NASCAR Preview: Charlotte Race Weekend

DIVEBOMB Motorsport
11 hours ago
8 min read

Written by Gabriel Tsui, Ashleigh McGregor & Krystal Diane

For NASCAR’s second Crown Jewel of the year, all three series (plus ARCA) travel to the historic Charlotte Motor Speedway. For the Cup Series, this will be their longest race at 600 miles.

This 1.5-mile track opened in 1960 and has hosted NASCAR twice a year since then. The corners each have banking of 24 degrees and five degrees of banking on the straightaways.

Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:

Trucks: Friday, 23 May, 20:30 local (01:30 UK) – 134 laps
Xfinity: Saturday, 24 May, 16:30 local (21:30 UK) – 200 laps
Cup: Sunday, 25 May, 18:00 local (23:00 UK) – 400 laps

Below are the defending winners of each race:

Trucks: No. 2 - Nick Sanchez (Rev Racing)
Xfinity: No. 17 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)
Cup: No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Cup Series: Coca-Cola 600 Preview

Written by Gabriel Tsui

Following a competition break in North Wilkesboro for the all-star weekend, we head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the second of the four Crown Jewel races in this season. Last year, Christopher Bell was able to find a win as a weather delay led to the rest of the race being cancelled. Will Bell be able to find a second Crown Jewel win, or could someone else take the glory of winning the 600 this year?

Unlike other races, the Charlotte 600 has four stages of racing, with 100 laps in each stage around the one-and-a-half mile long track, totalling a distance run of 600 miles (966 kilometres). The weather report indicates the weekend will have clear skies and the sun out, while temperatures will start off at 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit) then drop down to 17 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit).

The race will commence on the Sunday of May 25th, at 18:00 Eastern (15:00 Pacific, 23:00 British).

Race Predictions

In last year’s Charlotte 600, NASCAR had to end the race prematurely due to raining conditions, handing Christopher Bell the win only 278 laps into the race. Luckily though, the weather forecast shows that the chance of rain is little to none.

So far into the NASCAR season, the drivers have visited only one other 1.5-mile-long quad-oval, that being the Texas Motor Speedway, where Joey Logano beat out Michael McDowell for the win. Though the two tracks are not at all completely similar, the belief is that the Chevys have a better car around the quad-ovals.

If you have tuned into our brand new NASCAR podcast (shameless plug I know), you would know my pick for the race is William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports. Now for the reasoning behind the pick, Hendricks has found the lead one way or another in intermediate tracks, but it’s simply a matter of finishing the job.

Byron, who found the winner in the season opener in Daytona, has found the top-six many times and met the lead many times, but struggled to complete the job on numerous occasions, including a heartbreaking loss in COTA that gave championship rival Christopher Bell his second win in a row.

Byron needs to find a turning point soon, and Charlotte is the track to do so. He hasn’t won at the track yet, but has found top-five twice in the past two seasons. Should he find a race win, he will also get the added benefit of acquiring another Crown Jewel race win.

Three storylines to look out for

Can Chris Buescher bounce back from the L1 penalty?

Following Kansas, Chris Buescher and the No.17 team was hit with a hefty L1 penalty that saw 60 points deducted from the 32-year-old’s account, while his crew chief Scott Graves was also issued with a two-race suspension. This obviously serves as a huge blow to the No.17’s playoff hopes, as he drops from the 12th place to 24th place in the championship standings.

While the situation isn’t ideal for the RFK team who already has a struggling driver in Brad Keselowski, the only way is up and the team certainly believes in a bounce-back for Buescher, with owner-driver Keselowski praising Buescher’s abilities and citing potential road-course opportunities ahead of them.

Austin Cindric on the hot seat?

Team Penske’s INDYCAR department dropped a huge bombshell earlier in the week, firing major executives including President of Team Penske, Tim Cindric. The executives were sacked on the back of a scandal that accused Team Penske of modifying single source supplier parts on numerous occasions, including but not limited to the 2025 Indy 500.

Austin Cindric, son of Tim Cindric and the pilot of the No.2, will obviously be affected by said decision. His seat is no longer guaranteed, while major Ford talent such as Sam Mayer are also on the rise. However, Austin is a perennial race winner, and is one of the more consistent drivers on the grid. As long as he keeps performing, there is little reason for Roger Penske to fire the young Cindric.

The Crown Jewel watch

The Charlotte 600 is one of the four crown jewel races, with drivers such as Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, William Byron, Erik Jones and many more searching for their second crown jewel win en route to a grand slam.

On the other hand, Kyle Larson will also be searching for his first crown jewel in the triple crown of motorsport, in the 2025 Indy 500. Larson will be attempting a double duty, completing the Indy 500 in the afternoon and the Charlotte 600 in the evening, a total of 1100 miles of racing. Tony Stewart is the only driver able to complete all 1100 miles, a target Larson certainly will be targeting.

