Who will win Coca-Cola 600? Our predictions, best bets for NC’s biggest NASCAR race

This weekend marks another edition of the Coca-Cola 600 — the biggest annual race in North Carolina and the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

This weekend also marks the first weekend of racing since the sudden and tragic death of Kyle Busch on Thursday.

And yet, as drivers across the garage have said, the racing must go on.

“Knowing Kyle, that’s what he would want to do,” said Ross Chastain, who won the Coke 600 last season. “No question about driving down here to the track, no questions in my mind about coming in and going to work and going to race.

“It’s what we do.”

Here’s a guide to everything you need to know ahead of the 2026 Coke 600 — from broadcast information to betting odds to our predictions and more.

Fast facts about NASCAR race at Charlotte: How to watch, purse

Fans can watch the running of the race on Amazon Prime Video at 6 p.m., and they can listen to it on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90). Television coverage begins at 5 p.m. Note that the Trucks race, which officials have been trying to get run since Friday, has now been moved to Sunday at 10 a.m. So there will be a full day of racing at the speedway, culminating in the sold-out, 67th running of the Coke 600.

Stay on the look-out for Katherine Legge, who will be attempting “The Double” — completing 1,100 miles between the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.

Other quick facts:

• Track length: 1.5-mile asphalt oval
• Purse: $13,855,363
• Distance: 600 miles (400 laps)
• Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 100, Stage 2 ends on Lap 200, Stage 3 ends on Lap 300, Stage 4 ends on Lap 400

Top 10 driver odds to win Coca-Cola 600

Here are the Top 10 driver odds to win the Coke 600, according to BetMGM as of Saturday evening: Denny Hamlin (+450), Tyler Reddick (+450), Christopher Bell (+750), Kyle Larson (+800), William Byron (+900), Carson Hocevar (+1100), Chase Elliott (+1200), Chase Briscoe (+1200), Ryan Blaney (+1300), Ty Gibbs (+1300).

Our predictions

Scott Fowler: Tyler Reddick. The current points leader is having a dream season, and he’s going to grab another victory and make co-owner Michael Jordan happy once again in Victory Lane. Whether the pole-sitter wins or not, I will also predict that the race winner will take one of those grand, sweeping bows that Kyle Busch was famous for at some point during his celebration. That would be a fitting tribute, and I think most of the drivers in the garage are already honed in on the idea of doing this should they win.

Alex Zietlow: Denny Hamlin. Y’all remember this race in 2022? The one where Hamlin and Kyle Busch were teammates and yet were battling each other for the lead on the final few laps after all the other cars broke down? Hamlin certainly does. It’s one of a million memories he has with Busch, his contemporary and competitor and, at times, rival. This result would be a special conclusion to an emotional weekend. And considering Hamlin’s great start to the season — he has one win and seven Top 10s through 12 races — as well as his previous success at Charlotte, I think that storybook ending will happen.

Other NASCAR bets to consider

Here are some other bets you might find compelling:

• Joey Logano, Top 10, +135. At first, we weren’t sure why the three-time Cup champion and one of the best draft-racers in the game has plus-odds for a Top 10 finish at Charlotte, per MGM. We understand this speedway doesn’t suit him like maybe Daytona or Talladega do, but still ... it’s Logano. Then you look at his last five years on the Charlotte oval and realize his best finish over that span has been ... P14. And then you take a look at his 2026 season and realize he hasn’t notched a Top 10 finish — heck, a Top 20 finish — since April 12 at Bristol. Could this be the week Logano gets going again?
• Winning Manufacturer, Chevrolet, +140. According to FanDuel, Toyota is the runaway favorite to take this one. And based on our predictions above, that makes sense. But if you’re looking for an underdog bet, maybe consider Chevy. It’s a pretty mixed bag of who’s won the last few Coke 600s anyway. The last five: Ross Chastain (Chevy), Christopher Bell (Toyota), Ryan Blaney (Ford), Denny Hamlin (Toyota), Kyle Larson (Chevy).
• Winning Race Team, Richard Childress Racing, +5500. This one, again found on Fanduel Sportsbook, is a bet for the heart. After the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch, it would be emotionally fitting for either his most recent team, RCR, or his longtime team, Joe Gibbs Racing (+185), to win it. Fateful things like this happen in NASCAR; for instance, in February 2001 at Rockingham — the first race after Dale Earnhardt Sr. died — the race winner was Steve Park, driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup

Cup qualifying was washed out Saturday afternoon, and thus the starting lineup was set by the rule book.

This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM.

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription