COCA COLA 600 RACE REVIEW

God Bless America!

Date: 5-29-2022.
Name of the race: Coca-Cola 600.
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Laps: 400.
Pole winner: Denny Hamlin.
Outside pole: Kurt Busch.
Stage 1 winner: Chase Elliott.
Stage 2 winner: Daniel Suarez.
Stage 3 winner: Ross Chastain.
Stage 4 winner (won the race): Denny Hamlin.
Top 5: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Chase Briscoe, and Christopher Bell.
FYI: The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the most historical events in stock car racing history. Aside from it always being the longest race on the NASCAR circuit since its inaugural race in 1960 (aside from a one-off race at Michigan in 1969), it has always been run on the 29th of May, the day before Labor Day, and the iconic endcap of the "Greatest Day in Racing" (following Monaco in F1 and the Indy 500). It's a race full of excitement, patriotism, and above all, remembrance for the men and women who gave all for their country and to honor them and their families. Denny Hamlin, fresh off last week's "Dale Jr. Download" would claim the pole for the 600 with his car and driver Kurt Busch right next to him on the outside pole. Right off the bat, the Toyota camp would show its strength as the top 5 would flood with Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI cars all over, as Kyle Busch and Bubba Wallace would climb and eventually take first and second respectively. Last year's 600 winner, Kyle Larson, would start from the 36th position and would fight and claw his way towards the front numerous times throughout the day, struggling and succeeding and continuously proving to the racing world why he's one of the best active race car drivers out there. As the stage went on, Larson would continue to rise through the field and Ross Chastain would take the top spot away from Kyle Busch. Tires, again, would be a constant worry as the race went on, as drivers would experience tire fall off within 40 laps, leaving teams to get creative on their pit strategies. After a couple of pit cycles, Chase Elliott would lead the field and win stage 1, with Tyler Reddick finishing right behind, Christopher Bell in 3rd, and Chastain in 4th. Disaster would strike the 9 team in stage 2, as Elliott would get loose and hit the wall, breaking the right rear toe link and effectively ending his race after the six-minute crash clock expired. Trackhouse would fight back to win stage 2 with Daniel Suarez winning the second stage and teammate Ross Chastain finishing in second. As the night fell and the track got cooler, the teams would have to adapt and relearn the racing surface rolling into stage 3. Chastain would continue to dominate the race and would win stage 3, as Chase Briscoe would climb into second place and Kyle Larson, battling back from pit penalty after penalty, being on fire, and just general bad luck, would finish the stage in 3rd. Things got hairy in the final 100 laps of the race, as drivers and teams were starting to feel the pressure under the lights of the crown jewel event. The big one would strike, taking out a considerable number of cars, and sending Chris Buscher flipping down the front stretch, as his right front tire would catch the grass at the wrong angle and send his car tumbling. Thankfully, he was all right and would climb out under his own power. The race would resume, and Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe would reel in Chastain as the race wound down. Briscoe and Larson would wear each other down and trade positions throughout the last ten laps of the race, and with three to go, Briscoe would over-drive the car and spin, ending his chances at the win, resulting in a green-white-checkered finish. Larson would get around Chastain on the restart and hold him off as well as Denny Hamlin as the field went three and four wide. Austin Dillon in the Bass Pro Shops number 3, would charge hard down the backstretch and into turns 3 and 4, throwing a late block and collecting Larson with him and resulting in yet another overtime finish. Denny Hamlin would start the final restart on the front row with teammate Kyle Busch right next to him, and Kevin Harvick in the number 4 mustang behind them both. The three would charge hard for the win, with Hamlin claiming the lead and holding off his teammate in the final two laps of the race, and would win his first Coca-Cola 600, checking off the "Last big one on his resume".  After all the frustrations and setbacks Larson would have to settle for 9th when it was all said and done. 
Next race: Debut of Cup cars at World-Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday afternoon (6-5-2022).