Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. – One of the prime vacancies among NASCAR Cup Series rides for next season opened up before this season even started. Jan. 10 was the date Aric Almirola announced he would retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the 2022 campaign.

In the four-plus months since, the chain of succession for Almirola’s soon-to-be open No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford is not much clearer. Still, the team’s drivers have some influence in how the seat might be filled.

RELATED: At-track photos: Charlotte

Almirola’s retirement was actually the organization’s second major driver announcement in a five-day span during the offseason. On Jan. 6, SHR tapped Ryan Preece as a reserve driver. Since then, he’s filled a number of roles, doing simulator work, driving in national series races for Ford’s affiliate teams and making spot starts in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour that launched his career. Preece is pulling triple duty this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Trucks.

The organization has some sway in where Preece’s career goes next, but so does SHR veteran Kevin Harvick, whose agency represents the 31-year-old driver.

“I think for me, I’ve kind of seen Ryan and seen how he operates, and he’s just a hard-nosed racer and can put everything together himself and do everything himself,” Harvick said before qualifying for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM). “And to me, that’s the kind of guy you want, right? You want somebody who knows it all, and he’s just a fun kid to be around and works hard and can race. He just needs the right opportunity.”

Which begs the connect-the-dots question about whether a natural transition to SHR’s No. 10 makes sense. Posed it, Harvick became more tight-lipped.

“I think any opportunity would be, you know, an opportunity worth talking about for sure,” he said.

The other SHR pilot with an active interest is Almirola, who detailed some of his post-retirement plans Saturday – a long list that included family activities, athletic pursuits and potentially an Ironman Triathlon attempt. His racing-related talks have involved Stewart-Haas president Brett Frood, co-owner Tony Stewart and competition director Greg Zipadelli, who have gauged his input about who his successor might be.

“I am involved and I think talking with Brett and Tony and Zippy and all the guys at SHR about what that looks like, and then even having conversations with Smithfield, and what it looks like for them and whether or not they’re going to continue or what their decision-making is going to look like going forward,” Almirola said, mentioning the long-running sponsor that’s been with him since 2012. “So I am involved in all those conversations, and I think there’s still a lot of question marks and not a lot of answers yet.”

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

The biggest day of the year in motorsports deserves a big piece of betting content as well.

Sunday’s auto racing goodness gets underway with Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix at 9 a.m. ET, followed by the 106th running of the Indy 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET, and concludes with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the season, at 6 p.m. ET (FOX).

Because Sunday’s motorsports schedule is so loaded, I decided to tap each of the Action Network’s verified NASCAR experts for their favorite Coca-Cola 600 bet ahead of tonight’s race.

And before you scroll on, be sure to download the FREE Action Network App to track all of our verified experts and their full betting cards for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, including the bets highlighted below.

In addition, please note that we’ll continue to update this piece as more best bet picks are submitted, so be sure to check back often between now and Sunday evening’s green flag.

NASCAR Picks: Coca-Cola 600

*Odds as of Sunday morning

Coca-Cola 600 Future Picks

— Kyle Busch +650 to Win (PJ Walsh — The Action Network)

Toyota drivers Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch swept the top four spots in qualifying on Saturday, and I’m eyeing the driver of the No. 18 to get it done tonight.

At Las Vegas earlier this season, Busch looked to be cruising to victory before a late, ill-timed caution resulted in differing pit strategies that ultimately ruined his chances for a win.

And at Kansas, Busch was once again one of the fastest drivers, finishing third while posting the second-best driver rating.

If you’re just now getting around to building your Coca-Cola 600 betting cards, backing Busch is a great way to start.

— William Byron 12-1 to Win (Jim Sannes — NumberFire)

My numbers were big on Byron entering the week, and he obviously took a hit on Saturday with all the speed that Toyotas showed during practice and qualifying.

But the Hendrick cars had giddy-up, too.

Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman followed Martin Truex Jr. in five-lap averages, and Byron was the highest-qualifying non-Toyota.

Plus, it’s not as if Byron was slow in practice, holding the eighth-best five-lap average and fifth-best 10-lap mark. Still, Byron lengthened from +1000 to +1200, long enough to make him a value.

My numbers have Byron winning 9.6% of the time, up from his implied odds of 7.7%.

— Denny Hamlin 11-1 to Win (Jordan McAbee — Fantasy Racing Online)

I was already on Hamlin at 12-1 earlier in the week, and then he went out and won the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

Most books moved him much shorter, but BallyBet has kept Hamlin at 11-1 on race day.

The Toyotas have all of the speed right now, and even though Martin Truex, Jr. looked the best in practice on Saturday, there’s no doubt that all of the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas (and even 23XI Racing cars) are going to be fast on Sunday.

Hamlin has the best pit crew in the Cup Series and the best track position to start the race. He should be able to stay up front all night and compete for his first Charlotte win.

Coca-Cola 600 Prop Bet Picks

— Toyota +135 to Win (Stephen Young — RotoGrinders)

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has won three of the last six Charlotte oval races and is the team to beat this weekend. I wanted to take JGR to win at +150, but I don’t want Kurt Busch to spoil the fun.

In practice on Saturday, Toyota had four of the top five cars on short and long runs.

Looking back to Kansas, three of the top four cars in speed were Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Christopher Bell.

Even looking back to Las Vegas earlier this season, Toyota had three of the top six fastest cars. I think Toyota has hit on something with these intermediate tracks and I like its chances to bring home the win this weekend.

— Ryan Preece 200-1 for Top Ford (Nick Giffen — The Action Network)

Books have mispriced Preece as a backmarker, but he’s essentially in a Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) car. By comparison, his SHR “teammates” are listed between +550 and +1200 at WynnBET for this same prop.

Preece was 12th in five-lap average in practice, and the last time he raced in this car he was quite fast, hanging out on the lead lap until he dropped a cylinder.

If you don’t use WynnBET, sign up today and grab this generous line. Preece should be about 20-1 instead of 200-1.

Coca-Cola 600 Driver Matchup Picks

— William Byron -105 over Ryan Blaney (Derek Yoder — Garage Guys)

When looking at a number of key betting positions for this race, I found one that is an absolute no-brainer. Right now at DraftKings Sportsbook, William Byron (-105) is currently an underdog to Ryan Blaney, but I think by the start of the race on Sunday, this line could flip.

After listening to some of the radio communication during practice, it was Byron saying he was “happy with his car” and how he could “pick up a few tenths when trying a different line.”

On the flip side, Blaney was not happy, and described the car being “ very loose” while also mentioning how he was frustrated and struggling to fix the car conditions.

On Sunday, Byron will start fifth, while Blaney starts 11th.

In the longest race of the year, I need to put my faith in the driver that has the best ability to find the lead and who has the better of the two pit crews.

Posted on by Dustin Albino

Toyota entered Charlotte with a boatload of momentum, dominating the last points-paying mile-and-a-half race at Kansas two weeks ago. In the All-Star Race last week, the manufacturer wasn’t too shabby either, with Denny Hamlin battling for the win on a green-white-checkered finish. In qualifying on Saturday, five of the 10 drivers advancing to the final round drove Toyota. See a theme?

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:

Starter 1: Denny Hamlin
Starter 2: Kyle Busch
Starter 3: Kurt Busch
Starter 4: Martin Truex Jr.
Starter 5: William Byron
Garage pick: Kyle Larson

MORE: Set your lineup | Starting lineup

NEXT IN LINE: Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman

RISING: Denny Hamlin has never won the Coca-Cola 600 before but came close on multiple occasions. And despite his rough start to the season — just two top-10 finishes in 13 races — this might be his best shot yet, as the No. 11 car won the pole. At some point, the No. 11 team that’s made the previous three Championship 4 races needs to find consistency in 2022; we could be on the precipice.

