The Coca Cola 600 (NASCAR)

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The Coca-Cola 600 represents a formidable challenge for NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is difficult to maneuver around, with 24-degree banking in the turns and straightaways that can cause problems if the racing gets three wide. Add in rapidly changing track conditions — the race starts just before sunset and doesn't conclude until the sky is swept in silk black — and it's no surprise why the race is considered one of the series' crown jewels.

This year's event will feature the return of two of NASCAR's biggest names, one from the past and one who figures to be a major player in the future. Jimmie Johnson will man the No. 84 car for Legacy Motor Club and look to secure his fifth win in the Queen City, which would tie him with Darrell Waltrip for most wins in the famed race.

Johnson's iconic No. 48 car will be out on the track, too, and for the first time in a month, Alex Bowman will be in the driver's seat. The Hendrick Motorsports star is back after fracturing his vertebra in a sprint car race last month.

So there's a whole lot of intrigue to this year's Coca-Cola 600. That should make for great viewing, both for the 100,000 or so set to attend the race as well as the millions who will be watching at home.

Which reminds us: here's what you need to know about the longest race of the Cup Series slate, including start time and broadcast information.

 

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• Date: Sunday, May 28
• Time: 6 p.m. ET

The listed start time for the Coca-Cola 600 is 6 p.m. ET, but the green flag is scheduled to be waved at 6:21 p.m. ET.

What channel is NASCAR on today?​

• TV channel: Fox (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
• Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo
• Radio: PRN

Sunday's race will be broadcast on Fox in the United States. Canadian viewers can find it on TSN5.

Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy will lead the telecast as the race's lap-by-lap announcer. He'll be joined in the booth Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart.

Cord-cutters can follow the action on FoxSports.com, as well as with Fubo, which offers a free trial.

NASCAR schedule 2023: Regular season​

(All times Eastern)

Date	Race (winner)	Track	Time	TV	Radio
Feb. 19	Daytona 500 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.)	Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 26	Pala Casino 400 (Kyle Busch)	Auto Club Speedway
March 5	Pennzoil 400 (William Byron)	Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 12	United Rentals Work United 500 (William Byron)	Phoenix Raceway
March 19	Ambetter Health 400 (Joey Logano)	Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 26	EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Tyler Reddick)	Circuit of the Americas
April 2	Toyota Owners 400 (Kyle Larson)	Richmond Raceway
April 9	Food City Dirt Race (Christopher Bell)	Bristol Motor Speedway
April 16	NOCO 400 (Kyle Larson)	Martinsville Speedway
April 23	GEICO 500 (Kyle Busch)	Talladega Superspeedway
May 1	Wurth 400 (Martin Truex Jr.)	Dover Motor Speedway
May 7	AdventHealth 400 (Denny Hamlin)	Kansas Speedway
May 14	Goodyear 400 (William Byron)	Darlington Raceway
May 21	NASCAR All-Star Open (Josh Berry)	North Wilkesboro Speedway
May 21	NASCAR All-Star Race (Kyle Larson)	North Wilkesboro Speedway
May 28	Coca-Cola 600	Charlotte Motor Speedway	6 p.m.	Fox	PRN
June 4	Enjoy Illinois 300	World Wide Technology Raceway	3:30 p.m.	FS1	MRN
June 11	Toyota/Save Mart 350	Sonoma Raceway	3:30 p.m.	Fox	PRN
June 25	Ally 400	Nashville Superspeedway	7 p.m.	NBC	PRN
July 2	NASCAR Cup Series Race at Chicago	Chicago Street Course	5:30 p.m.	NBC	MRN
July 9	Quaker State 400	Atlanta Motor Speedway	7 p.m.	USA	PRN
July 16	Crayon 301	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	2:30 p.m.	USA	PRN
July 23	M&M's Fan Appreciation 400	Pocono Raceway	2:30 p.m.	USA	MRN
July 30	NASCAR Cup Series Race at Richmond	Richmond Raceway	3 p.m.	USA	MRN
Aug. 6	FireKeepers Casino 400	Michigan International Speedway	2:30 p.m.	USA	MRN
Aug. 13	Verizon 200 at the Brickyard	Speedway Road Course	2:30 p.m.	NBC	IMS
Aug. 20	Go Bowling at the Glen	Watkins Glen International	3 p.m.	USA	MRN
Aug. 26	Coke Zero Sugar 400	Daytona International Speedway	7 p.m.	NBC	MRN

NASCAR schedule 2023: Playoffs​

(All times Eastern)

Date	Race	Track	Time	TV	Radio
Sept. 3	Southern 500	Darlington Raceway	6 p.m.	USA	MRN
Sept. 10	Hollywood Casino 400	Kansas Speedway	3 p.m.	USA	MRN
Sept. 16	Bass Pro Shops Night Race	Bristol Motor Speedway	7:30 p.m.	USA	PRN
Sept. 24	AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400	Texas Motor Speedway	3:30 p.m.	USA	PRN
Oct. 1	YellaWood 500	Talladega Superspeedway	2 p.m.	NBC	MRN
Oct. 8	Bank of America Roval 400	Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval	2 p.m.	NBC	PRN
Oct. 15	South Point 400	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	2:30 p.m.	NBC	PRN
Oct. 22	NASCAR Cup Series Race at Homestead-Miami	Homestead-Miami Speedway	2:30 p.m.	NBC	MRN
Oct. 30	Xfinity 500	Martinsville Speedway	2 p.m.	NBC	MRN
Nov. 6	NASCAR Cup Series Championship	Phoenix Raceway	3 p.m.	NBC	MRN

 

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Coca-Cola 600 moved to Monday at due to rain
Cup Series points leader William Byron will start on the pole for the Cup Series race after qualifying was rained out Saturday night. It marks the first time the race has been moved to Memorial Day due to weather since 2009.

