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Stormy weather . . .
For the second time this NASCAR Cup Series season, the weekend’s race has been moved to Monday because of rain.
MORE: Johnson to start at rear after qualifying rained out
The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the NASCAR season. This year’s iteration of the event will be accompanied by one of the longer delays of the year, too; the race, initially scheduled to be run under the lights on Sunday, was pushed to Memorial Day after steady rain overtook the track.
That means one more day of waiting to watch superstars like Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson and even Jimmie Johnson attempt to capture the famed race — one of the crown jewels of American stock car racing.
MORE: Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 car to have Michael Jordan-focused colorway
Conditions during the weekend should make for an unpredictable event. Qualifying was canceled as a result of the weather, as was practice. As such, it will take drivers some real adjusting to get themselves up to speed. Still, with four stages and 400 laps, they’ll have plenty of time to find it.
A good run at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May gives a driver a place in racing lore for posterity. The question is, who will be in front in clean air at the end?
MORE: Watch the Coca-Cola 600 live with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Monday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Follow below for all the highlights and action in this year’s Coca-Cola 600.
NASCAR at Charlotte live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
8:36 p.m.: CAUTION! You already know what it is. Larson spins out on Turn 3. Collects the likes of Gibbs, Logano and Bell. What a frantic day this has turned out to be.
8:30 p.m.: CAUTION! Race restart lasts all of five seconds before Austin Cindric slides into the inside wall. Cautions beget cautions. Who would’ve thought? 29 laps to go.
Austin Cindric hits the wall. pic.twitter.com/jY1rrzLAqF
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 30, 2023
8:20 p.m.: CAUTION! Stenhouse gets in the back of Allmendinger, who slides into the middle of the track — right into the path or Harrison Burton. Good fortune for Joey Logano, who just evaded serious contact with the No. 16 car.
8:18 p.m.: Front row consists of Byron and…Zane Smith, who stayed out on the track. Been a strong showing for the youngster, who has earned plaudits on the Truck Series. 39 laps to go from Charlotte.
8:12 p.m.: CAUTION! Harvick slides into Reddick, sending the No. 4 car tumbling into the infield grass. Looks like Reddick escaped without major damage. Can’t say the same about Harvick, who took a big slide.
8:09 p.m.: It’s a Hendrick Motorsports masterclass atop the totem pole. Byron and Larson competing for P1. Byron’s got it at the moment. Busch and Truex not too far behind, either. 47 laps to go.
8:07 p.m.: Pit road once again proves a fickle mistress for Wallace. Had been running Top-10 for much of the day. But he gets blocked in by Bowman, who was blocked in by Corey LaJoie. Tough break for the No. 23 car, which drops all the way to P19 on what very possibly could be the last pit stop.
8:03 p.m.: Byron’s pit crew has been on point all race. He nabs the lead back from Blaney with a blazing pit road run. A wave of fist bumps ripple in the distance.
8:01 p.m.: CAUTION! It’s McDowell who spawns the dandelion flag this time around. The No. 34 car’s tire goes tumbling along the bend. Sparks emanating as he limps his way across the track.
7:53 p.m.: The usual suspects showing off their stuff at the front of the pack. But a couple new faces in there as well, including Ty Gibbs (P6) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (P8). Strong showings by a pair of less-heralded talents.
7:50 p.m.: Big save by Reddick, who found himself sliding as he pulled into Turn 4. Just held enough the throttle enough to get himself across the apron, back onto race track and retain his spot in P2.
.@TylerReddick with a massive save!! #NASCAR | #NASCAR75🟢 | #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/hzgl5siWcp
— JJ (@TomcatNASCAR_2) May 29, 2023
7:45 p.m.: Alex Bowman has impressed in his return to the track. The Hendrick Motorsports star hasn’t missed a beat in his first race back. He sits in P8, about. 25 seconds in front of Wallace.
7:40 p.m.: Back to green for one last stage. Blaney, Reddick and Byron all showing off impressive speed at the front of the pack.
