GFT Facts & Stats Friday: NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
24 May 2024
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
CONCORD, NC — The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the best NASCAR traditions on Memorial Day weekend where annually the NASCAR community formally honors and recognizes the United States Armed Forces through its annual NASCAR Salutes program.
Anchoring the opening weekend is the powerful “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute, where every NASCAR Cup Series car in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) features the name of a fallen service member on the windshield. NASCAR and Coca-Cola will host Gold Star Families at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including many whose loved ones will be honored in the race.
NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Date: Sunday, May 26
The Time: 6 p.m. ET
The Purse: $9,874,821
TV: FOX, 5:30 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 600 miles (400 laps)
— Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 100)
— Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 200)
— Stage 3 (Ends on Lap 300)
— Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400)
Track Facts
Track Length: 1.5-Miles Asphalt Oval
Race Length: 600 Miles (400 laps)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 86,000
First Race: June 19, 1960 — World 600
Banking in Corners: 24 degrees
Banking on Straights: 5 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,980 feet
Backstretch: 1,500 feet
Qualifying & Race Records
Qualifying: Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 198.771 mph (27.167 secs.) Oct. 9, 2014 (Round 2 of 3)
Races:
500 Miles — Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160.306 mph (3:07:31); Oct. 11, 1999
600 Miles — Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 160.655 mph (3:44:05); May 29, 2016
Track Records
Most Wins: 8 — Jimmie Johnson
Most Poles: 14 — David Pearson
Most Top Fives: 23 — Bobby Allison, Richard Petty
NASCAR Salutes announces a new NASCAR IMPACT partnership with Honor and Remember
“NASCAR has always displayed a deep-seated appreciation for our nation’s service members throughout its 76-year history, and we’re proud to continue partnering with Coca-Cola and our entire industry to express our gratitude for the incredible sacrifices those individuals and their families make on behalf of all Americans,” said Pete Jung, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at NASCAR.
In conjunction with NASCAR Salutes, the sanctioning body has announced a new NASCAR IMPACT partnership with Honor and Remember to continue recognizing fallen service members and the sacrifices of their families. For more than a decade, Honor and Remember has collaborated with the NASCAR industry to host Gold Star Families at race weekends and display the organization’s dedicated symbol of remembrance — the Honor and Remember Flag — at racetracks across the country, including Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR IMPACT this week also launched a campaign to support the mission of Sound Off, a nonprofit organization founded to help reduce veteran suicide through free and anonymous mental health support for veterans and service members. Forty-seven percent of military members who show signs of PTSD or depression do not seek help, in part because of fears related to stigma or blowback. Sound Off provides a platform where military members who would otherwise avoid mental health support can engage anonymously with veterans with similar lived experiences. NASCAR is encouraging veterans across its fan base to download the fully encrypted Sound Off app and register as peer supporters.
In addition to those mentioned above, other NASCAR Salutes activities across the industry include:
- Discounted grandstand tickets are available to military members throughout NASCAR Salutes and all season long with NASCAR MILTIX Presented by GEICO. Active military and veterans can verify their status through SheerID and purchase tickets by visiting NASCAR.com/miltix.
- At NASCAR events during the campaign, service members from local bases will have access to complimentary grandstand tickets and unique VIP experiences made possible by Vet Tix and the NASCAR Troops to the Track Program.
- NASCAR Troops to the Track, presented by Chevrolet, honors and pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces by inviting service members from local military installations to VIP experiences at NASCAR races, including hosting military personnel at World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway during NASCAR Salutes.
- Mechanix Wear will provide NASCAR officials and Cup Series teams special camouflage “MultiCam Mechanix Wear” gloves for the Coca-Cola 600.
- For the seventh season, Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR”, will wrap one of its NASCAR haulers in support of NASCAR Salutes for Memorial Day weekend. Fans voted for one of several different paint schemes in April. Mack will reveal the winning scheme on its social media channels leading into the Coca-Cola 600 weekend.
- In the weeks leading up to the Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway continued its annual Mission 600, pairing the Coca-Cola Racing Family and other drivers with military bases to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve.
- Xfinity, a Proud Premier Partner, will display red, white, and blue Xfinity windshield headers on their race cars during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Bet MGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This initiative showcases Xfinity’s commitment to hiring veterans, National Guard and reserve service members, and military spouses who bring unique skills and experiences to Comcast NBCUniversal.
