On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series stays home in Charlotte for the running of the Coca-Cola 600, the longest race of the year. The event is 400 laps long around the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway and is one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races. Sunday’s race is also the only race on the schedule with four stages instead of three.
Kyle Larson won Saturday’s qualifying and will lead the field to green at about 6:05 pm. Here are three drivers to watch:
Martin Truex Jr. (+550)
Charlotte Motor Speedway has always been one of Martin Truex Jr.’s best tracks, especially of late. Truex Jr. has three wins at the circuit, and all have come within the last five seasons. He has an average finish of 13.6 at Charlotte with 7 top-5s and 13 top-10s.
With wins at Phoenix, Martinsville, and Darlington, Truex Jr. is just one of two drivers with more than one win this season. The other driver with multiple wins is Alex Bowman, winning twice. Truex Jr. is having one of his dominant seasons this year, so expect him to contend in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday.
William Byron (+1600)
William Byron has thrived under new Crew Chief Rudy Fugle this season and is having a career year. Byron has placed in the top-10 in 11 of 14 races this season, including 11 of the last 12. He’s currently second in Cup Series points, only trailing the winless Denny Hamlin.
At Charlotte, Byron has just one combined top-10 in NASCAR’s three premier series, that coming in the 2019 Coca-Cola 600. However, his 1.5-mile track performance is improving over time under Rudy Fugle and he’s showing that he can win just about anywhere. Be sure to watch Byron on Sunday.
Kurt Busch (+5000)
Kurt Busch hasn’t performed well this season but he’s looking for a bounce-back performance on Sunday in Charlotte. He has just 2 top-10s in 14 starts this year and is currently 18th in the Cup Series points standings.
In 39 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Busch has one victory: The 2010 Coca-Cola 600. He has an average finish of 17.1 at the track along with 8 top-5s and 15 top-10s. Busch has been very consistent at this track over his career, so expect him to have a chance on Sunday.