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NASCAR results at Charlotte: Austin Dillon takes No. 3 back to victory lane in Coca-Cola 600
Martin Truex Jr. had the best car Sunday night in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but Austin Dillon had the best strategy.
Truex led 233 laps in NASCAR's longest race of the season, but while he and other contenders pitted with 33 laps to go, Dillon stayed on the track and crossed the finish line on fumes for his first career win.
It's the first time the famed No. 3 car has been in victory lane for the Coca-Cola 600 since Dale Earnhardt beat Jeff Gordon in 1993.
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Jimmie Johnson, who also tried to stay out and win the fuel-mileage race, ran out of gas just before the white flag waved, giving the lead away to Dillon, who held off Kyle Busch and Truex for the win.
Matt Kenseth finished fourth followed by Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch.
NASCAR's longest night finished on Monday morning after a thunderstorm brought out the red flag for 1 hour, 39 minutes just after Matt DiBenedetto crashed on Lap 143. When the race returned to green there were 47 laps remaining in Stage 2, but the delay was no issue for Truex, who led all but nine laps in his sixth stage win of the season.
Truex led the most laps in Stage 3 to become the second driver to lead the most laps in three consecutive Coca-Cola 600s but a slow pit stop with three laps remaining in the third of four 100-lap stages allowed Denny Hamlin to pick up the playoff point.
Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott brought out the first of 10 caution flags just 19 laps into the race after debris from a lapped car initiated the contact.
As Kyle Busch was passing Jeffrey Earnhardt, a mechanical issue in the No. 33 car dropped debris and fluid on the 1.5-mile track. Elliott, who was running fifth before the caution, tried to check up to avoid the fluid but it appeared a fire caught underneath his car as he hit the debris from Earnhardt's car.
Keselowski, unable to stop down on the frontstrech due to the leaked oil, smashed right into the rear of the No. 24 car.
Kyle Larson, who entered the race as the points leader, received heavy damage after blowing a right-front tire on Lap 291 and colliding with the wall. It's the first time this season Larson didn't finish of the lead lap of a race. Truex now holds a five-point lead over Larson in the standings while Keselowski remains third despite the poor showing.
Fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished his career winless in the Coca-Cola 600, finishing 10th Sunday in his final Cup Series season. Junior will look to end a winless streak dating back to 2015 next Sunday as the series heads to Dover.
Unoffical results from Charlotte:
- Austin Dillon
- Kyle Busch
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Matt Kenseth
- Denny Hamlin
- Kurt Busch
- Erik Jones
- Kevin Harvick
- Ryan Newman
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Daniel Suarez
- Jamie McMurray
- Paul Menard
- Clint Bowyer
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Trevor Bayne
- Jimmie Johnson
- AJ Allmendinger
- Michael McDowell
- Chris Buescher
- Joey Logano
- Regan Smith
- David Ragan
- Ryan Blaney
- Danica Patrick
- JJ Yeley
- Gray Gaulding
- Landon Cassill
- Timmy Hill
- Reed Sorenson
- Derrike Cope
- Corey LaJoie
- Kyle Larson
- Cole Whitt
- Kasey Kahne
- Ty Dillon
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Jeffrey Earnhardt
Stage 1 winner: Kyle Busch
Stage 2 winner: Truex
Stage 3 winner: Hamlin
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