- The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will also display red, white and blue windshield decals on all trucks racing in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- Continuing its tradition, Goodyear will replace its iconic “Eagle” sidewall design with “Honor and Remember” during the Coca-Cola 600 in recognition of the organization working closely with the industry to honor Gold Star Families who have lost family members as a result of serving.
NASCAR’s Statistical Advance: Analyzing the Coca-Cola 600
(Same data set, sorted by Driver Rating)
NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winners, seven will be active this weekend:
A total of 10 of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway winners are active this weekend:
CHARLOTTE-SPECIFIC STATISTICS
(Driver stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)
Christopher Bell (№20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· One top five, two top 10s
· Average Finish of 16.800, 10th-best
· Average Running Position of 14.657, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 80.5, 13th-best
· 949 Laps in the Top 15 (52.0%), 13th-most
Ryan Blaney (№12 Team Penske Ford)
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average Finish of 18.308, 13th-best
· Average Running Position of 13.952, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 88.9, ninth-best
· 2,972 Laps in the Top 15 (61.6%), 11th-most
Kyle Busch (№8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)
· One win, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; three poles
· Average Finish of 12.606, second-best
· Average Running Position of 9.993, third-best
· Driver Rating of 105.8, series-best
· 9,491 Laps in the Top 15 (79.1%), third-most
William Byron (№24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, three top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 17.000, 11th-best
· Average Running Position of 13.129, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 92.2, sixth-best
· 1,873 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), fifth-most
Austin Dillon (№3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)
· One win, one top five, five top 10s
· Average Finish of 16.067, ninth-best
· Average Running Position of 14.948, 13th-best
· Driver Rating of 81.0, 12th-best
· 3,553 Laps in the Top 15 (63.9%), seventh-most
Chase Elliott (№9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· One win, five top fives, six top 10s
· Average Finish of 15.583, eighth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.620, ninth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.1, fourth-best
· 2,807 Laps in the Top 15 (62.5%), ninth-most
Denny Hamlin (№11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· One win, 11 top fives, 20 top 10s; three poles
· Average Finish of 12.688, third-best
· Average Running Position of 12.011, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 94.9, fifth-best
· 8,597 Laps in the Top 15 (74.1%), fourth-most
Jimmie Johnson (№84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota)
· Eight wins, 16 top fives, 22 top 10s; four poles
· Average Finish of 13.516, fifth-best
· Average Running Position of 9.308, second-best
· Driver Rating of 105.5, second-best
· 9,361 Laps in the Top 15 (83.7%), second-most
Brad Keselowski (№6 RFK Racing Ford)
· Two wins, five top fives, ten top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 14.417, seventh-best
· Average Running Position of 14.847, 12th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.5, 11th-best
· 5,092 Laps in the Top 15 (57.6%), 12th-most
Kyle Larson (№5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
· One win, two top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 17.714, 12th-best
· Average Running Position of 12.761, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.3, eighth-best
· 3,257 Laps in the Top 15 (61.7%), 10th-most
Joey Logano (№22 Team Penske Ford)
· One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
· Average Finish of 13.120, fourth-best
· Average Running Position of 13.136, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.8, 10th-best
· 5,705 Laps in the Top 15 (63.0%), eighth-most
Tyler Reddick (№45 23XI Racing Toyota)
· One top five, four top 10s
· Average Finish of 8.600, series-best
· Average Running Position of 8.821, series-best
· Driver Rating of 101.1, third-best
· 1,681 Laps in the Top 15 (92.1%), series-most
Martin Truex Jr (№19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
· Three wins, eight top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole
· Average Finish of 13.750, sixth-best
· Average Running Position of 12.860, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 91.6, seventh-best
· 7,987 Laps in the Top 15 (68.5%), sixth-most
NASCAR DRIVER POINT STANDINGS
CUP SERIES PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
GO FULL THROTTLE NASCAR CUP SERIES BOX SCORES
GO FULL THROTTLE NASCAR FANTASY LIVE BOX SCORES
The Go Full Throttle #AI Race Prediction model delivered 171 points with the Darlington results in NASCAR Fantasy Live — TMD NASCAR League play. GFT AI 1 is now in 414th place vs 4,607 players in the #TMDNASCAR league. Back inside the Top 10 at 8.98% vs all players.
Initial GFT NASCAR Fantasy Live Picks for Charlotte Coca-Cola 600
**NOTE** Be sure to follow us on X (aka Twitter) to see the updated GFT NASCAR Fantasy Live picks AFTER our AI models ingest the Practice and Qualifying data. For a Sunday race, this usually happens overnight Saturday and is published Sunday morning at least 2 hours before the green flag.
