Charlotte Motor Speedway is set for Memorial Day Weekend festivities

Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series for the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, in a weekend filled with remembrance for 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 great 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 has hosted 123 NASCAR Cup Series races all-time – the fourth most in series history behind Daytona (150), Martinsville (147) and Richmond (131). The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was on June 19, 1960 and the event was won by driver Joe Lee Johnson driving a Chevrolet for car owner Paul McDuffie.

Charlotte’s 123 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). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with three (2008, 2014, 2018). Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Kyle Larson is the most recent pole winner at Charlotte, winning the pole for last season’s Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 180.282 mph. Nine of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.

 

Active Charlotte Pole Winners	Poles	Seasons
Kyle Busch	3	2018, 2014, 2008
Kevin Harvick	2	2017, 2016
Denny Hamlin	2	2017, 2013
Kyle Larson	1	2021
Kurt Busch	1	2020
William Byron	1	2019
Martin Truex Jr	1	2016
Aric Almirola	1	2012
Brad Keselowski	1	2011

 

Charlotte Motor Speedway has also produced 53 different race winners in the 123 Cup Series races, led by Jimmie Johnson with eight victories (2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. (2016, 2017, 2019) and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick (2011, 2013, 2014) lead all active drivers in Charlotte wins with three each. Nine of the 53 former Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway winners are entered this weekend, with four of the nine still looking for their first victory of the 2022 season – Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Austin Dillon and Brad Keselowski.

 

Active Charlotte Race Winners	Wins	Seasons
Kevin Harvick	3	2014, 2013, 2011
Martin Truex Jr	3	2019, 2017, 2016
Brad Keselowski	2	2020, 2013
Austin Dillon	1	2017
Chase Elliott	1	2020
Joey Logano	1	2015
Kurt Busch	1	2010
Kyle Busch	1	2018
Kyle Larson	1	2021

 

Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Kyle Larson is the defending winner of the 2021 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.

All of the on-track action for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with practice on Saturday night from 7 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. ET directly followed by Busch Light Pole Qualifying at 7:45 p.m. ET (both events on FS1).