The longest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to take place this weekend. The drivers will take the green flag for the 2021 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway around 6 p.m. EST on Sunday evening. The 600-mile trek that awaits them is a test of both skill and endurance for both the drivers and race teams. Some have proven better able to pass this challenge in the past, and this is reflected in the Coca-Cola 600 stats and NASCAR betting trends.
The following article breaks down several of the noteworthy stats, trends and facts for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.
NASCAR Betting Trends for the Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600 joins IndyCar’s Indianapolis 500 in comprising the 1100 miles of racing that fans will get to enjoy this Sunday. It is considered to be one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. Although it will officially be scored just like any other points race, the stakes certainly feel a bit higher when the NASCAR Cup Series makes its annual trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day Weekend.
The following sections break down several different types of trends specific to the Coca-Cola 600. These trends can be useful when making NASCAR betting picks on this weekend’s race.
NASCAR Betting Driver Trends
When it comes to handicapping the Coca-Cola 600, driver history has proven to be a major factor. In addition, take note of the drivers and teams that have performed well at similar 1.5-mile oval tracks this season. Several drivers have managed to win this crown jewel race multiple times. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of the multi-time winners are revered as NASCAR Cup Series greats. Darrell Waltrip’s five Coca-Cola 600 victories lead the all-time list. Just behind is seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson with four.
Narrowing the scope down to active NASCAR drivers, only two have won this race on more than one occasion. Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. have each taken the checkered flag twice in this race. The Coca-Cola 600 stats suggest Truex could be a serious threat to reach victory lane again on Sunday. He leads all drivers with an average rating of 114.4 over the last six races at Charlotte. He also has a remarkable average finish of 4.5 and three victories in the last ten races. His most recent triumph came in 2019.
NASCAR Betting Team Trends
Hendrick Motorsports just pulled off the incredible achievement of tying Petty Enterprises for the most career NASCAR Cup Series wins last weekend. The Hendrick foursome has been dominant all season, and they now come to a track where the team stacks up well in the NASCAR betting trends. Hendrick’s 11 Coca-Cola 600 victories top the all-time list for race teams. However, no HMS driver has won the race since Jimmie Johnson in 2014.
Richard Childress Racing is a distant second with six. Their last win came courtesy of Austin Dillon in 2017. Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have won two of the last three editions of the race.
NASCAR Betting Manufacturer Trends
Charlotte Motor Speedway Driver Statistics
The tables below contain NASCAR betting driver statistics specific to recent races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Average Finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Note: Data is taken from the ten most recent Charlotte races
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Best Finish | Average Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael McDowell | 10 | 1 | 11.0 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 10 | 1 | 13.5 |
| 3 | Bubba Wallace | 8 | 2 | 15.1 |
| 4 | Kyle Larson | 9 | 6 | 15.8 |
| 5 | Austin Dillon | 10 | 1 | 16.1 |
| 6 | Ryan Newman | 10 | 5 | 16.2 |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 13 | 16.7 |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 7 | 7 | 17.9 |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | 6 | 7 | 18.2 |
| 10 | Joey Logano | 10 | 4 | 18.3 |
| 11 | Corey LaJoie | 9 | 6 | 18.7 |
| T-12 | Aric Almirola | 9 | 4 | 18.9 |
| T-12 | Matt DiBenedetto | 10 | 7 | 18.9 |
| 14 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 10 | 1 | 19.0 |
| 15 | Chris Buescher | 10 | 3 | 19.2 |
Driver Rating at Charlotte
Note: Ratings reflect the average of the four most recent Charlotte races
| Rank | Driver | Starts | Car Number | Average Driver Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | 7 | 22 | 93.1 |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 7 | 11 | 92.1 |
| 3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 7 | 47 | 87.2 |
| 4 | Kyle Busch | 7 | 18 | 86.3 |
| 5 | Chase Elliott | 7 | 9 | 85.6 |
| 6 | Ryan Blaney | 7 | 12 | 83.8 |
| 7 | Alex Bowman | 7 | 48 | 83.2 |
| 8 | Kevin Harvick | 7 | 4 | 82.8 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 7 | 3 | 82.6 |
| 10 | Michael McDowell | 7 | 34 | 82.0 |
| 11 | Christopher Bell | 3 | 20 | 81.4 |
| 12 | William Byron | 7 | 24 | 78.7 |
| 13 | Bubba Wallace | 7 | 23 | 76.9 |
| 14 | Kyle Larson | 6 | 5 | 76.1 |
| 15 | Brad Keselowski | 7 | 2 | 75.2 |
Memorial Day Double
With the Coca-Cola 600 being run on the same day as the Indianapolis 500, several drivers have taken the endurance test beyond just the longest NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. In what is commonly referred to as the ‘Memorial Day Double’, drivers competed in both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day. 1100 miles of racing is one thing to watch and enjoy as a fan. It’s another to try and drive the whole thing, with a flight from Indianapolis to Charlotte in between yet too!
Among those drivers who have attempted the Memorial Day Double, the retired Tony Stewart holds the best-ever showing. In 2001, he followed up a sixth-place run in the Indianapolis 500 with a third-place showing in the Coca-Cola 600. Stewart partook in the double-dip on multiple occasions. No driver has attempted to run in both races on the same day since Kurt Busch did so back in 2014.
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