Xfinity Series: BetMGM 300 Preview

Written by Ashleigh McGregor

After two weeks off, the Xfinity Series returns to racing, this time at the notorious Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Last round Kyle Larson joined Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill has multi-race winners this season by taking the victory in Texas.

Weekend Insights

Saturday morning will host both practice and qualifying at 11:00 am EST. The race will start at 4:30pm EST.

Drivers will be covering 200 laps which will be broken up into 45 laps for Stage 1 and Stage 2. The final stage will have 110 laps for drivers to race to the end with. Drivers are racing a whopping total distance of 300 miles.

Drivers to watch

Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch are two rookies to watch for this weekend. Kvapil has previously done well on circuits like Charlotte Motor Speedway. He will look to maximize the car and achieve a good result this weekend.

Zilisch is returning after having to miss the Texas race due to a back injury. The lower back injury was sustained at the Talladega race where he crashed harshly into the inside wall. It came at a disappointing time as he was leading the final lap.

Zilisch was then replaced with NASCAR driver Kyle Larson who went on to win the race. Zilisch is already secured in the playoffs because of his win at the Circuit of the Americas but adding another would be exciting.

He is not just competing in the Xfinity Series but also the Cup Series this weekend. This is also Zilisch’s home race making this weekend extra special and definitely makes up for the last two races.

Katherine Legge returns yet again to the racetrack. She is scheduled to participate in … races this year for the Xfinity Series. This will be her eighth race so far. All previous races for Legge have ended in a DNF result due to crashes. Notably, few were her fault and were the results of other drivers/multi-car incidents. The goal for her remains the same: to just make it across the finish line.

The current top five championship leaders can not be counted out to snag the victory. In leader order: Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill, Sam Mayer, Jesse Love and Brandon Jones.

Who do you think will finish in the top three?

Truck Series: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Preview

Written by Krystal Diane

It’s Friday night in Charlotte, and the Trucks will set the tone on stage! No warm-ups. No soft landings. Just 200 miles of pressure at full speed. Some are chasing points. Some are chasing relevance. Everyone’s chasing something. And if you’re not ready to run up front, you’re just part of the traffic.

In 2024, Nick Sanchez didn’t just win, he made it matter. He earned it with tires, timing, and guts. The former ARCA champion started 16th, got fresh rubber late, and ripped through the field from tenth on a restart with nine to go. He only led nine laps, but they were the right ones. Heim had the speed, but bad stops and a lug nut penalty took him out of the picture. Sanchez got the check and his second career win. Charlotte gave him that window. It could do the same for someone else this Friday.

Race Predictions

Wilkesboro was wild, and Chandler Smith kept his head when it mattered. Slipped through the mess, and took the lead on the final lap after contact between Corey Heim and Layne Riggs. That was his second win of the season, and both times he didn’t luck into it. He put himself exactly where he needed to be when it counted. He’s got momentum, he’s got composure, and Charlotte fits his style.

If you’re playing it safe, you go Corey Heim. He’s led the points all year, owns the mile-and-a-half rhythm, and runs like a metronome when he’s out front. Clean air, clean laps, job done. You won’t get style points, but you’ll probably get results.

But if you want to let it fly, go with Toni Breidinger. Yes, Toni Breidinger. She's been grinding all season, and while the stats don't scream contender, Charlotte's the kind of track where chaos can open doors. If the race turns into a survival of the fittest, don't be surprised if she muscles her way into the spotlight in her team's home race.

Then there’s Matt Mills who is the quiet problem. No one’s talking about him, but he’s been stacking steady runs and keeping his nose clean. Charlotte’s the kind of track where that pays off. If this race turns sideways, whether it’s strategy, a late restart, or a couple egos losing patience, he’s exactly the guy who sneaks through while everyone else swings wide.

There’s no shortage of speed in this field. But speed alone won’t win Friday night. It’ll come down to who stays clean, who keeps calm, and who makes the right call when the whole race goes off-script.

Two storylines to look out for

Frankie Muniz stays in the mix

Muniz might not be lighting up the timing sheets, but he’s not fading either. However, he’s still out there every week, sticking it out, and steadily improving. After transitioning from a Hollywood career (best known for his role in Malcolm in the Middle) to full-time racing, Muniz took a serious gamble on himself. He’s now driving for Reaume Brothers Racing. In a series full of rough competition, just making it through and staying on the lead lap is no small feat. Muniz has shown grit, navigating the steep learning curve that comes with a full-time schedule. At Charlotte, he’ll have another chance to make a statement. One clean race could turn him from a curiosity into a true contender.

Corey Heim and Layne Riggs, unfinished business

Wilkesboro ended with sparks. Corey Heim and Layne Riggs during the final lap: both gunning for it, both leaving without it. Heim, leading much of the race, got tangled with Riggs in a late-race push for the win. You don’t get that close to a win and just let it go. Both drivers have a lot at stake; Heim’s been dominant all season, while Riggs has been building momentum in his first full-time season. With both back on track Friday, there’s a question hanging in the air: do they race clean, or keep receipts and make someone pay?