CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 29: Denny Hamlin, the driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29, 2022, in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin overcomes chaos to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday evening.
CONCORD, N.C. – Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway started with Denny Hamlin out front and ended with Denny Hamlin out front.
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 24: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2020 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
A Strong Finish for Brad Keselowski and Team Penske in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway gives him another Crown Jewel victory.
The NASCAR Cup Series ran the show at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s Crown Jewel races. This race is all about team endurance and their ability to adjust from day to night racing. The 600 miles at the 1.5-mile track is already a tough Sunday drive. Now, throw in a sunset and a track temperature decline in the middle of the drive, and this race becomes an annual challenge for many teams.
DARLINGTON, SC – SEPTEMBER 01: General race action during the running of the 70th annual Bojangles Southern 500 on September 1, 2019 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Beginning with a NASCAR Cup Series race May 17th at Darlington Raceway, the race marks a return to the track for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic brought sports to a halt in the middle of March.
The schedule includes a pair of NASCAR Cup Series races at the historic Darlington track on Sunday afternoon, May 17, and then on Wednesday night, May 20, with a NASCAR Xfinity Series event in between on Tuesday, May 19.
The schedule then moves to Charlotte Motor Speedway where there will be NASCAR Cup Series races on Sunday, May 24, and Wednesday, May 27, with Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series events on May 25 and 26, respectively. The May 24 NASCAR Cup Series race is the traditional Memorial Day weekend Coca-Cola 600 and will be held at 6 p.m.
FOX or FS1 will televise all the races. Fans will not be permitted at the track, all the races will be one-day shows with no practice sessions, and qualifying will only take place for the Coca-Cola 600.
The news of NASCAR’s return was met with a welcome reaction on social media.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 25: Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Patriotic Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Alex Bowman showed up in the Pocono Raceway Media Center feeling as confident and optimistic as he has in his young career. The 26-year old is coming off the best four-race stretch he’s ever turned in – including three consecutive runner-up finishes at Talladega, Dover and Kansas.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 26: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER/USO Toyota, wins the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
The Monster Energy Cup Series capped off a Sunday full of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the Coca Cola 600. To start it was an awesome Memorial Day celebration while giving great recognition to those who fight for our freedom. Then all forty drivers geared up for 600 miles off non-stop action.