NASCAR Daily News Headlines * May 26, 2010

Tony Stewart will make his 405th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 23rd at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway … Has one win (October 2003) and 11 top-10 finishes in 22 career Sprint Cup starts at the 1.5-mile oval … The 39-year-old Columbus, Ind., native has won 37 races and has 234 top-10 finishes in 404 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Stewart’s 12th full year in Sprint Cup and he won the points championship in 2002 and 2005 … Started 16th and finished ninth two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway … Ranks 14th in Sprint Cup points with four top-10 finishes.

Jimmie Johnson will make his 304th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 18th at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway … Has six wins, three poles and 13 top-10 finishes in 17 starts at the 1.5-mile oval … The 34-year-old from El Cajon, Calif., has 50 wins and 187 top-10 finishes in 303 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Johnson’s ninth full year in Sprint Cup and he won the points championship in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 … Started fifth and finished 16th two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway … Ranks fourth in Sprint Cup Series points with three victories.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., will make his 376th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 22nd at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway … Has one pole (May 2000) and nine top-10 finishes in 22 starts at the 1.5-mile oval … The 35-year-old Kannapolis, N.C., native has won 18 races and has 145 top-10 finishes in 375 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Earnhardt’s 11th full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of third in 2003 … Won 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Nationwide Series championships … Started 27th and finished 30th two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway … Ranks 16th in Sprint Cup points with three top-10 finishes.

Carl Edwards will make his 206th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 11th at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway … Has seven top-10 finishes in 10 starts at the 1.5-mile oval … The 30-year-old Columbia, Mo., native has won 16 races and has 105 top-10 finishes in 205 Sprint Cup starts … Captured 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series title … 2010 marks Edwards’ sixth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of second in 2008 … Started ninth and finished eighth two weeks ago at Dover (Del.) International Speedway … Ranks 10th in Sprint Cup points with six top-10 finishes.

Daytona Patch OK

The patch – 6 feet wide, 18 feet long and 6 inches deep – covers the pothole that developed between turns 1 and 2 during the Daytona 500. The rest of the track surface is asphalt, but drivers reported no issues in going from asphalt to concrete and back the asphalt.

“The patch felt fine,” said Kevin Harvick. “You really couldn’t even tell that it was there. Everybody ran through it lap after lap and it didn’t bounce the car around. They did a good job fixing it. I don’t think it will be an issue.”

Daytona will host Sprint Cup and Nationwide races with the patch July 2-3, and then repave the entire track after the July race weekend.

“I didn’t even see it and until someone brought it up, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, we patched the race track somewhere,’” Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch said. “I found it and it didn’t do anything. Nothing –- no concerns there.”

Michael Waltrip Racing rookie Trevor Bayne said his car bottomed out over the patch but it had no effect. Track officials say cars bottoming out and scraping the track was one of the issues –- as well as heavy moisture and cold temperatures –- that resulted in the pothole.(scenedaily.com)

Coca-Cola 600 News

David Reutimann (No. 00 Toyota) will run an Armed Forces Foundation paint scheme.
Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Ford) will run an Armed Forces red camouflage paint scheme, which is part of Budweiser's partnership with the United Service Organizations.
Hendrick Motorsports - The four Hendrick Motorsports drivers are scheduled to drive special red, white and blue "Honoring Our Soldiers" patriotic paint schemes.