Kurt Busch leads the field at the start of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
From a marathon to a sprint. From NASCAR’s longest race to the shortest ever at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval. From four 100-lap stages to three stages of 55, 60 and 93 laps, respectively.
After a grueling 607.5 miles on Sunday (including a five-lap overtime), NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in a dash on Wednesday night in the Alsco Uniforms 500 at CMS.
That’s 500 kilometers, by the way. The event measures 312 miles (208 laps), barely more than the first two stages of the Coke 600.
The shortest distance previously run in a Charlotte Cup race — other than two 100-mile qualifying events in 1961 — was 341 miles in the 2009 Coca-Cola 600, when David Reutimann picked up the first of his two career wins in a rain-shortened race.
Racing on Wednesday nights has become the new normal, as NASCAR remains committed to running a full schedule of 36 points-paying events.
“It has been really interesting and fun to have these midweek races,” said Tyler Reddick, who parlayed seventh- and 13th-place finishes in the two Darlington races and a ninth in the 600 into a 43-point lead over Cole Custer in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.
“They keep us on our toes, even though it’s the same track being raced so close together. Both Darlington and Charlotte are tracks affected by temperature and day-versus-night conditions, so it almost comes off as two different places.”
Brad Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 after midnight on Monday, thanks to a rain delay of more than an hour that interrupted the first stage of the race. It wasn’t until almost 2 a.m. that runner-up Jimmie Johnson was disqualified and placed 40th after inspectors found that the rear alignment of his No. 48 Chevrolet exceeded post-race tolerances.
Johnson will be particularly motivated on Wednesday night. So will Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, who had victory in his sights at Darlington and at Charlotte, only to see winning chances in both races disappear — at Darlington thanks to Kyle Busch’s bumper and at Charlotte thanks to a late, ill-timed caution.
NASCAR Cup Series
The Race: Alsco Uniforms 500
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC
The Date: Wednesday, May 25
The Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 312 miles (208 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55),Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 115), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 208)
Most Recent Winner at Charlotte: Brad Keselowski – Sunday, May 24, 2020
What To Watch For: There have been 121 NASCAR Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year from when the track opened in 1960 until 2017. Starting in 2018, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted just one race on the oval configuration. … A total of 46 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won the Busch Pole Award at Charlotte Motor Speedway; nine of the 46 are active this weekend. … NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 14 poles (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974 sweep, 1975 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep, 1982). Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with nine (2001, 2003 sweep, 2004, 2005, 2007 sweep, 2009 and 2010). … Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Busch Pole Award at Charlotte Motor Speedway (World 600) in 1960 with a speed of 133.904 mph. … The youngest series Charlotte pole winner is William Byron (May 26, 2019 – 21 years, 4 months, 27 days) and the oldest series Charlotte pole winner is Bobby Allison (October 11, 1987 – 49 years, 10 months, 8 days). … A total of 51 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Charlotte Motor Speedway; 10 of the 51 are active this weekend. Jimmie Johnson leads the series in wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway with eight victories – 2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs. … The youngest series Charlotte winner is Jeff Gordon (May 29, 1994 – 22 years, 9 months, 25 days) and the oldest series Charlotte winner is Cale Yarborough (October 6, 1985 – 46 years, 6 months, 9 days). … 10 drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Charlotte: David Pearson (5/28/1961), Buddy Baker (10/15/1967), Charlie Glotzbach (10/20/1968), Jeff Gordon (5/29/1994), Bobby Labonte (5/28/1995), Matt Kenseth (5/28/2000), Jamie McMurray (10/13/2002), Casey Mears (5/27/2007), David Reutimann (5/25/2009) and Austin Dillon (5/28/2017). … 17 of the 121 (14.05%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from the Busch Pole; the most recent was Kyle Busch in the 2018 (Coca-Cola 600). The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Charlotte is 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in the Coca-Cola 600 of 2003. … A total of 179 different drivers have led at least one lap in the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison leads the series in laps led at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 2,339 laps led in 43 starts. Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the series in laps led at Charlotte with 1,936 laps led 36 starts. Martin Truex Jr. holds the record for the most laps led in in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway after he led 392 of the scheduled 400 laps (98%) in the 2016 Coca-Cola 600 – he started from the pole. Alex Bowman led the field with 164 laps led on Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600.
NASCAR Cup Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC
Alsco Uniforms 500 – May 27, 2020
Wednesday’s Starting Lineup
1. 24 William Byron Axalta Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
2. 88 Alex Bowman ChevyGoods.com/NOCO Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
3. 34 Michael McDowell CarParts.com Ford 0.000 0.000
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5. 38 John Hunter Nemechek # SCAG Ford 0.000 0.000
6. 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 0.000 0.000
7. 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
8. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 0.000 0.000
9. 41 Cole Custer # Autodesk/HaasTooling.com Ford 0.000 0.000
10. 20 Erik Jones Craftsman Toyota 0.000 0.000
11. 17 Chris Buescher Fastenal Ford 0.000 0.000
12. 95 Christopher Bell # Procore Toyota 0.000 0.000
13. 8 Tyler Reddick # Okuma Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
14. 1 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
15. 19 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops Toyota 0.000 0.000
16. 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Ford 0.000 0.000
17. 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Fudge Brownie Toyota 0.000 0.000
18. 12 Ryan Blaney BodyArmor Ford 0.000 0.000
19. 9 Chase Elliott Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
20. 2 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Ford 0.000 0.000
21. 77 Reed Sorenson AquestaBank Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
22. 37 Ryan Preece Cottonelle Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
23. 32 Corey LaJoie Superior Logistics Ford 0.000 0.000
24. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Kroger Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
25. 13 Ty Dillon GEICO Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
26. 42 Matt Kenseth Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
27. 6 Ryan Newman Roush Performance Ford 0.000 0.000
28. 96 Daniel Suarez Today.Tomorrow.Toyota Toyota 0.000 0.000
29. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx #SupportSmall Toyota 0.000 0.000
30. 15 Brennan Poole # SpartanGo Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
31. 27 JJ Yeley(i) Ford 0.000 0.000
32. 78 BJ McLeod(i) Circle Track Warehouse Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
33. 53 Garrett Smithley(i) Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
34. 66 Timmy Hill(i) RoofClaim.com Toyota 0.000 0.000
35. 00 Quin Houff # Good Greek Movers Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
36. 51 Joey Gase(i) Ford 0.000 0.000
37. 7 Josh Bilicki(i) Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
38. 43 Bubba Wallace World Wide Technology Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
39. 14 Clint Bowyer PEAK Ford 0.000 0.000
40. 48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet 0.000 0.000
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