This Sunday the Memorial Day Weekend NASCAR tradition of the Coca-Cola 600 continues from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
This is the longest race of the year. There have been 11 different winners so far in the NASCAR 2021 Cup Series season. That leaves just five more spots open for the post-season not filled by a driver with a win. Since there are (counting this weekend) 12 races remaining in the regular season, it is quite possible that there could be 16 or more drivers with at least one win before the playoffs begin. That means drivers without wins will be racing even harder to get a win. It also means drivers that have already won will be doing all they can to get more wins to make sure they are included in the 16-driver post-season field.
Let’s take a look at this weekend’s track and race data.
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 #: 15 of 36 (05-30-21)
Race Length: 400 laps / 600 miles
Stage Length: 100 laps each
That last stat for the race is correct. Each stage is 100 laps. Since it is a 400-lap race that should help you figure out that this is a four-stage race instead of a three-stage race. Since it is the longest race of the year it is the only one divided into four stages.
Now let’s take a look at which active drivers have performed well overall at Charlotte Motor Speedway in their Cup Series careers.
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Charlotte
Kyle Busch…………………………. 105.9
Chase Elliott…………………………. 96.5
Denny Hamlin……………………….. 95.0
Martin Truex Jr……………………… 92.0
Kevin Harvick……………………….. 90.8
Joey Logano………………………… 90.3
Kurt Busch…………………………… 88.5
Brad Keselowski……………………. 87.9
Tyler Reddick……………………….. 87.8
Kyle Larson………………………….. 86.8
Ryan Blaney…………………………. 86.7
William Byron……………………….. 83.2
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (30 total) among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
What active drivers have won at least one race in NASCAR’s top division at Charlotte Motor Speedway? Here is the list…
Kevin Harvick – 3 Wins
Martin Truex Jr. – 3 Wins
Brad Keselowski – 2 Wins
Austin Dillon – 1 Win
Chase Elliott – 1 Win
Joey Logano – 1 Win
Kurt Busch – 1 Win
Kyle Busch – 1 Win
Brad Keselowski won last year’s Coca-Cola 600. He is one of nine drivers with a single win so far this season. Will he get back-to-back Coca-Cola 600 wins to secure his spot in the 2021 post-season?
Kevin Harvick has three Charlotte wins. He has yet to win in 2021. Will he get his fourth Charlotte win to get his first win of the season?
Chase Elliott is the defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion. He just got his first win of the year last weekend at COTA in a rain shortened race. Will he get back-to-back wins for the season to lock in his chance to defend his championship in the playoffs?
There are so many scenarios that could be pointed out that could play out. We will have to find out what story is written when the green flag waives to start the Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day Weekend starting at 5 p.m. central time (6 p.m. eastern time) Sunday, May 30th from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Please make sure to take a few moments to remember the men and women of our military that sacrifice daily for our freedom and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.
By: Buck Stevens