 

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The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the NASCAR season. This year's iteration of the event will be accompanied by one of the longer delays of the year, too; the race, initially scheduled to be run under the lights on Sunday, was pushed to Memorial Day after steady rain overtook the track.

That means one more day of waiting to watch superstars like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and even Jimmie Johnson attempt to capture the famed race — one of the crown jewels of American stock car racing.

MORE: Tyler Reddick's No. 45 car to have Michael Jordan-focused colorway

Conditions during the weekend should make for an unpredictable event. Qualifying was canceled as a result of the weather, as was practice. As such, it will take drivers some real adjusting to get themselves up to speed. Still, with four stages and 400 laps, they'll have plenty of time to find it.

A good run at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May gives a driver a place in racing lore for posterity. The question is, who will be in front in clean air at the end?

MORE: Watch the Coca-Cola 600 live with Fubo (free trial)

 

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Among the crown jewels of the NASCAR Cup Series race calendar, the Coca-Cola 600 is the most time-consuming.

That's not an exaggeration. With a track length of 1.5 miles and a total of 400 laps, the Charlotte race regularly runs late into the night. It's the sort of event that can swallow fans in a deep, luscious black; take a glimpse at the grandstand and you'll see disengaged onlookers slumped in every which direction.

That's a shame, too, because racers regularly put on a show when NASCAR rolls through the Queen City. Finishing the night in victory lane is a grueling journey that requires speed, endurance, race IQ and a whole lot of luck.

MORE: Wweather updates at Charlotte: Rain forecast threatens start of race

Last year, Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag at the end of the proceedings. The Joe Gibbs Racing megastar found a way to ward off Kyle Busch and exhaustion to secure his first win at the track. It was the longest race in Cup Series history.

Who will take the prize this year? That's up for grabs. Rest assured, though, the race will be a war of attrition, both for drivers and viewers.

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MORE: Watch the Coca-Cola 600 live with Fubo (free trial)

Here's what you need to know about the lineup for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

Who won the pole for Charlotte in 2023?​

With Saturday's qualifying canceled because of weather, William Byron will start in the pole position via NASCAR's Performance Metric Formula. His metric score of 2.55 topped Kevin Harvick's 3.9.

MORE: Date, time, TV channels for every NASCAR Cup Series race in 2023

NASCAR at Charlotte starting lineup 2023​

Leading the field for Sunday's race are William Byron and Kevin Harvick on the front row. Alex Bowman makes his long-awaited return in the No. 48 car. He missed each of the last four races after fracturing his vertebra in a sprint car race.

Starting pos.	Driver	Car No.	Team
1	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports
2	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing
3	Brad Keselowski	6	RFK Racing
4	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
5	Kyle Busch	8	Richard Childress Racing
6	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
7	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing
8	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske
9	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
10	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing
11	Chris Buescher	17	RFK Racing
12	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports
13	Harrison Burton	21	Wood Brothers Racing
14	Ross Chastain	1	Trackhouse Racing
15	Tyler Reddick	45	23XI Racing
16	Justin Haley	31	Kaulig Racing
17	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske
18	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
19	Ty Gibbs	54	Joe Gibbs Racing
20	Chase Briscoe	14	Stewart-Haas Racing
21	Austin Cindric	2	Team Penske
22	Ryan Preece	41	Stewart-Haas Racing
23	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing
24	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing
25	Corey LaJoie	7	Spire Motorsports
26	Erik Jones	43	Legacy Motor Club
27	A.J. Allmendinger	16	Kaulig Racing
28	Noah Gragson	42	Legacy Motor Club
29	Zane Smith	38	Front Row Motorsports
30	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports
31	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports
32	Ty Dillon	77	Spire Motorsports
33	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing
34	B.J. McCleod	78	Live Fast Motorsports
35	Todd Gilliland	51	Rick Ware Racing
36	J.J. Yeley	15	Rick Ware Racing
37	Jimmie Johnson	84	Legacy Motor Club

 

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Denny Hamlin accuses Chase Elliott of intentionally wrecking him at Coca-Cola 600: 'Shouldn't be racing next week'​

Last year, Denny Hamlin ended the Coca-Cola 600 with a flourish, capturing the longest race in NASCAR history with an overtime pass. He won't be defending his crown this year.

The Joe Gibbs Racing superstar saw his dreams of a repeat turn to ash and debris after a major wreck at the end of Stage 2 on Monday.

