This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Coca-Cola 600
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 400
NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 Race Preview
NASCAR's longest race takes center stage this week as the Memorial Day weekend classic kicks off at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Christopher Bell took home the spoils last season after rain halted the race prematurely. Bell is also this week's defending winner after capturing his first All-Star Race victory a week ago at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The racing this week couldn't be more different, though. Charlotte's banking, high speeds, and long distance make this race stand out amongst NASCAR's crown jewels.
Kyle Larson leads the championship standings with Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron in close tow in second. Larson won the most recent points race at Kansas two weeks ago to draw level with Bell at three wins each. Only 14 races remain in the regular season, and the schedule begins to pick up pace from here. With no more breaks until the playoffs commence in August, the summer months will be full of pressure and drama. Ryan Preece currently holds the 16th and final playoff spot with a seven-point advantage over Kyle Busch, but that could change in an instant with a new winner. Nine spots remain to be filled for those that can win a race, and the next opportunity is NASCAR's marathon, the Coca-Cola 600.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 126
- Winners from pole: 19
- Winners from top-5 starters: 71
- Winners from top-10 starters: 94
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 10
- Fastest race: 160.655 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2024 - Christopher Bell
2023 - Ryan Blaney
2022 - Denny Hamlin
2021 - Kyle Larson
2020 II - Chase Elliott
2020 I - Brad Keselowski
2019 - Martin Truex Jr.
2018 - Kyle Busch
2017 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2017 spring - Austin Dillon
High banking and high speeds are what Charlotte Motor Speedway is known for. The 1.5-mile quad-oval has been a fixture on NASCAR's schedule since 1960 and produces some of the fastest speeds outside of superspeedways. The track is one where handling is critical, though. That combination of a handling track with high speeds often highlights the disparities of the cars that get it right and those that don't. In the past, quick cars have dominated and long green-flag runs don't give many chances for others make the changes they need to catch up.
Charlotte's corners offer steep banking of 24 degrees, which allows plenty of room for drivers to find the perfect line for their car. However, track position and clean air enable a car to be at its best. Another factor unique to this race is the transition between day and night. As night falls and the track cools, teams must stay on top of handling adjustments to account for the changing conditions. A quick car in the day may not be fast at all at night. The long race has three stages, and extra stage points could come in handy for drivers looking to break into the playoff standings. This is a long race where conditions and competition changes throughout the distance. Those drivers and teams that adapt the best while minimizing mistakes are likely to have a shot at the end.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Coca-Cola 600 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Christopher Bell - $10,700
William Byron - $10,500
Ryan Blaney - $10,200
Tyler Reddick - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Joey Logano - $9,200
Ross Chastain - $9,000
Kyle Busch - $8,800
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Chase Briscoe - $8,400
Ty Gibbs - $8,200
Alex Bowman - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Josh Berry - $7,800
Ryan Preece - $7,100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,700
Austin Dillon - $6,400
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell - $10,700
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Ty Gibbs - $8,200
Josh Berry - $7,800
Ryan Preece - $7,100
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,700
His win a week ago in the All-Star Race could be a sign that Christopher Bell (DK $10,700, FD $13,000) is regaining some of the early-season advantage he enjoyed. Being the defending winner of this race, Bell's fantasy value could be substantial. While it is tough to win back-to-back races, Bell already did that this season. With finishes of first and second in the last two weeks, Bell is on an upswing of form. He also led a combined 138 laps in the last two Coca-Cola 600s. Fantasy players should also take note of Chase Elliott (DK $9,500, FD $11,000) this week. The former champion has had a relatively quiet season so far, but he has done enough to sit eighth in the championship standings. At Charlotte, Elliott may have even more potential. At this track, he won a race in 2020 and has led laps in all of the last seven races. He finished seventh last year and started in the top six in the last two visits, too.
Though Ty Gibbs (DK $8,200, FD $9,500) has less experience in this unique race, he has turned in some respectable early results. Last year, Gibbs qualified on pole and led 74 laps. Rain shortened that effort, but when the race was called, Gibbs was sixth. Also, in four Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte, Gibbs won one race and never finished lower than ninth. Josh Berry (DK $7,800, FD $8,000) could also be a bargain. The Wood Brothers Racing driver has been quick on 1.5-mile ovals this season, winning at Las Vegas, and finished 10th in this race last season with Stewart Haas Racing. Like Gibbs, Berry also won at this track in the Xfinity Series. That win came from the fourth starting spot in 2022.
Ryan Preece (DK $7,100, FD $6,500) may have the potential to outperform past Charlotte results this week. Preece has taken a big step forward in productivity since joining RFK Racing. He sits 16th in the points and has three top-10 finishes on 1.5-mile ovals already this season. The only thing to keep in mind is that Preece hasn't done much in the Cup Series at Charlotte. His best finish at the track as 13th in 2023 and his average finish from seven tries is 25.6. Preece's relatively inexpensive price coupled with his improved statistics this season make a good combination for fantasy players this week, though. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $6,700, FD $5,000) also comes with a relatively inexpensive price and a history of good production at this track. He has five top-10 finishes from 20 track starts with three top-10s from his last five visits. Stenhouse is a relatively reliable option fantasy rosters should consider selecting this week.
NASCAR Best Bets for the Coca-Cola 600
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner - Kyle Larson +600, William Byron +800, Tyler Reddick +1000
Top-Five Finish - Ty Gibbs +360
Group Winner - Joey Logano +175, Ross Chastain +230, Ty Gibbs +330, Chris Buescher +350
It isn't often that I highlight a wager to avoid, but this week's interest in Kyle Larson simply isn't a good value. Larson is competing in the Indy 500 and then commuting to Charlotte to start the 600-mile race. While doing the double is a huge attention draw and great for Larson and the sport, it raises the level of difficulty for Larson. For that reason alone, I would want to see a bit of a break in the odds, not Larson as the favorite to win at Charlotte. Could Larson win either race? Sure. Is going to be unprecedented if he does? Yes. No driver contesting the double as ever won one of the two races and only one driver that attempted the feat completed all the miles in both races. Larson has it all to do on Sunday, and for that, I'd like to see more of a return.
More enticing options for the win are William Byron and Tyler Reddick. Either of these drivers could win Sunday night and both are expected to be competitive. Byron is a great qualifier at Charlotte and finished in the top five three of the last four races at the track. Reddick, while not out front leading laps recently, is consistently good at this track with finishes of ninth or better in five of six tries. Either of these options is preferable to Larson, and the payoff is bigger, too.
Another driver that has some compelling odds this week is Ty Gibbs. While Gibbs has less Cup Series experience than others, he has shown flashes of potential. He is an Xfinity winner at the track and finished sixth after starting on pole in last year's Coca-Cola 600. He had a slow start to this season but picked up a third-place finish at Bristol and was ninth at Darlington. This race requires a similar mindset as Darlington in terms of racing the conditions to get to the end, and Gibbs has shown he can do that this season. The Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have won two of the last three Charlotte races, too. Gibbs has all the markers of upside potential this week, and a top-five should be within reach if he can avoid mistakes. Wagerers that aren't convinced of that can get roughly the same odds by pitting him against Logano, Chastain, and Buescher as group winner. Either option should be achievable for Gibbs this Sunday night.
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