, which should lock a Chase spot for the RCR car.
3. (4) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Sixth top-ten of the season, after the first 12 races has put himself and his team in a great position to make the Chase and contend for a championship with his consistency.
4.  (2) Jimmie Johnson – Even with a blown engine was able to stay third in points.
5. (8)Kurt Busch – Got his second top five of the season in the 600.
6.  (3)Kyle Busch – Bad week in Charlotte and the surrounding area.
7.  (6) Matt Kenseth – With his two wins he has virtually locked himself into the Chase.
8. (7) Clint Bowyer – Stays in the eighth position in the standings.
9.  (10) Tony Stewart – Has yet to find the speed he had at the beginning of the season.
10.  (9)Ryan Newman – Had nowhere to go when Busch and Gilliland got together.
11.  (NR) Greg Biffle – This spot is looking like it is reserved for who wants to make the Chase this week.
12.  (12) Jeff Gordon – With his one win would make the Chase but he is 16th in points.

Driver of Week: Kevin Harvick – Only because he won the race, by the way he is not the best closer in the sport.

Stat of the Week:  Nine drivers are within 44 points of the 10th spot of the Chase.

Last Week’s Prediction Results: I had the winners of the Charlotte Races reversed.

Prediction for ChicagoLand: Clint Bowyer

Question of the Week:  Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. win a race this season and where?

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