The longest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season is on deck for Sunday evening. The Coca-Cola 600 is an annual staple of Memorial Day Weekend. In addition to the must-see pre-race festivities and tributes, all cars will be carrying the name of a fallen soldier tonight during the 600-mile race. After tying the all-time series wins mark last week, the Hendrick Motorsports quartet are all near the front of the Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup.

This article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for this weekend’s action at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Read on for the Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.

Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway

61st Coca-Cola 600
Date: Sunday, May 30, 2021
Start Time: 6 p.m. EST
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway — Concord, NC
Coverage: FOX
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Brad Keselowski

Coca-Cola 600 Race Details

Distance: 600 miles
Laps: 400
Lap Length: 1.5 miles
Stages: Four (Laps 1-100; 101-200; 201-300; 301-400)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 4

Coca-Cola 600 Starting Lineup

See below for a breakdown of qualifying.

Starting PositionDriverCar NumberTeamManufacturer
1Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas RacingFord
2Christopher Bell20Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
3Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Chase Briscoe14Stewart-Haas RacingFord
5Kyle Larson5Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
6Justin Haley31Kaulig RacingChevrolet
7Ty Dillon42Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
8Alex Bowman48Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
9Chase Elliott9Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
10Joey Logano22Team PenskeFord
11Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
12Austin Dillon3Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
13Kurt Busch4523XI RacingToyota
14Erik Jones43Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
15Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
16Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
17Michael McDowell34Front Row MotorsportsFord
18Brad Keselowski6Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
19William Byron24Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
20Austin Cindric2Team PenskeFord
21Daniel Suarez99Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
22Bubba Wallace2323XI RacingToyota
23Todd Gilliland38Front Row MotorsportsFord
24Harrison Burton21Wood Brothers RacingFord
25Ryan Blaney12Team PenskeFord
26Corey LaJoie7Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
27Justin Allgaier77Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
28Noah Gragson16Kaulig RacingChevrolet
29J.J. Yeley15Rick Ware RacingFord
30Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
31Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas RacingFord
32Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas RacingFord
33Ross Chastain1Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
34Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
35Cody Ware51Rick Ware RacingFord
36Josh Williams78Live Fast MotorsportsFord

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview

Most weeks, this section has been reserved for the same canned overview of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying formula. But this week, we had actual qualifying! Along with the Daytona 500 and each of the races at new tracks, the Coca-Cola 600 was one event that NASCAR permitted the normal time trial qualifying and practice sessions that we are accustomed to.

As a result, this week’s Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup truly reflects those cars that were fast in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying. Kyle Larson picked up right where he left off on 1.5-mile ovals with a time of 29.953 seconds to grab the pole position. He was joined by four other drivers in posting a sub-30 second qualifying time. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29.96), Chase Elliott (29.969), William Byron (29.97) and Kevin Harvick (29.993) round out the top five.

Credit: GERRY BROOME | AP

Coca-Cola 600 Race History and NASCAR Stats

  • Originally known as the World 600, this race was started with the goal of competing with the IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day Weekend. However, due to Charlotte Motor Speedway construction not being finished in time, the first race in 1960 was held in mid-June.
  • The Coca-Cola 600 is considered to be one of the NASCAR Cup Series crown jewel races. It has been run on Memorial Day Weekend every year since 1961 and makes up part of what is known as ‘The Greatest Day of Racing’.
  • Darrell Waltrip leads the all-time wins list for drivers with five victories in NASCAR’s longest race. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is just behind with four.
  • Among active drivers, only two have won the Coca-Cola 600 multiple times. Kevin Harvick took the checkered flag in 2011 and 2013 while Martin Truex Jr. triumphed in both 2016 and 2019.
  • Thanks to an overtime finish, last year’s race covered a total distance of 607.5 miles. Brad Keselowski earned the victory with an average speed of 135.024 mph.
  • Hendrick Motorsports owns the most all-time victories in this race among teams with 11. However, no HMS driver has won the event since Jimmie Johnson back in 2014.
  • Richard Childress Racing is a distant second to Hendrick Motorsports with six career Coca-Cola 600 wins. Interestingly enough, Brad Keselowski’s triumph last year marked just the second win in this race for Team Penske.
  • Chevrolet owns a sizable lead over all other manufacturers with 24 total wins in this race.


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Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball and NASCAR. He counts the NFL, the WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.

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