Based on how much Tyler Reddick flirts with danger by running the wall, I could understand why you’d want to stay away from him this weekend. It’s bitten him before, but it’s also won him two Xfinity Series championships. With the outside line being dominant thus far in the weekend, this race could fall right into Reddick’s wheelhouse, and he could become the eighth driver to win their first Cup race in the Coca-Cola 600.

FALLING: Kyle Larson entered the weekend as the race favorite, having crushed the field in last year’s Coca-Cola 600, leading a commanding 327 laps. The No. 5 team’s chance to defend its Coca-Cola 600 crown this year got much harder, as Larson got into the wall in practice after hitting the rev limiter. He was first on the scoring pylon when making contact, so we know the No. 5 car has speed — but Larson will have to start from the rear.

The 2022 season has been like a roller coaster for Austin Dillon, earning six top-10 finishes but also five results outside of the top 20 through 13 races. That sums up his Saturday evening at Charlotte, too. The No. 3 car ranked 33rd in practice, more than one second off the quick lap. Dillon improved to 16th in qualifying, but both Dillon and Reddick have mentioned steering issues in recent weeks which is a cause for concern.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Kyle Busch vs. Kyle Larson: Collectively, these are all tough matchups this weekend. This might be the hardest to predict, based on how well each driver runs at Charlotte. The slight edge has to go to the No. 18 team, as Toyota has backed up its Kansas speed thus far. Busch was in position to win that race, and last year was the lone driver to finish inside the top five in the Coca-Cola 600 that wasn’t under the Hendrick Motorsports banner.

Chase Elliott vs. Martin Truex Jr.: While Elliott has three consecutive top-two finishes at Charlotte, Truex is bound to win a race in the next few weeks. While it may not be this weekend, he is part of the Toyota brigade that’s been quick so far. Granted, he was the lone Toyota driver to miss the second round of qualifying.

Ryan Blaney vs. Kurt Busch: When Busch gets hot, he often stays hot. At Kansas Speedway, his No. 45 car was dominant, and a lot of those characteristics carry over to Charlotte. Busch is the pick.

Daniel Suárez vs. Bubba Wallace: Earlier in the week, Suárez would probably have gotten the edge over Wallace. But given the No. 23 team made the final round of qualifying for just the third time this season, Wallace has a quick Toyota, and arguably had the best car at Kansas two weeks ago. Want to go out on a limb? Wallace scores a top five on Sunday evening.

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Though it’s only halfway through the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, with 23 races in total left to go, the mystery is already thickening about what next year’s driver roster might look like. Prime among those in the potential free-agency blend sits Erik Jones, who is in his second season driving the No. 43 Chevrolet but in his first campaign wheeling it for the recently merged Petty GMS Motorsports group.

Jones — who turns 26 on Memorial Day — offered a glimpse at a potential timetable for getting a deal done for 2023. His update came after he qualified 25th for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos: Charlotte

Spring will soon turn to summer, and the clock is slowly churning toward decision time.

“I mean, it’s what — end of May, almost June? I mean, by late July, August, I’d like to have something going already for next year,” Jones said. “You get past that, and it just kind of gets to be a burden for both ends, you know. Burden for me, burden for the team, so if I could get something done by then, I mean, that’d be pretty cool.”

The timing of Jones’ confirmed return to Richard Petty’s No. 43 came last year with an Aug. 22 announcement. His status didn’t change when the team underwent an offseason merger with Maury Gallagher’s GMS Racing, forming a two-car operation with Ty Dillon as a new teammate in the No. 42 Chevy.

His re-up in 2021 marked the latest in a series of one-year deals, which included his time under the Toyota banner with Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones said a new deal that had the security of a two-year term or more ranked as a wish-list item.

