This Memorial Day weekend will serve as the launching pad for the NASCAR community to formally honor and recognize the United States Armed Forces through its annual NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola 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.
“Coca-Cola North America cherishes the opportunity to honor the valor and sacrifice of our military heroes and their families in such a significant way each NASCAR season,” said Chris Bigda, Senior Director of Sports Marketing at Coca-Cola North America. “We’re looking forward to partnering with Speedway Motorsports, NASCAR and the racing community to show our appreciation throughout the entire NASCAR Salutes window, especially this Memorial Day weekend as we pay tribute during the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola officially kicked off with a new 30-second television spot that debuted during FOX’s broadcast of the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past Sunday. The campaign will continue celebrating the service and sacrifice of U.S. military members and their families through a multitude of at-track integrations, original content features and fan engagement opportunities through the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 30. Fans can visitwww.nascar.com/salutes to learn more.
“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 will continue to utilize its handicap enabled “Mobility Pit Box” throughout the NASCAR Salutes campaign to host mobility impaired race fans and veterans attending races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and New Hampshire Speedway. The Mobility Pit Box was designed and announced by Toyota last year. It was gifted to NASCAR at the beginning of the 2024 season to expand its availability, highlighting Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”.
- Ford Motor Company will pay tribute to veterans and active service members in a special pre-race moment including several specially wrapped vehicles ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 30.
- Universal Technical Institute, NASCAR’s Official Automotive Education partner for more than 20 years, in partnership with the United Service Organizations, will host a group of 50 active-duty military service members at their Mooresville campus for a day of motorsports industry immersion. Service members will tour UTI’s Mooresville NASCAR Technical Institute campus, visit a race shop, and talk about industry training and employment opportunities.
- NASCAR, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Charlotte Motor Speedway teamed up with several local community organizations – including Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte and Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region – to complete home rebuild projects for veterans in conjunction with the NASCAR Salutes program.
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s readies for 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series for the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, in a weekend filled with remembrance of the brave men and women who are serving or have served in our military. The annual event takes pride in honoring our service members and their families and this weekend is expected to be another memorable experience for all.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the most historic venues on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The famous facility is a 1.5-mile, paved oval with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and is located just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.
Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval) has hosted 125 NASCAR Cup Series races all-time – tied with Darlington Raceway for the fourth-most in series history; behind Daytona (152), Martinsville (149) and Richmond (133). The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was on June 19, 1960, and the inaugural event was won by driver Joe Lee Johnson driving a Chevrolet for car owner Paul McDuffie.
In total, the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have produced 48 different pole winners and 55 different race winners dating back to 1960.
Out front isn’t a bad place to start at Charlotte Motor Speedway
A total of 27 different starting positions on the grid have led to wins in the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (19) than any other starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway – a winning percentage of 15.2%.
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 125 Cup races have produced 48 different pole winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson with 14 poles (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974 sweep, 1975 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep, 1982) – the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most poles by a driver at a single track.
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four (2002, 2004, 2009, 2014). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is the most recent pole winner at Charlotte, winning the pole for the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 183.680 MPH. Last season’s Buch Light Pole Qualifying session was canceled due to inclement weather.
Of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winners, seven will be active this weekend.
| Active Pole Winners (7) | Poles | Seasons |
| Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 2014, 2009, 2004, 2002 |
| Denny Hamlin | 3 | 2023, 2017, 2013 |
| Kyle Busch | 3 | 2018, 2014, 2008 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2021 |
| William Byron | 1 | 2019 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 1 | 2016 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 2011 |
All of the on-track action for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday night at 5:05 p.m. ET, and both events can be viewed on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
The victorious journeymen of the Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca-Cola 600 is the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest and one of the most grueling races on the schedule. Broken up into four stages of 100 laps each, the 600 mile (400 lap) test is a challenge to not only the endurance of the drivers, but the teams as well, making the spoils of victory that much sweeter.
The 125 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have produced 55 different NASCAR Cup Series race winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson with eight victories (2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs).
A total of 10 of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway race winners are entered this weekend, with five of the 10 still looking for their first victory of the 2024 season – Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon.
| Active Charlotte Race Winners (10) | Wins | Seasons |
| Jimmie Johnson | 8 | 2016, 2014, 2009, 2005 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2003 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 3 | 2019, 2017, 2016 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2 | 2020, 2013 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 2023 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 2022 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2021 |
| Chase Elliott | 1 | 2020 |
| Kyle Busch | 1 | 2018 |
| Austin Dillon | 1 | 2017 |
| Joey Logano | 1 | 2015 |
Of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series winners at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 38 have won the Coca-Cola 600, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with five Coke 600 victories (1978, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1989). Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in Coca-Cola 600 wins with four victories (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014). Martin Truex Jr. (2016, 2019) is the only other active driver with multiple Coca-Cola 600 wins.
This weekend, eight former Coca-Cola 600 winners are entered in the race.
| Coca-Cola 600 Active Winners (8) | Wins | Seasons |
| Jimmie Johnson | 4 | 2014, 2005, 2004, 2003 |
| Martin Truex Jr | 2 | 2019, 2016 |
| Ryan Blaney | 1 | 2023 |
| Denny Hamlin | 1 | 2022 |
| Kyle Larson | 1 | 2021 |
| Brad Keselowski | 1 | 2020 |
| Kyle Busch | 1 | 2018 |
| Austin Dillon | 1 | 2017 |
Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 and will look to become the seventh different driver to win back-to-back Coke 600s; joining Buddy Baker (1972-‘73), Darrell Waltrip (twice: 1978-’79 and 1988-’89), Neil Bonnett (1982-’83), Dale Earnhardt (1992-’93), Jeff Gordon (1997-‘98) and Jimmie Johnson (2003, ’04, ’05) – Johnson leads the series in consecutive Coca-Cola 600 wins with three straight.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a great place for first-time winners
When it comes to first-time winners in the NASCAR Cup Series on 1.5-mile tracks, none have produced more first-time winners than Charlotte Motor Speedway with 10 – fourth-most all-time behind Daytona (22), Talladega (13), and Martinsville (12)
The most recent driver to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, who collected his first checkered flag back in 2017.
