It’s a Memorial Day Weekend tradition. NASCAR’s longest race of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Memorial Day Weekend.
Every NASCAR driver hopes to win a championship. However, there are also other career goals they have that include winning certain races. Among those “Crown Jewel” races is the Coca-Cola 600. Most races during the season are 400 miles long at most. The extra 200 miles of racing is hard on the cars, the pit crew and the drivers. Keeping the cars running well to the end and the pit crews and drivers focused during the long day is the only way to have a chance to win.
Here is what the drivers and cars will be facing at the track and in the race.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Data
Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,980 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet
Coca-Cola 600 Data
Season Race #: 14 of 36 (05-26-23)
Race Length: 400 laps / 600 miles
Stage Length: 100 laps each
Not all of these wins are in the Coca-Cola 600, there are 10 active drivers this weekend that have won a Cup Series race during their careers at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They include Jimmie Johnson who is not racing full-time, but will be in this week’s race.
Jimmie Johnson | 8 Wins | 2016, 2014, 2009, 2005 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2003 |
Martin Truex Jr | 3 Wins | 2019, 2017, 2016 |
Kevin Harvick | 3 Wins | 2014, 2013, 2011 |
Brad Keselowski | 2 Wins | 2020, 2013 |
Denny Hamlin | 1 Win | 2022 |
Kyle Larson | 1 Win | 2021 |
Chase Elliott | 1 Win | 2020 |
Kyle Busch | 1 Win | 2018 |
Austin Dillon | 1 Win | 2017 |
Joey Logano | 1 Win | 2015 |
It will be interesting to find out how this race plays out. Last year’s Coca-Cola 600 was considered one of the best in many years. There was action from start to finish. It took three NASCAR overtime green-white-checkered attempts to get it settled.
Will this year’s race be as eventful? We will have to watch to find out starting at 5 p.m. central time (6 p.m. eastern time) in the Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway this Sunday, May 28th.
By: Buck Stevens