NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte: Rain washes out Saturday running, William Byron on pole based on rulebook

Memorial Day weekend means a homecoming for the NASCAR Cup Series and the longest mileage race on the calendar. The series shifts to Charlotte Motor Speedway in the suburbs of Queen City, where every team’s headquarters is located, for the Coca-Cola 600.

Hendrick Motorsports, located literally down the street from the speedway, comes in as the team to beat, having won five of the 13 races this season, plus last weekend’s All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Coca-Cola 600:

Saturday rained out, Byron on pole

As the Charlotte, North Carolina area was soaked with rain Saturday, NASCAR officials decided to eliminate on-track activity for all series competing this weekend. That included Cup Series practice and qualifying, meaning a rulebook-determined grid for the Coca-Cola 600. Due to that formula, the front row for the longest mileage race of the season will see William Byron on pole alongside Kevin Harvick.

Coca-Cola 600 starting grid

1. William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2. Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

3. Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford

4. Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

5. Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

6. Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

7. Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota

8. Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford

9. Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

11. Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford

12. Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

13. Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford

14. Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

15. Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota

16. Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

17. Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford

18. Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

19. Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

20. Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

21. Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford

22. Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

23. Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

24. Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

25. Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

26. Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

27. A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

28. Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

29. Zane Smith (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford

30. Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford

31. Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

32. Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

33. Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

34. BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford

35. Todd Gilliland (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford

36. J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford

37. Jimmie Johnson (84), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet

Coca-Cola 600 TV/streaming/radio schedule

All times Eastern

Sunday
5:30-6 p.m.: Pre-race show (Fox, Fox Sports app, PRN)
6-10 p.m.: Coca-Cola 600 (Fox, Fox Sports app, PRN)

Coca-Cola 600 details

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile dog-leg oval), Concord, North Carolina
Length: 400 laps for 600 miles
Banking: 5 degrees on straightaways, 24 degrees in the turns
Last year’s winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

Top drivers and best bets for the Coca-Cola 600

Hendrick Motorsports has been dominant on tracks 1.5 miles or shorter and that’s reflected in BetMGM’s odds entering the weekend. Kyle Larson (+400) dominated the NASCAR All-Star Race last weekend at North Wilkesboro and has won at two short tracks so far while William Byron (+700) has won three of the four intermediate track races this season.

Best odds to win
Kyle Larson +400
William Byron +700
Denny Hamlin +750
Martin Truex Jr. +900
Chase Elliott +900

We wrote more in depth about odds earlier in the week and recommend finding good mid-tier value in Tyler Reddick (+1600), who has an average finish of 9.3 in four starts at Charlotte and Kevin Harvick (+1700), who has won there three times. Ty Gibbs (+6000), making his first Cup start at Charlotte, is an enticing long shot as he has won and finished second in two Xfinity races.

Coca-Cola 600 entry list

Ross Chastain (1), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Austin Cindric (2), Team Penske Ford|
Austin Dillon (3), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick (4), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Kyle Larson (5), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Brad Keselowski (6), RFK Racing Ford
Corey LaJoie (7), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Kyle Busch (8), Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott (9), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Aric Almirola (10), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Denny Hamlin (11), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney (12), Team Penske Ford
Chase Briscoe (14), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
J.J. Yeley (15), Rick Ware Racing Ford
A.J. Allmendinger (16), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Chris Buescher (17), RFK Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr. (19), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Christopher Bell (20), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Harrison Burton (21), Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Joey Logano (22), Team Penske Ford
Bubba Wallace (23), 23XI Racing Toyota
William Byron (24), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Justin Haley (31), Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Michael McDowell (34), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Zane Smith (38), Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Noah Gragson (42), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Erik Jones (43), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick (45), 23XI Racing Toyota
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (47), JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet
Alex Bowman (48), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford
Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon (77), Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
BJ McLeod (78), Live Fast Motorsports Ford
Jimmie Johnson (84), Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet
Daniel Suárez (99), Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Coca-Cola 600 weather

The forecast calls for cool temperatures and rain all weekend, which will make the schedule-makers at the speedway rub their temples. In addition to the Cup cars, there will be practice, qualifying and races for the ARCA Menards, Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series on track. With Monday being a federal holiday, NASCAR may be more inclined to push the Cup race back more quickly rather than waiting on weather to clear late into Sunday night.