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NASCAR: Five Drivers Most Likely To Win At Charlotte

By Cole Mentzel

May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch (75) and Kevin Harvick (4) lead the way down the front stretch after a caution during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
May 21, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch (75) and Kevin Harvick (4) lead the way down the front stretch after a caution during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 24, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (19) races during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (19) races during the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports /

Contender No. 1: Carl Edwards

Stats at Charlotte:

  • Wins: 1
  • Top-5’s: 7
  • Top-10’s: 15
  • Laps Led: 137

Carl Edwards earned his first and only win at Charlotte last year in the Coca-Cola 600, but he’s been consistent at the track over the years.

Edwards is currently riding a streak of eight top-10’s in the last nine races there and he’s finished outside of the top-15 just four times in his 22 starts.

This season has been great for Edwards so far. He already has back-to-back wins with eight top-10’s in 12 races and he’s positioned himself in second place in the Chase standings–right behind his teammate, Kyle Busch.

Ever since Edwards made the switch to Joe Gibbs Racing, he’s become more competitive. After a strong run in the Chase last year, he has come back even better in 2016 and looks to be one of the top contenders for the championship once the Chase rolls around.

He’s had some high praise for JGR (via foxsports.com):

"“It’s literally like one team. It’s pretty spectacular. I think respect is the word. It’s really shocking to me. Everyone is 100 percent involved, 100 percent on the same team. And that’s hard to do. So I feel like I’m the lucky recipient.”"

With an average finish of 10.5 at Charlotte and strong runs at similar tracks, like Atlanta and Texas, Edwards is set to be in contention this Sunday.

Next: More Dominance

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