“I wouldn’t be mad,” Jones said with a laugh. “Obviously, I’ve lived year to year for, I don’t know what, three years now, maybe? Something like that. So having a multiyear deal would be something I would like to have. It at least gives some comfort, knowing what you’ve got going on for a while and to be able to continue just to build the program, continue to work toward one goal with everybody. The team kind of relies on that, too, you know. They see that stuff and want to keep working with multi-years like that.”

Jones ranks 17th in the Cup Series standings, seven spots better than where he was at this time last year. He’s shown some glimmers or restoring the No. 43 to its past glory this season — a pristine third-place run at Auto Club Speedway and a near-victory that slipped away in the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway.

Jones has two Cup Series wins in his career, but none since his Southern 500 triumph in 2019 at Darlington. He’s in the midst of his sixth full season at NASCAR’s top level and indicated there’s still plenty he wants to accomplish.

“I want to go for a while still in the Cup Series. There’s a lot of stuff I still want to do,” Jones says. “I’ve been able to come here and win a couple races, which has been great, and that’s always your first goal, but still want to win more races. The championship is always the ultimate goal and I feel like, you know, the right group, we can make that happen someday.”

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

JENNERSTOWN, Pa. – Two legendary names in Modified racing came together for a landmark victory Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway.

Mike Christopher Jr., nephew of the late Ted Christopher, wheeled the No. 7NY Modified owned by Tommy Baldwin Jr. to his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory during the Jennerstown Salutes 150.

It was the third-straight victory for team owner Baldwin after six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby drove to consecutive victories in the last two events at New York’s Riverhead Raceway and New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway.

RELATED: Results from the Jennerstown Salutes 150

“I’m real happy,” said the 23-year-old Christopher. “I’m real proud of what Tommy Baldwin has done this year. Obviously Doug has been in the car the last two races and he won. I had this scheduled to run this race and then Doug wins the two races. I guess I had a lot of shoes to fill.”

Christopher started eighth and slowly worked his way to the front of the field while Tyler Rypkema led the way after starting from the pole. Christopher moved into third on Lap 71 and quickly caught Rypkema and second-place Jon McKennedy.

McKennedy took the lead from Rypkema on Lap 88, with Christopher following him past to take second. A dozen laps later caution flag would wave when Kyle Bonsignore came to a stop between Turns 1 and 2.

All of the leaders hit pit road for tires, but McKennedy mistakenly stopped in the wrong pit box and was forced to come back around to the pits a second time.

That gave Tommy Catalano the lead with Christopher alongside him for the restart. Christopher quickly dispatched Catalano only to lose the lead to Rypkema, who restarted third, a few laps later.

From there it was a cat and mouse game, with Rypkema leading Christopher by at most a few car lengths for the next 20 laps.

Christopher made the race winning with 11 laps left, diving low in Turns 1 and 2 to take the lead from Rypkema. He ultimately pulled away to a 1.7-second victory, his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour triumph in just his third start.

“This is our first time coming here and I can’t be any happier than to park it in Victory Lane,” Christopher said.

Rypkema, who had never led more than five laps in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race before Saturday night, settled for second after leading more than 100 laps.

“It’s hard to be mad about this,” Rypkema said. “We were second in practice and sat on the pole for the feature and then lead over 100 laps. We were just so tight that last run. I held him off as long as I could. I knew he was getting better runs off the corner and I just couldn’t make it happen.”

J.B. Fortin scored his best Tour finish in third, followed by Andrew Krause in fourth and Catalano in fifth.

McKennedy, Max McLaughlin, Justin Bonsignore, Ron Silk and Craig Lutz completed the top-10 finishers.

A replay of Saturday’s Jennerstown Salutes 150 at Jennerstown Speedway will be broadcast live on USA Network on Thursday, June 2 at 2 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season continues Saturday, June 18 at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire. The event will be shown live on FloRacing.

