CONCORD, N.C. — Christopher Bell won the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 after weather forced NASCAR to call the race.
Cup drivers completed 249 of the scheduled 400 laps Sunday night before rain brought out the caution. Lightning within eight miles of the track then brought out the red flag. Repeated strikes reset the countdown clock.
MORE: Coca-Cola 600 results
MORE: Cup driver points
The rain stopped about 10:30 p.m. ET as NASCAR sent the drying crews out onto the 1.5-mile track. Drying efforts continued until 11:30 p.m. when NASCAR decided to call the race. The statement said that the high humidity and the likelihood of resuming the race after 1 a.m. drove the decision.
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Speedway Motorsports spoke to multiple Cup drivers over the past year.
Brad Keselowski was credited with a runner-up finish. He was followed by William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry.
The two teams that have won the most races this season were in control during the first 249 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Byron won Stage 1 for Hendrick Motorsports and led 49 laps. Bell won Stage 2 for Joe Gibbs Racing while leading a race-high 90 laps. Ty Gibbs, who started from the pole, led 74 laps.
Kyle Larson, who finished 18th in the Indy 500, was unable to get into the No. 5 Chevrolet before NASCAR called the race.
Stage 1 winner: William Byron
Stage 2 winner: Christopher Bell
Stage 3 winner: NASCAR declared Bell the stage 3 winner
Who had a good race: Bell led 90 laps and held off Keselowski until weather stopped the Coca-Cola 600. He won his first crown jewel race and the eighth race of his Cup career. … Justin Allgaier, driving in place of Kyle Larson, started at the rear of the field. He drove as high as 13th while keeping the No. 5 clean. He held his own against multiple Cup regulars, including Byron, Joey Logano and Gibbs. … Reddick, who started at the rear and served a pass-through penalty, put himself inside the top four during the third stage. Reddick was fourth when weather brought the race to an end.
Who had a bad race: Ryan Blaney, defending winner of the race, received a penalty in Stage 2 for an uncontrolled tire. He then had a wheel detach that sent him into the outside wall exiting Turn 4. He finished 39th. … Kyle Busch received an uncontrolled tire penalty during green flag pit stops in Stage 1. He then received a safety violation penalty during a pit stop in Stage 2. He finished 15th. … Noah Gragson spun into the inside wall on Lap 171 after contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Gragson finished 38th.
Next: NASCAR Cup teams head to World Wide Technology Raceway for a Sunday afternoon race on June 2 (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1).
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
