Memorial Day weekend marks a homecoming for the NASCAR Cup Series and the longest mile race on the calendar. The series shifts to Charlotte Motor Speedway in suburban Queen City, where each team’s headquarters are located, for the Coca-Cola 600.
Hendrick Motorsports, located literally down the street from the speedway, is the team to beat, hosting five of the 13 races so far this season, plus last weekend’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Coca-Cola 600:
Coca-Cola 600 TV/Streaming/Radio Program
All times Eastern
Saturday May 27
7-9 pm: Practice and Qualify (FS1, Fox Sports App, PRN)
Sunday May 28
5:30-6:00 PM: Pre-Race Show (Fox, Fox Sports App, PRN)
6pm-10pm: Coca-Cola 600 (Fox, Fox Sports App, PRN)
Coca Cola 600 details
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5 mile dog paw oval), Concord, North Carolina
Length: 400 laps for 600 miles
Banking: 5 degrees on straights, 24 degrees in corners
Last year’s winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Top drivers and best bets for the Coca-Cola 600
Hendrick Motorsports was dominant on tracks of 1.5 miles or less and that is reflected in BetMGM’s odds going into the weekend. Kyle Larson (+400) dominated last weekend’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro and has won at two short tracks so far, while William Byron (+700) has won three of four intermediate track races this season.
Best odds of winning
Kyle Larson +400
William Byron +700
Denny Hamlin +750
Martin Truex Jr. +900
Pursue Elliott +900
We wrote about odds in more detail earlier this week and recommend looking for good mid-tier value in Tyler Reddick (+1600), who has an average finish of 9.3 in four starts with Charlotte and Kevin Harvick (+1700). ), who has won there three times. Making his first Cup start at Charlotte, Ty Gibbs (+6000) is a tempting contender as he has won and finished second in two Xfinity races.
Coca-Cola 600 entry list
Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford|
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsport Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
JJ Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
AJ Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Motorsport Ford in the front row
Zane Smith (38), Motorsport Ford in the front row
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Chevrolet Legacy Motor Club
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsport Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsport Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Jimmie Johnson (84), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Daniel Suarez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Coca Cola 600 again
The forecast calls for cool temperatures and rain all weekend, which will leave planners on the speedway rubbing their temples. In addition to the Cup cars, practice, qualifying and races for the ARCA Menards, Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series are held at the track. With Monday being a federal holiday, NASCAR may be more inclined to push back the Cup race more quickly rather than wait for the weather to clear well into Sunday night.
