NASCAR heads home after a short vacation in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the longest race of the year, the Coke 600.
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Friday, May 24 @ 8:30PM EST
Concord, North Carolina
134 Laps/201 Miles
It was Heim time yet again in North Wilkesboro, as Corey Heim dominated the iconic short track. However, the star of the show was undoubtedly Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, “Butterbean” started 26th and climbed to the front rapidly, then the rains came, delaying the remainder of the race to the next morning. When the race resumed, Queen was just as strong until a speeding penalty hampered his progress and sent him to the rear; he would rebound for a remarkable 4th place finish in his series debut.
Names To Watch
Brett Moffitt: Brett Moffitt is back. After making his season debut for Tricon Garage at Kansas a few weeks ago, he is back behind the wheel of the #1 Toyota Tundra.
Kaden Honeycutt: Speaking of Kansas, Honeycutt made a splash in the Heartland, wheeling the #45 Chevrolet Silverado to a career-best 4th place finish. Honeycutt will be back behind the wheel of the #45 Friday Night as he looks to back up his run at Kansas.
Jeffrey Earnhardt: The Grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be making his first Craftsman Truck Series Start since 2011 on Friday. He will be driving the #67 for Motorsports Business Management (MBM).
My Pick To Win: Taylor Gray
BetMGM 300
Saturday, May 25 @ 1:00PM EST
Concord, North Carolina
200 Laps/300 Miles
The Xfinity Series was last on track in a widely uneventful race at Darlington Raceway two weeks ago. Justin Allgaier took the win, his third in the last four spring races at Darlington. Allgaier tied the boss man, Dale Earnhardt Jr., on the Series’ all-time wins list.
Names To Watch
Chase Elliott: The 2014 Series Champion returns to the series to drive the #17 for Hendrick Motorsports on the same weekend Kyle Larson will pilot the #17 in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.
Ty Gibbs: The 2022 Series Champion will be driving the #20 for Joe Gibbs Racing on Saturday Afternoon. Gibbs, a 12-time winner in the Xfinity Series, has been having a very strong sophomore campaign in the Cup Series and looks to gather some more experience for Stock Car Racing’s Longest Night.
Noah Gragson: The man who finished runner-up to Gibbs in the 2022 Xfinity Series Season has also been having a very strong sophomore campaign in the premier series. Gragson is a 13-time Xfinity Series winner and will be making his first start in the series since the final race of 2022 when he lost the title to Gibbs by just a few car lengths. He will be driving the #30 for Rette-Jones Racing and ARCA organization, making its first venture to the sport’s top ranks.
Kyle Busch: Rowdy is back in an Xfinity Series car. This time driving the #33, a third entry for Richard Childress Racing. Busch is always a threat when he is in one of these cars, and that should be no different this weekend.
My Pick To Win: Kyle Busch
Coca-Cola 600
Sunday, May 26 @ 6:00PM EST
Concord, North Carolina
400 Laps/600 Miles
Joey Logano dominated the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway but has been overshadowed by what happened off the track. After an incident early on, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. confronted Kyle Busch post-race. Stenhouse and Busch spoke for a moment before Stenhouse threw a fist, and chaos erupted, surrounded by an abundance of reporters.
Names To Watch
Kyle Larson: There is only one name anyone has paid any attention to throughout the month of May, and that is Kyle Larson. Larson is attempting the double, running the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. 1100 Miles. Upwards of 6-8 hours in the car. He is the first driver to attempt the storied feat since Kurt Busch attempted it in 2014. Things have gone very well for Larson so far. He has been fast in Indy 500 Practice and Qualified 5th for the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing” last weekend. However, the weather for Sunday in Indianapolis is less than ideal at the moment; it is unclear how Hendrick Motorsports is approaching the weekend. They have said that the 600 is the priority, though there are conflicting reports now saying Larson would stay for the 500 and that Justin Allgaier would drive the #5 for the entire race or until Larson’s arrival, whenever that may be. So things remain uncertain at the moment, but it’s a story that will have all of the eyes of the American Motorsport world.
My Pick To Win: Chris Buescher
Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images