Posted on by Staff Report

Jennerstown Salutes 150

Jennerstown Speedway

Jennerstown Salutes Logo

  • Race results
Pos. Car No. Driver Team Laps Difference
1 7 Mike Christopher, Jr.* Stuart Automotive 150  —
2 32 Tyler Rypkema Northeast Drilling/MUSCO 150 1.702
3 34 J.B. Fortin Red Camel Racing/Johns Fuel/John Tree Removal 150 10.347
4 24 Andrew Krause Supreme Mtg 150 12.695
5 54 Tommy Catalano FX Caprara 150 13.429
6 79 Jon McKennedy Middlesex Interiors 150 14.92
7 77 Max McLaughlin Curb Records 149 1 Lap
8 51 Justin Bonsignore Phoenix Communication Inc. 149 1 Lap
9 16 Ron Silk Blue Mountain Machine and Future Homes 149 1 Lap
10 82 Craig Lutz Horton Ave Materials/Riverhead Building Supply 149 1 Lap
11 58 Eric Goodale GAF Roofing 149 1 Lap
12 64 Austin Beers* Dell Electric/Lumiere Electrical 148 2 Laps
13 07 Patrick Emerling Captain Pip Marina 148 2 Laps
14 3 Timmy  Solomito Propane Plus/SYP/Natural Design 148 2 Laps
15 36 Dave Sapienza SAP Enterprises 148 2 Laps
16 71 James Pritchard, Jr.* Freeway Tire & Tire Pros/Wicklow & Laurano Landscaping 147 3 Laps
17 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Technique Chassis Ford 147 3 Laps
18 78 Walter Sutcliffe, Jr. Last Minute Racing 142 8 Laps
19 22 Kyle Bonsignore Chalew Performance/MTT/Munn’s Auto 141 9 Laps
20 26 Gary McDonald Lakeland Landscape/TRC Electrict 136 14 Laps
21 01 Melissa Fifield Pine Knoll Auto Sales 133 17 Laps
22 29 Spencer Davis Ionx Supreme Lubricants 83 67 Laps
Posted on by Staff Report

Denny Hamlin snatched his first Busch Light Pole Award of the season on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, putting his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the front row for the 2022 Coca-Cola 600.

Hamlin clocked a 29.399-second and 183.68-mph lap around Charlotte’s 1.5-mile oval to secure P1. It marked Hamlin’s 34th career pole, third at Charlotte — a track he has yet to win at in 30 starts. Hamlin has won in two of the four crown-jewel events — Daytona 500 (three times) and Southern 500 (three times). He’s missing Brickyard 400 and Coca-Cola 600 trophies.

“It’s been really a great day and the end result was probably the perfect scenario for me to have an ideal day,” Hamlin said. “Our car’s been good, it’s been good off the truck, and we just continue to tune on it quite a bit and then just kind of thought that once this thing got into the night that you would want to run the low line through (Turns) 3 and 4, so I just continued to get as many reps as I could doing that and it looked like that was kind of the difference maker in the lap itself. Happy about it.

“You talk about the long relationship I’ve had with Coca-Cola that I’ve had for 17 or 18 years now, being part of the Coke family and not winning this race has been pretty frustrating. Certainly, in the resume column, this is at the top of the list by far and the team knows how badly I want it. Anytime we can start with a head start on the field like we will on Sunday, that’s a good thing.”

RELATED: Starting lineup for Coca-Cola 600 | Hamlin elaborates on Toyota’s speed

Hamlin’s driver at 23XI Racing, Kurt Busch, will start alongside him Sunday in the No. 45 Toyota. Busch was 0.003 seconds slower than Hamlin at 29.402 seconds and 183.661 mph. Then, Hamlin’s teammates, Christopher Bell (29.403 seconds, 183.655 mph) and Kyle Busch (29.427 seconds, 183.505 mph), were third and fourth, respectively, giving Toyota the top four spots for the first time at Charlotte and first time overall since 2017.

Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron and his No. 24 Chevrolet came in fifth with 29.52-second and 182.927-mph marks. Austin Cindric, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Michael McDowell completed the top 10 for the starting lineup.

