A pair of winners who got the chance to be a part of the NCEL 200 won more than just a VIP experience and tickets to this spring’s big races at Charlotte Motor Speedway – they got to see a photo-finish with Kasey Kahne edging out Erik Jones to take home the trophy.
Minutes before Friday’s race, the spotlight was on David Taylor, a mechanic from Leland in Brunswick County. Flanked by the Powerball and Mega Ball at the starting line, Taylor delivered a phrase familiar to race fans everywhere: “Drivers, start your engines!”
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“I can’t really explain it,” Taylor said of his once-in-a-lifetime stint as grand marshal. “It’s been an awesome experience.”
From high above the blacktop in the crow’s nest, it was Sylvester Lewis of Burlington who waved the green flag as honorary starter. The retired purchasing manager said getting action underway was exciting.
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“It was loud. It was fast,” he recalled. “The cars – you’d be surprised. They just blow you away.”
Taylor and Lewis won after entering a special Lucke-Rewards drawing held in April. The VIP experience included pit passes, a behind-the-scenes tour and a pit suite view of the speedway. The winners also received VISA gift cards, hotel accommodations on the night of the NCEL 200 and a ticket package to the NCEL 200 Camping World Truck Series race, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race, NASCAR XFINITY Series History 300 race and the Sprint Cup Series Coca Cola 600 race.
According to a release from NASCAR, Kahne’s .005 of a second margin of victory in Friday’s race is tied for second-closest in Camping World Truck Series history.
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Kahne’s win was all the more impressive given that, despite qualifying for pole position, he had to start the race from the rear – a penalty assessed for an unapproved adjustment to his truck. Racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, Kahne’s triumph was his fifth in six starts in the series this year.
When the NCEL 200 kicks off another 10 Days of Thunder in 2016, it will mark 10 years of the lottery partnering with Charlotte Motor Speedway. We can’t wait to see who wins next year’s contest.
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