Memorable moments at Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 19, 1960: NASCAR debuted its longest race in history, hosting a 600-mile race at newly built Charlotte Motor Speedway. Joe Lee Johnson won the inaugural Coca-Cola 600, which used to be known as the "World 600."
May 25, 1975: Richard Petty won the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. On this day, "The King" lapped the entire field, leading 234 of 400 circuits.
May 30, 1976: Janet Guthrie made her Cup Series debut, finishing 15th in the Coca-Cola 600.
May 25, 1980: Benny Parsons outdueled Darrell Waltrip to win the Coca-Cola 600 in a close finish.
Oct. 6, 1985: After getting lapped five different times throughout the Charlotte fall race, Cale Yarborough fought back to score his 83rd and final career win in the Cup Series.
May 29, 1994: Jeff Gordon earned the first Cup Series win of his Hall of Fame career in NASCAR's longest race.
May 28, 2000: Matt Kenseth became the first rookie driver in history to win the Coca-Cola 600. This was also the first win of the Hall of Famer's Cup Series career.
May 27, 2001: After finishing third at Charlotte, Tony Stewart became the first driver in history to complete "The Double," finishing all 1,100 miles in both Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500 races on the same day. Stewart finished sixth at Indy.
Oct. 13, 2002: In his second Cup Series start, Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte fall race, filling in for the injured Sterling Marlin.
May 29, 2005: Jimmie Johnson edged out Bobby Labonte in a photo finish to win the Coca-Cola 600 in a last-lap thriller.
May 27, 2007: Casey Mears stunned the NASCAR world when he saved enough fuel to score a surprise Coca-Cola 600 win over JJ Yeley and Kyle Petty. This was Mears' only career win in the Cup Series.
May 29, 2011: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on his way to winning the Coca-Cola 600 until he ran out of gas coming off Turn 4 on the final lap. Kevin Harvick ended up taking the dramatic win.
Oct. 11, 2014: Toward the end of the Charlotte fall race, Brad Keselowski got involved in an on-track incident with Denny Hamlin. The drama spilled over into the garage area post-race as Matt Kenseth confronted Keselowski.
May 29, 2016: Martin Truex Jr. dominated the Coca-Cola 600, leading 392 of 400 laps on a night when the field could barely touch him.
May 28, 2017: In a thrilling fuel mileage finish in the Coca-Cola 600, Austin Dillon had enough left in the tank to propel the Richard Childress Racing driver to Victory Lane for the first time in his Cup Series career.
May 27, 2018: Kyle Busch made history on this night, becoming the only driver in NASCAR history to win at every single track he has competed at in the Cup Series. He led 377 of 400 laps en route to earning his first Coca-Cola 600 win.
Sept. 30, 2018: On the final lap of the inaugural fall race on the Charlotte road course, Jimmie Johnson spun into Martin Truex Jr. going for the win. In an exciting finish, neither driver saw Victory Lane as Ryan Blaney swooped in to snatch the win away.
Sept. 30, 2018: As Jeffrey Earnhardt stalled on the frontstretch of the Charlotte road course, Kyle Larson wrestled a battered and bruised car around him to collect the point he needed to move on in the playoffs.
Sept. 29, 2019: During the fall race, Chase Elliott locked up the brakes, missing Turn 1 and hitting the barrier. The Hendrick Motorsports driver would later bounce back by winning the race and burning it down in front of the barrier he crashed into.
May 24, 2020: Chase Elliott was on his way to a crown jewel win in the Coca-Cola 600 until a late-race caution changed everything. Elliott was called into the pits as Brad Keselowski stayed out and ultimately won the race for Team Penske.
May 29, 2022: After a pair of overtime finishes, the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 ended at 619.5 miles, becoming the longest race in NASCAR history in distance. Denny Hamlin ended the extended evening in Victory Lane.
Oct. 9, 2022: Christopher Bell pulled off an epic walk-off win on the Charlotte road course to advance in the Cup Series Playoffs. With his back against the wall, Bell delivered this clutch performance to keep his playoff hopes alive.
May 29, 2023: Snapping a 59-race winless streak, Ryan Blaney punched his ticket to the 2023 Cup Series Playoffs with a win in the Coca-Cola 600. Blaney would go on to claim the 2023 series championship.
May 25, 2025: After crashing in practice, prepping a backup car all night and starting the race at the rear, Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing team fought through the field and eventually passed William Byron -- who swept all three stages -- in the final five laps to win the crown-jewel race.