Qualifying consisted of two rounds, the first consisting of two groups. The top five in each group made up the final 10.

Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Bowman, Wallace and McDowell advanced out of the first round from Group A. Kyle Busch, Bell, Byron, Cindric and Reddick advanced from Group B.

There were two 20-minute practice sessions before qualifying, dividing the field into Groups A and B. Kyle Larson sustained damage during practice, which led to his absence in qualifying.

LARSON TOPS PRACTICE BOARD

Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet zoomed to the top of the practice leaderboard Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He posted a 29.589-second and 182.5-mph lap around the 1.5-mile track.

Teammate Alex Bowman in the No. 48 car clocked the second-best time at 29.637 seconds and 182.205 mph. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain then chimed in third with his No. 1 Chevy at 29.703 seconds and 181.8 mph.

RELATED: Complete practice results from Charlotte

Austin Cindric from Team Penske and Martin Truex Jr. from Joe Gibbs Racing placed fourth and fifth in order. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano rounded out the top 10.

“I definitely want more,” Cindric said. “We were pretty loose in qualifying. I’m not sure I can do 400 laps, 600 miles hanging on like that, but a solid day for our Menards Ford Mustang. I think we need a little bit of speed to run up inside the top five, but this race is gonna be about execution. This is gonna be my first Coke 600 in person and from the driver’s seat, so I want to do all 600 miles and being in the top 10 is a good start.”

Larson was the fastest in Group A’s practice session. Bowman, Chastain, Logano and Erik Jones (11th overall) completed the top five. Cindric was the fastest in Group B’s practice session. Truex, Busch, Suárez and Blaney completed the top five.

Corey LaJoie slammed into the wall and sustained pretty heavy damage during the first session. Ryan Preece had a large spin in the second session but kept it off the wall. They wound up 16th and 20th on the results sheet, respectively.

The Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Sunday and will air live on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It’ll mark the 14th points-paying event of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Larson won this crown-jewel event last year.

Posted on by Staff Report

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR officials ejected two crew members Saturday after pre-qualifying inspection for the Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Two teams failed inspection twice during Saturday’s scrutinizing — the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet team for driver Justin Haley and the No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevy for driver Kaz Grala. Ejected were No. 31 engineer Alexander Pelican and No. 50 engineer Tim Norman.

RELATED: Weekend schedule | At-track photos

Haley ranks 23rd in the NASCAR Cup Series standings heading into Sunday’s annual 600-miler (6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM). Grala is set for his third Cup Series start of the year for the part-time TMT Racing operation.

Additionally, NASCAR officials confirmed pre-race Sunday that the following cars will go to the rear of the field: the No. 7 Chevrolet of Corey LaJoie (backup car); and the No. 5 Chevrolet of Kyle Larson, the No. 10 Ford of Aric Almirola, the No. 41 Ford of Cole Custer, the No. 47 Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 50 Chevrolet of Grala (unapproved adjustments for all).

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
(⏰ 6 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)

Everything you need to know for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 14th regular-season event of the 2022 campaign.

Race-day info 📝

Where: Concord, North Carolina
Approximate start time: 6 p.m. ET  | Full weekend schedule
TV/Radio: FOX, TSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio | Full TV schedule
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 87 degrees during the day and an evening low around 65, according to NOAA.gov | Weather tracker
Race distance: 400 laps | 600 miles
Stages: 100 | 200 | 300 | 400
Pit-road speed: 45 mph
Caution car speed: 55 mph
The purse: $8,919,032
Charlotte 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See where drivers will start | How qualifying works in 2022
Pit stalls: See where drivers will pit

