As it has each year for nearly a decade, the NASCAR community will come together to formally honor and recognize the United States Armed Forces during Military Appreciation Month through the annual NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola program.
This marks the ninth season of NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola celebrating the service and sacrifice of U.S. military members and their families through a multitude of at track integrations, original content features and fan engagement opportunities.
“The NASCAR industry and our fans relish the opportunity to rally around NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola to recognize the immeasurable sacrifice United States service members and their families make to protect our freedom,” said Michelle Byron, Senior Vice President of Partnership Marketing, NASCAR. “Especially as we continue celebrating NASCAR’s 75th anniversary and recalling so many memories made along the way, it’s important to reflect on the bravery and selflessness of countless individuals who provide us this great privilege.”
Tributes began at Dover Motor Speedway (May 1), where the U.S. Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps performed prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race.
New to the celebration this year, inside the NASCAR Experience fan zone footprint at Kansas and Darlington was a No. 75 show car draped in a NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola livery that featured white space for fans to write thank-you messages to military members.
To conclude NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola, NASCAR and Coca-Cola will again host Gold Star Families during Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where the show car with fan messages will be on display. Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will continue the tradition of all 40 NASCAR Cup Series cars featuring the name of a fallen service member on the windshield.
“In partnership with NASCAR, Speedway Motorsports and the racing community, Coca-Cola North America is proud to honor our country’s service members and their families at the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend,” said Chris Bigda, Director of Sports Marketing at Coca-Cola North America. “During this year’s Coca-Cola 600, we are honored to recognize recipients of The Gold Star – paying tribute to the military members and their families who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom.”
In addition to those mentioned above, other NASCAR Salutes activities across the industry include:
NASCAR social and digital platforms will feature a bevy of dedicated stories and content features, including the story of Lyndon Amick – a former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver who enlisted in the National Guard and served in Afghanistan, a tribute to NASCAR’s history of honoring the Armed Forces throughout its 75 years, Xfinity Series driver and Navy Officer Jesse Iwuji visiting with fellow Navy members, and more. Fans can view it all at nascar.com/salutes and engage on social media using #NASCARSalutes.
Discounted grandstand tickets are available to military members throughout NASCAR Salutes and all season long with NASCAR MILTIX Presented by GEICO. Active military and veterans can verify their status through SheerID and purchase tickets by visiting NASCAR.com/miltix.
At NASCAR events during the month of May, service members from local bases will have access to complimentary grandstand tickets and unique VIP experiences made possible by Vet Tix and the NASCAR Troops to the Track Program.
For a sixth season, Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR,” will wrap one of its NASCAR haulers in support of NASCAR Salutes leading into Memorial Day weekend. Fans can vote for one of several different paint schemes now through May 2 at contests.macktrucks.com/nascar-salutes. Mack will reveal the winning scheme on its social media channels leading into the Coca-Cola 600 weekend.
Charlotte Motor Speedway continues its annual Mission 600, pairing the Coca-Cola Racing Family and other drivers with military bases to educate the NASCAR community about the day-to-day lives of the men and women who serve.
Xfinity, a Proud Premier Partner, will display red, white and blue Xfinity windshield headers on their race cars during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway to showcase their company’s commitment to hiring veterans, National Guard and reserve service members, and military spouses who bring unique skills and experiences to Comcast NBCUniversal.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will also display red, white and blue windshield decals on all trucks racing in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
AMR, the “Official Emergency Medical Services Partner of NASCAR,” will feature the NASCAR Salutes branding on its NASCAR safety trucks and safety team helmets throughout the program.
Continuing its tradition, Goodyear will replace its iconic “Eagle” sidewall design with “Honor and Remember” during the Coca-Cola 600 in recognition of the organization working closely with the industry to honor Gold Star Families who have lost family members as a result of serving.
During the Coca-Cola 600 broadcast, FOX will display the name of every U.S. Armed Forces member who lost his or her life since last year’s Memorial Day weekend race as part of a special tribute titled “FOX Sports Remembers,” an initiative begun in 2009.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with the help of JDV Productions, will feature roof decals on all race cars honoring fallen service members during the Granite State Derby at Lee USA Speedway on May 27. Whelen Modified Tour cars will also carry separate NASCAR Salutes decals for the May 6 race at Monadnock Speedway and the May 20 race at Riverhead Raceway.
The ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East will feature NASCAR Salutes decals on cars racing at Dover Motor Speedway (April 28), Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (May 13), Flat Rock Speedway (May 20), Kansas Speedway (May 6) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 26).
Charlotte Motor Speedway is all set for Memorial Day Weekend racing
Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series for the 64th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 28 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, in a weekend filled with remembrance of the brave men and women who are serving or have served in our military. The annual event takes pride in honoring our service members and their families and this weekend is expected to be another memorable experience for all.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of the most historic venues on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The famous facility is a 1.5-mile, paved oval with 24 degrees of banking in the turns and is located just outside Charlotte, North Carolina.
Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval) has hosted 124 NASCAR Cup Series races all-time – tied with Darlington Raceway for the fourth-most in series history; behind Daytona (152), Martinsville (149) and Richmond (133). The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was on June 19, 1960 and the inaugural event was won by driver Joe Lee Johnson driving a Chevrolet for car owner Paul McDuffie.
Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 124 Cup races have produced 48 different pole winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson with 14 poles (1961, 1972, 1973, 1974 sweep, 1975 sweep, 1976 sweep, 1977 sweep, 1978 sweep, 1982) – the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most poles by a driver at a single track.
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in NASCAR Cup Series poles at Charlotte Motor Speedway with four (2002, 2004, 2009, 2014). Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is the most recent pole winner at Charlotte, winning the pole for last season’s Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 183.680 MPH.
Nine of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winners are active this weekend.
Active Charlotte Pole Winners (9)
Poles
Seasons
Jimmie Johnson
4
2014, 2009, 2004, 2002
Denny Hamlin
3
2023, 2017, 2013
Kyle Busch
3
2018, 2014, 2008
Kevin Harvick
2
2017, 2016
Kyle Larson
1
2021
William Byron
1
2019
Martin Truex Jr
1
2016
Aric Almirola
1
2012
Brad Keselowski
1
2011
Charlotte Motor Speedway has also produced 54 different NASCAR Cup Series race winners in the 124 races, led by Jimmie Johnson with eight victories (2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs).
A total of 10 of the 54 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway race winners are entered this weekend, with five of the 10 still looking for their first victory of the 2023 season – Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon.
Active Race Winners (10)
Wins
Seasons
Jimmie Johnson
8
2016, 2014, 2009, 2005 sweep, 2004 sweep, 2003
Martin Truex Jr
3
2019, 2017, 2016
Kevin Harvick
3
2014, 2013, 2011
Brad Keselowski
2
2020, 2013
Denny Hamlin
1
2022
Kyle Larson
1
2021
Chase Elliott
1
2020
Kyle Busch
1
2018
Austin Dillon
1
2017
Joey Logano
1
2015
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 and will look to become the seventh different driver to win back-to-back Coke 600s; joining Buddy Baker (1972-‘73), Darrell Waltrip (twice: 1978-’79 and 1988-’89), Neil Bonnett (1982-’83), Dale Earnhardt (1992-’93), Jeff Gordon (1997-‘98) and Jimmie Johnson (2003, ’04, ’05) – Johnson leads the series in consecutive Coca-Cola 600 wins with three straight.
All of the on-track action for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET, and both events can be viewed on FS1.
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a great place for first-time winners
When it comes to getting your first win in the NASCAR Cup Series, nowhere beats Daytona International Speedway with 22 first-time winners. But when it comes to 1.5-mile tracks, none have produced more first-time winners than Charlotte Motor Speedway with 10 – fourth-most all-time behind Daytona (22), Talladega (13), and Martinsville (12)
The most recent driver to win his first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway was Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, who collected his first checkered flag back in 2017. Seven times the Coca-Cola 600 has been the first race a driver has won in the NASCAR Cup Series – 1961, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2009, 2017.
First-Time Cup Winners at Charlotte
Date
Austin Dillon
Sunday, May 28, 2017
David Reutimann
Monday, May 25, 2009
Casey Mears
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Jamie McMurray
Sunday, October 13, 2002
Matt Kenseth
Sunday, May 28, 2000
Bobby Labonte
Sunday, May 28, 1995
Jeff Gordon
Sunday, May 29, 1994
Charlie Glotzbach
Sunday, October 20, 1968
Buddy Baker
Sunday, October 15, 1967
David Pearson
Sunday, May 28, 1961
The 2023 season has yet to see a first-time winner this year, but that could change this weekend. In the Modern Era (1972-Present), the most first-time winners the NASCAR Cup Series has produced in a single season is five and it has occurred three times (2001, 2011 and 2022).
