Crew members stand on pit road during a red flag for the national moment of remembrance during the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. (Photo: Jason Smith/Getty Images)
SALUTE While Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 stretched to more than six hours due to lengthy rain delays, there was one shining moment for the teams, the track workers and the fans at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
It came at 3 p.m., when NASCAR stopped the entire field on the frontstretch and the crews all halted what they were doing to line up on pit road. The action was a salute to the men and women who serve in the United States armed forces, and was timed to coincide with President Obama’s request that all of America observe a moment of silence at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.
“I thought that it was really cool,” said Kasey Kahne, who finished seventh in his Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge Charger. “To honor the men and women who have served our country, and be able to participate in such a really special deal was great. During the moment of silence, I just sat in my car and thought about what the men and women of the armed services have done for our country. I’m proud of NASCAR and all the drivers and crews for such a great moment.”
DECENT DAY FOR EDWARDS Carl Edwards earned his second top-five finish of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with a fourth-place run, best of the five Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusions in the Coca-Cola 600. While that’s a long way from the form Edwards flashed in 2008, when he won a series-high nine races, it still was a passable run for the No. 99 Ford. “That’s probably as best we deserve to be with the car we’ve got and that’s progress,” said Edwards, who is still looking for his first victory of 2009.
Edwards can take some consolation in being best in class at least, as he clearly had the measure of teammates Matt Kenseth (10th), Greg Biffle (20th), Jamie McMurray (21st) and David Ragan (24th).