Seven times the Coca-Cola 600 has been the first race a driver has won in the NASCAR Cup Series – 1961, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2017.
| First-Time Cup Winners at Charlotte | Date |
| Austin Dillon | Sunday, May 28, 2017 |
| David Reutimann | Monday, May 25, 2009 |
| Casey Mears | Sunday, May 27, 2007 |
| Jamie McMurray | Sunday, October 13, 2002 |
| Matt Kenseth | Sunday, May 28, 2000 |
| Bobby Labonte | Sunday, May 28, 1995 |
| Jeff Gordon | Sunday, May 29, 1994 |
| Charlie Glotzbach | Sunday, October 20, 1968 |
| Buddy Baker | Sunday, October 15, 1967 |
| David Pearson | Sunday, May 28, 1961 |
The 2024 season has yet to see a first-time winner this year, but that could change this weekend. In the Modern Era (1972-Present), the most first-time winners the NASCAR Cup Series has produced in a single season is five and it has occurred three times (2001, 2011 and 2022).
Playoff picture could shift this weekend in Charlotte
Halfway through the NASCAR Cup Series regular season (13 of 26 races completed), eight drivers have earned Playoff positions by virtue of their wins, leaving just eight spots still open as the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600.
Half of this year’s 16 Cup Series Playoff spots are spoken for, by Denny Hamlin (three wins), William Byron (three), Kyle Larson (two), Chase Elliott (one), Tyler Reddick (one), Brad Keselowski (one), Christopher Bell (one), and Daniel Suarez (one).
With hefty point cushions over the Playoff cutoff, Martin Truex Jr. (+84), Ty Gibbs (+55), Ryan Blaney (+53), Alex Bowman (+48), Ross Chastain (+33) and Chris Buescher (+31) sit comfortably in the Playoff standings outlook heading into this weekend. On the other hand, Kyle Busch (+7) in 15th and Chase Briscoe (+4) in 16th the final transfer spots on points will have their work cut out for them if they want to hold on to their positions.
| 2024 Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 13 | ||||||
| Rank | Driver | Points | Wins | Stages | Playoff Pts | Pts From Cutoff |
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 447 | 3 | 3 | 18 | In On Wins |
| 2 | William Byron | 400 | 3 | 0 | 15 | |
| 3 | Kyle Larson | 486 | 2 | 7 | 17 | |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 437 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 5 | Tyler Reddick | 396 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 344 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 7 | Christopher Bell | 320 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 8 | Daniel Suarez | 263 | 1 | 0 | 5 | |
| 9 | Martin Truex Jr. | 456 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 84 |
| 10 | Ty Gibbs | 390 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 55 |
| 11 | Ryan Blaney | 371 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 53 |
| 12 | Alex Bowman | 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| 13 | Ross Chastain | 358 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 |
| 14 | Chris Buescher | 331 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 31 |
| 15 | Kyle Busch | 324 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 16 | Chase Briscoe | 322 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 17 | Bubba Wallace* | 316 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 |
| 18 | Joey Logano* | 292 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -18 |
| 19 | Noah Gragson | 239 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -71 |
| 20 | Austin Cindric | 232 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -72 |
| 21 | Josh Berry # | 230 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -82 |
| 22 | Todd Gilliland | 217 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -87 |
| 23 | Michael McDowell* | 212 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -91 |
| 24 | John Hunter Nemechek | 211 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -97 |
| 25 | Carson Hocevar # | 211 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -101 |
| 26 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* | 200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -102 |
| 27 | Erik Jones | 199 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -106 |
| 28 | Ryan Preece | 192 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -112 |
| 29 | Corey LaJoie | 187 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -115 |
| 30 | Daniel Hemric | 179 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -121 |
| 31 | Austin Dillon | 167 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -129 |
| 32 | Justin Haley | 162 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -153 |
| 33 | Harrison Burton | 144 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -158 |
| 34 | Zane Smith # | 109 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -180 |
23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace is 17th in the Playoff outlook standings – the first spot outside the postseason cutoff – just four points back from Briscoe in 16th and seven back from Kyle Busch in 15th.
Heading into this weekend at Charlotte, four drivers that made the Playoffs last season are currently below the postseason cutline in the driver standings outlook – Bubba Wallace (17th), Joey Logano (18th), Michael McDowell (23rd) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (26th).
Kyle Larson to attempt ‘The Double’ this weekend
This weekend Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will become the fifth driver all-time to attempt ‘The Double’ and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch.
Of the four drivers that have attempted ‘The Double’ previously, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is the only one to complete every lap of both races (2001) turning in what is still the best showing with a sixth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a third-place finish later that evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kyle Larson is already off to a fast start in his Indy debut, setting a record for the fastest qualifying four lap average ever recorded by a rookie in the series at 232.846 mph. Larson will start on the second row in the fifth position for the Indianapolis 500.
At Charlotte, Larson is no slouch either. The California native has made 14 Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway putting up a pole, one win (2021 Coke 600), two top fives and four top 10s. His average finish at Charlotte is 17.7.
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