7:30 p.m.: At the end of Stage 3, it’s Blaney who takes the green flag. He’s in pole position to end that horrid winless streak as it stands!
6:05 p.m.: CAUTION! Major wreck between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott. Looks like Hamlin got into Elliott on the wall. The No. 9 car wasn’t too happy, delivering a right rear hook job on Hamlin. No. 11 car veers head on into the wall, smashing the front hood into pieces. If the radio soundbites are any indication, Hamlin is not too pleased.
A big hit for Denny Hamlin. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Ss1FEqGYiJ
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 29, 2023
A look at what happened between @dennyhamlin and @chaseelliott on Lap 186. pic.twitter.com/URBhFq0p5m
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 29, 2023
“F***ing bull s***. They need to park his f***ing ass.”
Denny Hamlin
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) May 29, 2023
5:45 p.m.: CAUTION! Finally back to green at Charlotte. However, it didn’t last too long; caution flag comes out after teammates Jimmie Johnson and Noah Gragson get into each other, sending the former sliding down the track. Terrible day for Legacy Motor Club so far; all three drivers find themselves down dozens of laps after going into the garage for various reasons.
5:26 p.m.: No exact timetable on when the race will resume. However, seems the rain has stopped, which is a good sign. Drivers are out of their cars for the moment. Per Bob Pockrass, it should take around 30 minutes or so for the track driers to do their magic.
Kinda. Probably will take about 30 minutes to dry as long as it doesn’t mist. Rain has stopped. https://t.co/Hf5xbnpV4Q
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
5:07 p.m.: Red flag will be waved for rain. Drivers aren’t expected to be forced to wait too long, though.
Drivers told to stay in their cars. “Should be brief”
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
5:04 p.m.: CAUTION! Canary yellow flashed as specks of rain linger onto Turns 3 and 4. Forecast says that the weather is heading west, so it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Hopefully.
Caution out for rain. pic.twitter.com/Igx2DdORuZ
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
4:59 p.m.: Reddick with a blazing fast pit stop. That will bring him to the front after pit road stops. 154 laps complete and it’s 23XI on top with Reddick.
4:57 p.m.: Austin Cindric into the wall. He’ll be the first one to make his way to pit road. He’s been flirting with the barrier for some time. Expect to see a wave of advertisement-laden stagecoaches filter into pit boxes sooner rather than later.
4:50 p.m.: Reddick making a charge for the front. He’s up to second, a half a second or so behind race leader Bell. Strong showing thus far for the No. 45 car.
4:44 p.m.: Johnson, Noah Gragson and Erik Jones all headed to the back for repairs. All three expect to be back out on the track in a bit.
Both Jones and Johnson to the garage. Both mechanical — they can fix their issue.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
Gragson and Jones are in garage changing radiators. Johnson in garage for repairs that I assume are from his earlier incident (they met minimum speed so can work on the car). https://t.co/qIqSjKWC9M
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
4:37 p.m.: Green flag waved to kick off Stage 2. Michael McDowell breaks into the Top-10 for the first time in the day. Light conditions changing a bit. Could make an impact on the way folks drive getting around the bend.
4:24 p.m.: Blaney continuing to fly down the racetrack. The Team Penske talent hasn’t won a race in his last 59 attempts. He sits in P2, just behind Byron, who finishes Stage 1 on top. Another impressive drive by the burgeoning Hendrick Motorsports superstar.
4:15 p.m.: Back to green at Charlotte. Just 18 laps to go before the end of Stage 1. Byron and Blaney battling for that top stop.
4:10 p.m.: CAUTION! First (non-competition) caution waved after Jimmie Johnson spins out. Unlucky for the seven-time Cup Series champion
Jimmie Johnson goes around. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Sn00q5CcH0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 29, 2023
4:03 p.m.: 35 laps to go in Stage 1. Bell holds the slight lead over Blaney, who is only half a second in front of Byron for third. It’s been Joe Gibbs Racing drivers’ day so far; Bell, Hamlin (P5) and Truex (P8) have all showed decent speed thus far.