Key things to watch 🔑

Big story line

Teams are still struggling to find a consistent grip on the Next Gen car through the midway point of the regular season. Past weeks have shown mistakes that simply can’t happen if you’re going to make it through the daunting 600-mile marathon Sunday. The Coca-Cola 600 has not only been the best NASCAR test of driver stamina, but also a test of which teams can execute repeatedly in the daytime and into the long night. Obviously, to win the race, you need to be in the race at the end. And that is a tall task in the longest race of the year. Hendrick Motorsports has historically dominated at these 1.5-mile ovals, but the last three Coca-Cola 600s have seen each manufacturer and three different teams take a piece of the pie (Kyle Larson – 2021 with Chevrolet, Brad Keselowski – 2020 with Ford, Martin Truex Jr. – 2019 with Toyota). At its best, this stock-car marathon is unpredictable, much like what we have seen so far in 2022. So which team and driver will rise and conquer the biggest Next Gen challenge yet?

Who’s hot? Who’s not? 

After early mishaps and flying under the radar for most of the 2022 season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has emerged as one of the most consistent drivers in the field as of late. Stenhouse is riding high after his runner-up finish at Dover Motor Speedway, following that stellar performance with consecutive eighth-place finishes at Darlington Raceway and Kansas Speedway. The No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing team has found speed, but more importantly, it has found consistency. Heading to another 1.5-mile track in Charlotte Motor Speedway, Stenhouse can continue to climb up the Cup Series standings and may even be in the mix for his first premier-series win since 2017.

For William Byron, his Martinsville Speedway win couldn’t feel any further away. Since the “Paperclip” triumph, which included a Camping World Truck Series win, the No. 24 Cup team has yet to register a top-10 finish. Yes, the incident at Darlington with Joey Logano prevented him from snapping this cold streak, but outside of that weekend, there hasn’t been much to boast about as of late. Nonetheless, one of only two multi-time winners in the Next Gen era (Ross Chastain), Charlotte should be a bounce-back week for the No. 24 group. Hendrick Motorsports has a strong footing here, and Byron registered a Coca-Cola 600 career-best finish of fourth just a season ago.

Driving under the radar

Chris Buescher’s performance this season has been pretty much on par with RFK Racing’s early struggles. Buescher won the pole at Dover and has three top-10 results, but the team has struggled to find a balance. Based on previous history, the Coca-Cola 600 could not have come at a better time for Buescher and company. Statistically, he has been one of the best in this race over the last three seasons, with three straight top 10s, including eighth in 2021. In one of the toughest races of the season, from strategy to pure will to win, history says Buescher is certainly an underdog to watch this weekend.

Saturday’s sessions

Reigning Coca-Cola 600 winner Kyle Larson pushed it to the limit in the lone practice session of the weekend, but went just a little too far. Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slammed into the wall, damaging the right-side bodywork and preventing the team from qualifying Saturday night. However, not having to bring out a backup car should bring some comfort for Larson before the long race Sunday. Corey LaJoie also took a spill but was less fortunate and will have overnight work to do on a backup Chevrolet. Outside of these two incidents, drivers seemed to have a better handle on the car than in weeks past, and it showed with a competitive run in qualifying. Toyota once again proved to be on its game after a resurgence in recent weeks, sweeping the top four positions and landing the Busch Light Pole Award with Denny Hamlin. | Full practice, qualifying recap | Two teams see crew members ejected in inspection.

Maddie Meyer | Getty Images

Race-day staples ✅

Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.

• Paint Scheme Preview: Coca-Cola 600 weekend at Charlotte | Pick a favorite
• Power Rankings: Ryan Blaney shines after All-Star win | Updated driver rankings
• Fantasy Fastlane: Familiar faces stick out for Coca-Cola 600 | Expert advice
• Preview Show: What to expect in the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 | Watch the show
• NASCAR betting: Odds for 2022 Coca-Cola 600 | DraftKings betting odds
• Backseat Drivers: Which team will dominate Sunday? | Watch and listen
• At-track photos: See what’s going on this weekend at Charlotte | Full gallery

Catch the pack 💨

Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.

