CONCORD, N.C. -- The biggest test of the drivers' stamina in the Sprint Cup Series season arrives this Sunday.
At Charlotte Motor Speedway, 600 miles await.
"As soon as we get to 500 miles, kind of like muscle memory, your body sort of realizes that that is the end of the norm and now we have 100 miles to go and your body is just not used to staying plugged in or being on task for that long of time," Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained. "So those last 100 miles are probably the toughest 100 miles we run all year mentally."
He likened it to the jump from the distance of XFINITY Series races to those in the Sprint Cup -- something teammate Chase Elliott has experience with this year.
As for Elliott, he said he'll lean on his fellow Hendrick Motorsports drivers -- and veteran crew chief Kenny Francis -- as he prepares to tackle the 600.
"I think you kind of have to definitely use those guys and use their knowledge to try and learn some stuff, but at the same time you kind of have to go with what you feel is right," he said. "They have some great knowledge to offer and I definitely think as the weekend goes along I will be paying close attention to our meeting and try to make the most of those guys."
Hear more from the two drivers on how they'll approach the Memorial Day weekend race after taking lessons from hitting the track last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway: