Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Never underestimate the power of an inspirational halftime speech.

A kitchen-sink array of early issues had turned Kyle Larson’s bid to repeat as Coca-Cola 600 champ into his own personal, hellish escape room in Sunday’s marathon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “I think this has been the worst race of my life and we’re not even halfway,” Larson told his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team over the in-car communications as the race lurched toward its midpoint.

Crew chief Cliff Daniels sensed that his driver was losing morale, and he set a time limit on how much longer he’d allow it to go.

“I mean, it was nice that he warned me of the speech coming. And I had another 30-some-odd laps to pout,” Larson said post-race. “So that helped.”

RELATED: Coca-Cola 600 results | Cup Series standings

Somehow, some way, the No. 5 team recovered to lead significant portions of the fourth and final stage of the annual 600-miler, staying in front until Larson’s battle with a charging Chase Briscoe forced a race-extended caution period that threw the race into overtime disarray. Larson was turned crossways in the first overtime attempt, but still righted the car for a ninth-place finish.

That the team was even in that contending mix in the first place was a minor miracle. The list of first-half issues stretched as long as a pharmacy receipt. Larson started at the rear after a wall scrape in Saturday’s practice and was continually dealt cards that made it a too-familiar cellar.

A wall tap on Lap 53. A Stage 2 spin into the frontstretch turf. A fender on fire as he loped around the track after a wayward stop. And the championship-caliber pit crew that helped deliver Larson’s first title with a blazing four-tire stop in last fall’s finale? Suddenly, that same over-the-wall group was catching flak for three first-half penalties — two for equipment interference and one for removing equipment. A close call with Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Ford knocked a tire away, making another stop agonizingly long.

So when Lap 200 of a scheduled 400 clicked off, Daniels took his cue.

“In the first half, all I want you to remember is how good TV we made,” Daniels said on the radio. “We went from the back to the front more times than I can count. We hit the wall, we spun out, we literally caught on fire. We were also the most penalized team on pit road in the first half. All that means is that in the second half, already we’re going to be starting way better than what we started the first half. We’ve got to go execute right now, so I don’t know what the hell you’re worried about, but I’m fine, the team’s fine. Everybody down here is nodding their heads and giving a thumbs-up, so let’s go.”

It turned out to be the reset Larson and the team needed. Perhaps emboldened by Daniels’ rallying cry, the team’s second half in the season’s longest race was virtually error-free.

“I think we’ve all seen at the Next Gen races, everyone inevitably makes mistakes, right? And you’re talking good teams, good drivers, good crews … things just happen,” Daniels said post-race, after a long session to decompress inside the No. 5 hauler. “Guys go from the back to the front, from the front to the back and sometimes multiple times. There’s tire issues, there’s all these things. So in my mind, I’m like, OK, our car isn’t destroyed. I really don’t think it’s terrible if we get it out front, I’m sure it’d be better. I know him, right? If we get him out front, he’s gonna be awesome, because he always is. You know, this is the same pit crew that six months ago won the championship for us. So yes, we had a tough start to the day. But I have all the faith and trust in those guys.

“So it’s like, all right, hang on a minute. Yes, we’re three hours in. It feels like we’ve run a marathon, but we’re barely even halfway, if at all at that point. So like, hey, let’s chill out for a minute. Let’s think about this, and let’s go do what we’re capable of doing and being really good. So that was kind of my frame of mind internally. Yes, I was pissed off and frustrated and mad and sad and all over the place like everybody else was, but that really doesn’t do any good. … So you just gotta be tough. You’ve got to be there at the end. We talk about it every week.”

MORE: At-track photos: Charlotte

Larson led just one yellow-flag lap in the first half of the race, finishing nowhere near the money at the end of the first two stages. After the reset, Larson moved forward, easing into third at the conclusion of Stage 3, then leading 50 laps in the closing stage before overtime chaos ensued.

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

“I think a lot of it has to do with Cliff,” Larson said, noting the impact of the mid-race pep talk. “He’s just the best leader in the garage area, and I’m glad that we have him as part of our team. So yeah, he did a great job keeping me in the game, our pit crew in the game and gave us a shot to win.”

That same pit crew that had air-hose troubles and tires knocked everywhichaway in the 600’s first half had their own reset. In nearly each stop the No. 5 team made the rest of the way, the pit crew held serve or made net plusses, including a five-position gainer midway through the final stage.

When the front-runners pitted for fresh rubber for overtime, Larson’s crew delivered again on their end, giving him a narrow edge over challenger Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevy at the pit-exit line. It marked the final test of their pit-stop performance, but also their resolve after such a rocky ride early on.

“We have a very healthy mix of guys that are young and still have the fire of youth, but they are racers so they know the grit that it takes,” Daniels said. “We also have a good mix of guys that are really experienced and been doing it for a long time, so they don’t get rattled too easily by scenarios and situations. Trust me, we would prefer to do things a lot more polished up, but some days you just got to take your gloves off and get to work, and these guys know how to do that. I cannot compliment them enough. The road crew literally spent the last day and a half rebuilding our car. Yes, there was a lot of damage after the wall contacts in practice. So to rebuild a car, to have all this stuff happen today and even have a shot is a testament to them.

“I know, our pit crew may have got beat up a little, you know, publicly on the first couple of stops but they’re a tough bunch. And to me, what really shows that is in the midst of the struggles that we had to start the day, the last three pit stops of the race, we came in in the top three and left either on par or plus one. They did fantastic, and that’s how tough they are, right? Like, hey, we made mistakes, we screwed up, we had things happen, got knocked over and spun around and all these things and come back and execute great stops like they did fantastic. To your point, the backbone of the team is strong. It’s not any individual. It’s all the guys. And you know, of course Larson’s a badass, once you get him back out front and he talks things over in his mind, and he kind of resets himself, he’s great. So we’ve got a lot of strength. It sucks that we didn’t get a better finish, but a lot of good takeaways from the night.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

CONCORD, N.C. — Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway started with Denny Hamlin out front and ended with Denny Hamlin out front.

What happened in between defied belief. And a driver who claimed to thrive in chaos proved to be a man of his word.

Hamlin won the longest race in NASCAR history — 619.5 miles — in two overtimes, beating Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to the finish line by 0.014 seconds.

With the victory — the second this season and the 48th of his career — Hamlin now holds trophies in all three of NASCAR’s crown-jewel races: the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. Kevin Harvick is the only other active driver with all three titles.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

Hamlin’s victory spoiled what could have been one of the most astonishing comebacks in racing history. Kyle Larson started from the rear in a repaired car, suffered three pit-road penalties, a spin off Turn 4 and a fire in his pit stall but — miraculously — was leading the race on the next-to-last lap of regulation when Chase Briscoe spun underneath him while battling for the lead and caused the 17th caution of the night.

A wreck on the first attempt at overtime collected Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet and scrambled the running order, leaving Hamlin in the lead on four fresh tires.

“The first half (of the race) was a struggle for all of us,” said Larson, who finished ninth. “I was especially frustrated with myself. To rebound from that and have a shot to win there late was something to be proud of. Our team fought really hard. Happy with that.

“Briscoe was really good, that long run there. Wish we would have just been a little bit better so he never would have got to me, ultimately spin.”

After the second overtime restart, Hamlin and Busch battled side-by-side until Hamlin pulled ahead on Lap 412 of 413, 13 laps beyond the scheduled distance. Busch rallied but couldn’t get back to Hamlin’s bumper.

“It’s so special,” Hamlin said. “It’s the last big one that’s not on my résumé. It meant so much.

“Man, we weren’t very good all day. Just got ourselves in the right place at the right time. What a battle there!”

Hamlin, however, was far from the likely winner as the race unfolded. Daniel Suárez arguably had the fastest car. His Trackhouse Racing teammate, Ross Chastain, led 153 laps — more than any other driver.

In the closing stages of regulation, it appeared for all the world Larson and Briscoe would decide the outcome between them, until Briscoe spun as he was attempting to pass the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion to the inside.

But in the first attempt at overtime, Austin Dillon’s bold move on four fresh tires to Larson’s two went awry off Turn 4, damaging seven cars and setting up Hamlin’s win in the second overtime.

That was merely the concluding chapter in a five-hour thriller.

On a night that already had seen a surfeit of breathtaking action, Suárez’s Chevrolet turned sideways on Lap 346 after contact with Briscoe’s Ford and ignited a four-car wreck that ended with Chris Buescher’s Ford barrel-rolling five times through the frontstretch infield and landing on its roof.

Buescher climbed from his car uninjured, but a strong run for the Roush Fenway Keselowski driver ended abruptly. So did a remarkable run from Suárez, who had led four times for 38 laps, only to lose spots on every pit stop, with the cars of Hamlin and Joey Logano blocking his egress from pit road.

“I’m going to be a bit sore tomorrow,” Buescher said after an obligatory trip to the infield care center. “I haven’t been upside-down in a really long time. The team did a really nice job. We had great speed and had a chance at this thing, it just didn’t work out.”

The opening laps of the event were an omen of things to come.

How intense was the racing? Here’s a microcosm: The first lap ended in a dead heat, with Kurt Busch nosing ahead of Hamlin by less than one thousandth of a second. Racing side-by-side with Hamlin, Busch extended his lead to 0.004 seconds on Lap 2 — roughly six inches.

A determined Hamlin regained the top spot on Lap 3, but only by 0.011 seconds. The opening action set the tone for the entire race, which produced 31 lead changes among 13 different drivers.

But what happened at the front of the field was multiplied exponentially by aggressive, close-quarters racing throughout the pack.

On Lap 192 — eight laps short of the halfway point — the close-quarters competition ended badly. In the second turn after a restart following the 10th caution, Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford hooked the apron with the left-front tire and spun sideways.

That misstep triggered a 13-car wreck that eliminated the contending cars of Blaney, Kurt Busch and William Byron.

“I was tucked up tight behind the 8 (Tyler Reddick), and he was kind of lower than I thought on the frontstretch and kind of ran through the turf, and then got to (Turn) 1 and jerked right,” Blaney said after the wreck. “I think he was up behind the 99 (Suárez) and thinking he was going hit the apron, and I didn’t have time to kind of get right, and I just kind of hit the apron and got me loose. I hate that other cars got tore up.”

That wreck wouldn’t be the last. By the end of the race, 17 of the 37 cars that started the event already sat in the garage in various states of disrepair.

Kevin Harvick soldiered to a third-place finish, followed by Briscoe and Christopher Bell. Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Larson and Alex Bowman completed the top 10.

The NASCAR Cup Series’ next race is Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM), the circuit’s first event at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis.

Note: Inspection in the Cup Series garage is complete with no issues, confirming Hamlin as the race winner. The Nos. 4, 5, 8 and 20 will be going back to the R&D Center for further inspection.

Posted on by Zack Albert

CONCORD, N.C. — Daniel Suárez looked over his crumpled No. 99 Chevrolet back in the Charlotte Motor Speedway garage, assessing the same car that had matched the speed of teammate Ross Chastain’s well into the fourth and final stage of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

There was consolation in the strength of his showing. But the sting for Suárez was still fresh.

“We had the fastest car all day,” Suárez said, his day ending with a 25th-place finish and 346 of the eventual 413 laps completed.

RELATED: Official results | At-track photos

His tangle with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe off Turn 4 ended a promising evening for the 30-year-old vet, whose car skittered nearly the length of the frontstretch and caught several others in its wake. Prime among those was Chris Buescher’s No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, which veered into the infield turf and catapulted on its broken parts into a barrel roll. He emerged unhurt.

The swells of this season’s high-octane performance for Trackhouse Racing continued to rise in Sunday’s endurance challenge. Chastain won Stage 3 and led a race-best 153 laps; Suárez was in front four times for 36 circuits, taking Stage 2 and giving his teammate stiff competition through the race’s middle portions.

Some of the team’s laps led came during Stage 1 before a precipitous drop-off that Suárez said rendered the car nearly undrivable. He was 29th at the end of the first 100-lap stint and had to rally back into the top-running fray.

But his No. 99 crew also faced adversity in its location on pit road, stopping in pit stall 3 — right behind Denny Hamlin (stall 1) and Joey Logano (stall 2), in a spot that made pit entry and exit difficult.

“We took an opening in and thought we had a good pit stall for the race,” said No. 99 crew chief Travis Mack. “The 22 (Logano) picked real late during pit selection and they picked in between us and the 11 (Hamlin), and just all night it was just really difficult to stop the car short enough. The 22’s coming around us, kind of clipping our right-front tire changer and, you know the 11 was doing the same thing to the 22.

“So it’s just part of the game. Unfortunate pit stall but in the end, I don’t think that was gonna hinder us from winning the race. Definitely didn’t make it easy, but we definitely had a car to win tonight.”

Said Suárez: “Pit road was tough. My guys are pretty fast, but coming with the 22 around the 11, we kept losing positions. It was a tough one. This one hurts.”

Buescher was OK after his No. 17 Ford’s wild ride off course, saying he might have soreness to shake off Monday. He said it was his first upside-down crash “in a really long time,” and he took note of the safety crew’s response in making sure he was unhurt, then righting his car before extracting him.

“I do appreciate them for helping me and setting it back over again, so thank you to everybody working for not slamming it back,” said Buescher, who placed 26th, right behind Suárez. “It was nice to be able to get out. The blood is rushing to your head a little bit. I guess I could have pulled the belts and fallen right to the ground, but figured I’d just wait on them.”

Chastain has been a top performer this year in Trackhouse’s No. 1 Chevy, snagging his first Cup Series win at Circuit of The Americas back in March, then adding another in quick fashion a month later. Sunday’s effort from Suárez suggested that his own breakthrough under the Trackhouse banner was approaching.

“These guys worked so hard this week on this car, and the car’s amazing,” Mack said. “Daniel’s doing a great job. Just everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong tonight. You saw us, I mean, I don’t know how many cars we passed, but golly, we had to break a record. It’s really amazing what Trackhouse has been able to do with this 1 and 99 team. It’s really cool that they’re running 1-2 during the race and the two fastest cars on the track. You just see it.

“It was a good one. Good car. Daniel did a great job. We’ve just gotta keep our heads up. We keep bringing cars like that to the race track, we’re gonna get us a win.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App | Watch on USA Network | Get the NBC Sports App | Watch on Peacock | FloRacing

Monday, May 30
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1
7:30 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
9:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock
7 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS1

Tuesday, May 31
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
11 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2

Wednesday, June 1
2 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
4 a.m., ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (re-air), FS2
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
6 p.m., Motormouths, Peacock

Thursday, June 2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1

Friday, June 3
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at World Wide Technology Raceway, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway, FS1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Weekend Edition — Portland, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Portland International Raceway, FS1

On MRN:
5 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at World Wide Technology Raceway

Saturday, June 4
1:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at World Wide Technology Raceway (re-air), FS1
2:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Portland International Raceway (re-air), FS1
4 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Practice at World Wide Technology Raceway (re-air), FS2
5 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Qualifying at Portland International Raceway (re-air), FS2
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway, FS1
12:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCWTS at Gateway, FS1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway, FS1
4 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NXS at Portland, FS1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway, FS1
11:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway (re-air), FS1

On MRN:
11 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Qualifying at World Wide Technology Raceway
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Raceway
7:30 p.m., ARCA Menarda Series: Portland 100

Sunday, June 5
2 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: NCS at Gateway, FS1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, FS1

On MRN:
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series: Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway

Posted on by Staff Report

A major crash near the end of Stage 2 snared a dozen cars, thinning the field of contenders in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

RELATED: Official race results | At-track photos

Ryan Blaney — running among the top 10 — lost control of his No. 12 Team Penske Ford through Turns 1 and 2 after a restart, blocking much of the 1.5-mile track. Several others piled in, getting caught up in the fray.

“Sorry guys, I don’t know what happened there,” Blaney radioed to his crew.

Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski and William Byron were also sidelined just before the halfway point. Others involved but able to continue were Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Noah Gragson, Martin Truex Jr., Harrison Burton, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland.

Blaney, lacking the pace to meet the minimum speed requirement, retired from the 600-mile race shortly after it restarted.

“All right, everybody,” Blaney said. “That one’s on me. Come back next week.”

 

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.