• 600 Miles of Remembrance: First look at the fallen soldiers honored during Sunday’s race | Learn more
• More than a moment: Kurt Busch’s tribute to US military is personal, year-long initiative | Read more
• Collaboration: Spire, Corey LaJoie partner with USO, Coca-Cola for patriotic tribute Sunday | Read more
• PROJECT 91: Kimi Raikkonen to make NASCAR debut with Trackhouse Racing | More details | Trackhouse announces PROJECT91
• ‘Seven-Time’: Jimmie Johnson carries champion’s confidence into Sunday’s Indy 500 | Read more
• Penalty report: Two teams fined for violations at Texas Motor Speedway | More details
• Welcome home: Corey, Kelly LaJoie announce birth of second child | Read more
• Dudes being dads: Dale Jr., Kyle Busch join Greg Olsen’s podcast to talk family | More details
• Eyes on Cup: Truck Series owner Shige Hattori’s success in trucks is just the first goal | Learn more
• Great honor: Jim France to be awarded 2022 Spirit of Le Mans trophy | Read more
• eNASCAR: Matt Bussa wins at virtual Charlotte in Coca-Cola iRacing Series | See final laps

Get in on the action 💰

Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.

• Parity party: How NASCAR’s newfound parity affects Coca-Cola 600 betting | Read more
• BetMGM: Despite track record, be wary of Martin Truex Jr. in Coca-Cola 600 | Learn why
• Fantasy: Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a Coca-Cola 600 Hail Mary? | Hear the debate
• The Action Network: How to bet Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suárez matchup | Read more
• Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
• Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here

Marathon men 🏃‍♂️

Dive into which drivers have conquered the 600-mile marathon and more history from Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

• Winner, winner: All-time Coca-Cola 600 winners | Full list
• Last year: Kyle Larson dominates in first Coca-Cola 600 win | 2021 race recap
• Race Rewind: Larson sweeps all the stages in 2021 | Relive the best moments
• Do it for Dale: Flashback to Dale Earnhardt’s first Cup start in 1975 World 600 | Watch video
• Last-lap pass!: Jimmie Johnson wins 2005 Coca-Cola 600 | Watch video

Fast facts ⏩

Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.

• Kyle Busch’s pit crew had the fastest four-tire stop in each of the last five races with live pit stops.
• First raced on June 1960, Charlotte is the oldest of the current 1.5-mile tracks on the Cup Series schedule.
• The Coca-Cola 600 is the only race on the schedule with three stage breaks prior to the final stage.
• Twice a driver swept all three stages and won the Coke 600, Kyle Busch in 2018 and Kyle Larson in 2021.
• The final green-flag stretch was five laps or less in two of the last three Coca-Cola 600s.

Say what? 🎙

Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.

• “Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is always special for me. I grew up watching races here as a fan, I raced Legend cars on the quarter-mile and have raced there in every series of NASCAR for the most part. It’s a hometown race for Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports as well. You always want to run good when the shop is literally across the street. Winning the 600 would already mean so much given the history of this race, but it would carry even more meaning for myself. We ran well in last year’s 600, the biggest difference will be with the Next Gen car. I think we have some good notes on mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year, and with how long the race is, it gives us time to adjust throughout the race if we need to.” — William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

• “I hope it gets wide out there. That is when this car is really good when you can run the fence, the bottom, and the middle and get some air under your nose. That is when the racing is really good with this car, like at Fontana and Vegas, where there are multiple lanes to go and it is easy to make mistakes and that is what makes racing good. If it is easy for drivers to mess up and make mistakes and be on the verge of wrecking, that is when you see people go forward and backward and it takes a wide track to do that.” — Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford

• “The Coca-Cola 600 is a race that I haven’t won that I really would like to win. It’s a tough race, it’s an endurance race that really tests the driver and the car, and it’s one of the toughest for a reason. It’s one that I’ve been close, but I just haven’t been able to get the checkered flag there yet. Winning this race would certainly be something that would get added very high on the resume.” — Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota