CONCORD, N.C. – Christopher Bell won the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 after weather forced NASCAR to cancel the race.
Cup drivers completed 249 of the scheduled 400 laps on Sunday evening before rain triggered the caution. Lightning within eight miles of the track then brought out the red flag. Repeated strikes reset the countdown clock.
MORE: Coca-Cola 600 Results
MORE: Points for cup drivers
The rain stopped around 10:30 PM ET when NASCAR sent the drying crews to the 1.5-mile track. Drying efforts continued until 11:30 PM, when NASCAR decided to call the race. The statement said that high humidity and the likelihood that the race would resume after 1 a.m. determined the decision.
Speedway Motorsports reconfigures Charlotte Roval for playoff race
Speedway Motorsports spoke with several Cup drivers over the past year.
Brad Keselowski was credited with a second place finish. He was followed by William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry.
The two teams that won the most races this season led the first 249 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Byron won Stage 1 for Hendrick Motorsports, leading 49 laps. Bell won Stage 2 for Joe Gibbs Racing while leading 90 laps. Ty Gibbs, who started on pole, led 74 laps.
Kyle Larson, who finished 18th in the Indy 500, was unable to get into the No. 5 Chevrolet before NASCAR called the race.
Winner phase 1: William Byron
Winner phase 2: Christopher Bell
Winner stage 3: NASCAR declared Bell the winner of Stage 3
Who had a good race: Bell led 90 laps and held off Keselowski until the weather stopped the Coca-Cola 600. He won his first Crown Jewel race and the eighth race of his Cup career. … Justin Allgaier, driving in place of Kyle Larson, started at the back of the field. He rode as high as 13th while keeping number 5 clean. He held his own against several Cup regulars, including Byron, Joey Logano and Gibbs. … Reddick, who started at the back and called a pass-through penalty, put himself in the top four during the third stage. Reddick was fourth when the weather ended the race.
Who had a bad race: Ryan Blaney, defending race winner, was given a penalty in Stage 2 for an uncontrolled tire. Subsequently, a wheel separation sent him into the outside wall exiting Turn 4. He finished 39th. …Kyle Busch received an uncontrolled tire penalty during green flag pit stops in Stage 1. He then received a safety violation penalty during a pit stop in Stage 2. He finished 15th. … Noah Gragson spun into the inside wall after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 171. Gragson finished 38th.
Next one: NASCAR Cup teams head to World Wide Technology Raceway for a Sunday afternoon race on June 2 (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1).