Hamlin's No. 11 car slammed into the outside wall after a spin. The culprit? None other than Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott. The two tangoed as they pulled into Turn 4 on Lap 186. Hamlin appeared to first send Elliott into the wall.

Elliott appeared less than pleased with the move. He responded by delivering a crunching blow to the right rear of Hamlin's car. The No. 11 Toyota had no chance, folding like accordion against the wall.


The No. 9 Camaro didn't fare much better. As Hamlin's car bounced off the wall, it made heavy contact with Elliott's machine, destroying its right toe link. Both cars were forced out of the race as a result.

Afterward, Hamlin had no reservations about calling out the 2020 Cup Series champion. In an interview with Fox's Josh Sims, he blasted Elliott for his move. Hamlin labeled the maneuver a right-rear hook and likened it to the shot Bubba Wallace gave to Kyle Larson during last season's playoffs. Wallace, who drives for Hamlin-co-owned 23XI Racing, was suspended one race for his actions.

"It's a tantrum and he shouldn't be racing next week," Hamlin said of Elliott. "Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don't care. It's the same thing Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn't be racing..

Hamlin had similar words, albeit with a few more colorful adjectives, when talking to crew chief Chris Gabehart over the radio.

Elliott disagreed with Hamlin's assessment and denied there was any retaliation. He said he didn't have much control of the right side of his car after the contact from Hamlin.

He'll have to wait a little longer for that win now, especially if NASCAR decides to issue a suspension.



"The No. 11 ran us up in the fence there," Elliott said. "Once you turn the right sides off these things, it's kind of over."


"Like I said, once you hit the wall in these things, you can't drive them anymore. ... Just an unfortunate circumstance," he added.


Elliott finds himself down in the Cup Series racing standings. He has yet to win this season, and it seems all but certain that he won't be able to make the playoffs via regular-season points alone after missing a swath of races due to a leg injury suffered off the track. A win would seal his spot.

 

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Blaney snaps 59-race Cup Series drought with Coca-Cola 600 win (plus full stats)​

CONCORD, N.C. – Finally.

Breaking a 59-race drought in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney gave team owner Roger Penske his first same-year sweep of IndyCar’s biggest race and NASCAR’s longest.

With a dominant No. 12 Team Penske Ford that gained long-run speed as the race progressed, Blaney led a race-high 163 of 400 laps and held off polesitter William Byron for his first victory on the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval and the eighth of his career.

A day after Josef Newgarden delivered Penske’s 19th Indianapolis 500 victory with a last-lap pass, Blaney won for the first time since taking the checkered flag at Daytona on Aug. 28, 2021.

“I might shed a tear,” said Blaney, clearly emotional during his post-race interview on the frontstretch. “I just was able to get the lead, and that car was so good that I could kind of bide my time a little bit and then we were able to drive off. I was hoping no caution, just because you never know.

“I know we had the car to do it, but restarts can be crazy… You start to get to feel like you can't win anymore when you don't win in a while. It kind of gets hard. So just super thankful to the 12 guys for believing in me…

“It’s just so cool. What a weekend with Newgarden and Roger winning at Indy and us winning the 600. I mean that’s just so cool. That kind of snaps our winless streak right there, and that’s even better.”

After a spate of cautions late in the race, Blaney led the field to green with 20 laps left and built a one-second lead over Byron before winning by .663 seconds. Martin Truex Jr. ran third ahead of 23XI Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Blaney won the race’s third stage and is second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, one point behind Ross Chastain, who finished 22nd.

Byron, who collected his eighth top-10 finish this season, pursued Blaney for the final 20 laps, but to no avail.

“We just needed a little bit,” said Byron, who led 91 laps and repeatedly regained the top spot from the No. 1 pit stall in a race that featured 16 cautions for 83 laps. “Really happy for Ryan. He really deserves it. He's a good dude. Cool to see him get a win…

“The car was great tonight. Just not quite good enough. Really proud of the effort. Pit crew was phenomenal on pit road. Those guys are just high energy, and that pit stall helps… Just proud of where our team is at. Just needed a little bit more.”

The wreck that set up the final 20-lap green-flag run was one of the race’s most severe. Kyle Larson slid sideways and after a restart on Lap 375 and bounced off other front-running cars like a pinball. Collected in the wreck were Christopher Bell, who had shown early speed; Ty Gibbs; Joey Logano and Aric Almirola.

Just as significant was an accident on Lap 185 that knocked defending race winner Denny Hamlin and five-time most popular driver Chase Elliott out of the race.

After Hamlin crowded Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet into the outside wall, Elliott hooked Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota on the frontstretch. Hamlin’s car bounced off the wall after a brutal impact and collected Elliott’s Camaro on the rebound.

Both cars were damaged too severely to continue.

Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart were convinced Elliott turned Hamlin’s Camry in retaliation.


“It’s a tantrum and he shouldn’t be racing next week,” Hamlin said after exiting the infield care center. “Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care. It is the same thing that Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”

Elliott denied the incident was intentional on his part.

“No, like I said, once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore,” Elliott said. “So, no, just unfortunate circumstances.”

--- By Reid Spencer

 

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