Coca-Cola 600 Race Preview!

It’s Coca-Cola 600 week for the NASCAR Cup Series. All the patriotic schemes are ready for an incredible Memorial Day weekend race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Ross Chastain stands on his No. 1 Trackhouse Chevrolet

Last week, Denny Hamlin claimed the million-dollar prize at Dover Motor Speedway, causing questions to be raised about the flaws in the All-Star Race format.

Hamlin will look to keep the momentum rolling into an event he has won once before. He was also in contention last year until a fuel issue forced an unscheduled pit stop late in the race.

Last year’s winner, Ross Chastain, will be pulling triple duty this weekend, competing in the Truck, O'Reilly, and Cup Series races for a total of 1,101 miles. His teammate, Connor Zilisch, will also attempt triple duty. Zilisch is coming off a career-best finish at Dover after bringing home a 5th-place result.

With Charlotte Motor Speedway serving as a home race for most NASCAR teams, it’s especially important for William Byron. By his standards, Byron’s season has been somewhat underwhelming, with only two top-five finishes so far. He and Hendrick Motorsports will look to capture a home track victory this weekend.

As the regular season nears its halfway point, Tyler Reddick still holds a 129-point lead over Denny Hamlin. Following Shane van Gisbergen’s win at Watkins Glen, he currently holds the final playoff spot — notably ahead of several drivers who made last year’s playoffs, including Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain.

Can van Gisbergen perform well enough on the ovals to secure a playoff berth? Can Logano finally shake off his bad luck? Can Chastain clean up the late-race mistakes and climb back into contention?

Something to watch

Katherine Legge will look to become the first woman to complete the infamous “Double,” racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. She will drive the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend.

Coca-Cola 600 Weekend Schedule

Saturday

Practice — 1:30 PM ET (Prime)

Qualifying — 2:40 PM ET (Prime)

Sunday

Coca-Cola 600 — 6:00 PM ET (Prime)