Playoff picture could shift this weekend in Charlotte
Through 13 races this season, 10 drivers currently occupy positions in the postseason leaving just six spots open in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Now the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway with Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe (16th) and Hendrick Motorsport’s Alex Bowman (17th) teetering the Playoff cutline.
2023 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 13
Rank
Drivers
Points
Starts
Wins
Stages
Playoff Pts
Points From Cutoff
1
William Byron
387
13
3
6
16
In On Wins
2
Kyle Larson
363
13
2
2
12
3
Kyle Busch
353
13
2
0
10
4
Christopher Bell
402
13
1
0
5
5
Denny Hamlin
393
13
1
2
7
6
Martin Truex Jr.
385
13
1
1
6
7
Tyler Reddick
371
13
1
2
7
8
Joey Logano
334
13
1
2
7
9
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
325
13
1
0
5
10
Ross Chastain
429
13
0
5
5
Pts. Leader
11
Kevin Harvick
400
13
0
1
1
130
12
Ryan Blaney
381
13
0
0
0
111
13
Brad Keselowski
365
13
0
1
1
95
14
Chris Buescher
329
13
0
0
0
59
15
Bubba Wallace
293
13
0
0
0
23
16
Chase Briscoe
275
13
0
0
0
5
17
Alex Bowman
270
*10
0
0
-5
-5
18
Daniel Suarez
262
13
0
0
0
-13
19
Ty Gibbs #
260
13
0
0
0
-15
20
Austin Cindric
248
13
0
1
1
-27
21
Michael McDowell
241
13
0
0
0
-34
22
Todd Gilliland
240
13
0
0
0
-35
23
Corey LaJoie
238
13
0
0
0
-37
24
Justin Haley
225
13
0
0
0
-50
25
Erik Jones
221
13
0
0
0
-54
26
Aric Almirola
221
13
0
1
1
-54
27
AJ Allmendinger
214
13
0
0
0
-61
28
Chase Elliott
212
*7
0
1
1
-63
29
Ryan Preece
201
13
0
1
1
-74
30
Harrison Burton
176
13
0
0
0
-99
31
Austin Dillon
166
13
0
0
-5
-109
32
Noah Gragson #
138
13
0
0
0
-137
33
Ty Dillon
110
13
0
0
0
-165
Note: Must compete in every race of the season to be eligible for the Playoffs or be granted a waiver by NASCAR (*).
Nine different drivers have earned their spot in the 2023 Playoffs by virtue of their wins – William Byron, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. A postseason spot is reserved for the points leader, if winless, which is currently Ross Chastain this season.
With hefty point cushions over the Playoff cutoff, Kevin Harvick (+130), Ryan Blaney (+111), Brad Keselowski (+95) and Chris Buescher (+59) sit comfortably heading into this weekend. On the other hand, Bubba Wallace (+23) in 15th and Chase Briscoe (+5) in 16th the final transfer spot on points will have their work cut out for them if they want to hold on to their positions.
Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman is in 17th – the first spot outside the Playoff cutoff – just five points back from Briscoe and 28 back from Wallace. Prior to being sidelined Bowman had the best average finish in the series this season. Not far behind Bowman is Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who sits just 13 points back from the postseason cutoff.
Heading into this weekend at Charlotte, five drivers that made the Playoffs last season are currently below the postseason cutline in the driver standings outlook – Bowman (17th), Suarez (18th), Austin Cindric (20th), Chase Elliott (28th) and Austin Dillon (31st).
Of the drivers looking for their first win this season, nine of them have previously won a NASCAR national series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway – Jimmie Johnson (NCS eight wins), Kevin Harvick (NCS three wins), Brad Keselowski (NCS two wins, NXS four wins), Austin Dillon (NCS one win, NXS two wins), Chase Elliott (NCS one win, NCTS one win), Alex Bowman (NXS one win), Ryan Blaney (NXS one win), Ty Gibbs (NXS one win) and Ross Chastain (NCTS one win).
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