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Charlotte Motor Speedway is a track that every Cup Series driver and team wants to do well at. Unfortunately, someone has to make up the middle to back of the pack during a race. Here are five drivers who more often than not tend to struggle at Charlotte.
By the Numbers: 12 races; 0 wins; 2 top 5s; 3 top 10s; 19.7 avg. finish; 8 laps led
Breakdown: Ryan Blaney seemed to turn a corner at Charlotte in 2020 with two third place finishes in two races on the oval. Unfortunately, he followed that up with finishes of 13th and 29th in the next two oval races at Charlotte. He does have one points win to his credit at Charlotte, but that came at the ROVAL back in 2018.
By the Numbers: 17 races; 0 top 5s; 1 top 10; 18.1 avg. finish; 4 laps led
Breakdown: Aric Almirola has never had a finish in the single digits at Charlotte in a points race. His best finish was 10th in the fall race back in 2015, when the fall race was still held on the oval. He only has one DNF there, so his struggles there have not been particularly spectacular, but they have been very lackluster.
By the Numbers: 8 races; 0 top 5s; 1 top 10; 18.3 avg. finish; 36 laps led
Breakdown: Daniel Suarez had some early success at Charlotte with a sixth place finish in his second race at the track in the fall of 2017. Since then, he has failed to find the top 10. Not only that, but three of the last four events has seen Suarez finish 25th or worse as well.
By the Numbers: 10 races; 0 top 5s; 3 top 10s; 19.2 avg. finish; 0 laps led
Breakdown: Buescher is another example of a driver who has not failed out in spectacular fashion at Charlotte very often, but that changed last year when he flipped during the Coca Cola 600. This is not a track that has been historically good for Buescher. However, an eighth place finish in 2021 means that maybe he found something at the track.
By the Numbers: 8 races; 0 top 5s; 1 top 10; 18.8 avg. finish; 0 laps led
Breakdown: Jones first points race at Charlotte was an impressive seventh in the 2017 Coca Cola 600. Since then it has been a struggle for Jones at the track as he has failed to lead a lap. He has only had one DNF at the track coming in the 2019 Coca-Cola 600.
Some of these drivers may be able to turn their fortunes around this weekend. The Coca Cola 600 tends to have some surprises towards the front at the end of it.