3:52 p.m.: Back to green. Ryan Blaney slips beyond Byron, who retook the top spot under yellow after a 9.9 second pit stop. As we hit Lap 46, here’s a look at the Top-5: Blaney-Byron-Keselowski-Bell-Hamlin
3:44 p.m.: At the competition caution it’s Christopher Bell who holds the lead. 33 cars on the lead lap. Expect the vast majority of them to make their way to pit road.
3:43 p.m.: Alex Bowman hanging on for dear life in Turn 3. Looks like Ryan Preece nearly got into his door as the sun began to peak through the clouds. That was a close one.
3:40 p.m.: Bubba Wallace and Kevin Harvick among the drivers struggling the most thus far. Seems like some teams adjusted their chariots as if the race was occurring at night. Both are dropping like a stone. They’ll be desperate for the competition caution that will wave in about five laps.
3:35 p.m.: Tyler Reddick flying down the surface thus far. He’s up seven spots on his starting position. That baby blue color scheme looking slick under the moody Charlotte sky.
3:32 p.m.: Denny Hamlin passes Byron to take P1 on Lap 15. Looks like those Hendrick cars are struggling a bit.
3:27 p.m.: Good battle ensuing between Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. Have to imagine those two are in contention for the checkered flag if things stay fairly clean.
3:25 p.m.: Green flag waved and we’re off at Charlotte! William Byron and Kevin Harvick leading the line in the first row.
3:05 p.m.: No cars to the rear for today’s race. We’re about 10 minutes from the start.
2:50 p.m.: And one more look at the weather scanner before things kick off. Looks like the forecast might just hold up. At least to start the race.
Track drying going well. Pit road is dry. Sun is out. Cars staged on pit road. On schedule for a start shortly after 3pm. pic.twitter.com/FgLW9jMgRS
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
2:45 p.m.: Here’s a look at the order of operations ahead of today’s race. Green flag drops at approximately 3:16 p.m. ET.
NASCAR says moment of silence and then the invocation starting at 3pm. Driver intros will be done as the cars roll off the grid.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
2:25 p.m.: The show must go on. Xfinity teams making their way for the big boys. Almost show time here at Charlotte.
Xfinity teams moving their stuff off pit road and Cup teams getting set up. #HotPass pic.twitter.com/puCx87xDET
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
2:20 p.m.: Lots of maintenance done to ensure that the track is on point. A cavalcade of track driers were out on the asphalt earlier in the day.
Track drying continues. Doing pit road as well as track as want pit road to be relatively dry to push cars out for staging. pic.twitter.com/KP6P7SGgfH
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 29, 2023
2:10 p.m.: Although the Xfinity Series race was postponed due to rain, today’s Cup Series start is expected to go off without a hitch. Green flag expected to be waved around 3:15 p.m. ET.
What channel is NASCAR on today?
- TV channel: Fox (U.S.) | TSN5 (Canada)
- Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo
- Radio: PRN
Monday’s race will be broadcast on Fox in the United States. Canadian viewers can find it on TSN5.
Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy will lead the telecast as the race’s lap-by-lap announcer. He’ll be joined in the booth by Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart.
Cord-cutters can follow the action on FoxSports.com, as well as with Fubo, which offers a free trial.
NASCAR start time today
- Date: Monday, May 29
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
The new start time for the Coca-Cola 600 is 3 p.m. ET on Monday. The race was initially scheduled to start at 6:21 p.m. ET on Sunday but was pushed back due to inclement weather.
Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup 2023
Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
---|---|---|---|
1 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
2 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
3 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
4 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
5 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
6 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
7 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
8 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
9 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
11 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
12 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
13 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
14 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
15 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
16 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
17 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
18 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
19 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
20 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
21 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
22 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
23 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
24 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
25 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
26 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
27 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
28 | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
29 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
30 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
31 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
32 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
33 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
34 | B.J. McCleod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
35 | Todd Gilliland | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
36 | J.J. Yeley | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
37 | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | Legacy Motor Club |