Coca-Cola 600 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Coca-Cola 600

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	Charlotte Motor Speedway
Location	Concord, North Carolina, United States
Corporate sponsor	Coca-Cola
First race	1960
Distance	600 mi (965.606 km)
Laps	400 All 4 stages: 100 each
Previous names	World 600 (1960–1984) Coca-Cola World 600 (1985) Coca-Cola 600 (1986–2001, 2003–present) Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 (2002)
Most wins (driver)	Darrell Waltrip (5)
Most wins (team)	Hendrick Motorsports (12)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chevrolet (25)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Turns	4

The Coca-Cola 600, first called the World 600, is a big NASCAR Cup Series race. It happens every year at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. This exciting race takes place on a Sunday during the Memorial Day weekend.

The very first race was held in 1960. It was also the first race ever at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race on NASCAR's schedule. It's special because the track conditions change a lot. This is because the race starts in the daytime and ends at night.

The race usually begins around 6:20 p.m. The first part of the race is in sunlight. The middle part happens as the sun sets. The final part of the race is at night, under bright lights.

This NASCAR event is held on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 car race. Some drivers have even tried to race in both events on the same day! This is called "Double Duty". But usually, the winner of the Indianapolis 500 does not race in the Coca-Cola 600.

The NASCAR race is part of one of the biggest weekends in auto racing. It happens on the same Sunday as the Monaco Grand Prix (a Formula One race) and the Indianapolis 500.

Christopher Bell is the current champion of the Coca-Cola 600.

Building the Race Track

In 1959, a man named Curtis Turner had a great idea. He wanted to build a race track near Charlotte, North Carolina. He had seen the Daytona International Speedway and was inspired.

Turner planned to build a big track with 45,000 seats. It would cost about $750,000. Another group, led by Bruton Smith, had a similar idea. So, Smith and Turner decided to work together.

They made a deal with NASCAR to hold a 600-mile race on Memorial Day. But building the track was harder than they thought. They found a lot of granite rock under the ground. This made the building costs go way up. The first turn alone needed $70,000 worth of dynamite! The total cost grew to almost two million dollars.

In the spring of 1960, a snowstorm caused delays. Turner had to ask for the race to be postponed. With only two weeks left, the paving company almost quit because they weren't getting paid. But the track was finished, and the first race happened on June 19, 1960. This was the start of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Race History

The Coca-Cola 600 began because NASCAR wanted a big race on Memorial Day weekend. They wanted to compete with the famous Indianapolis 500. For many years, these two races were held on different days. But since 1974, they have often been on the same day.

After lights were added to the track in 1992, fans asked for a later start time. North Carolina can be very hot and humid. Starting later meant the race would finish at night. This made it cooler for the fans watching.

The later start time brought new challenges for the race teams. They had to deal with hot daytime temperatures. Then, as night fell, the temperature dropped a lot. This big change affects how the cars handle on the track.

The track at night is lit by special lights. These lights are designed to reduce glare for the drivers. The evening start also made "Double Duty" possible. Drivers could race in the Indianapolis 500. Then, they could fly to Charlotte and race in the Coca-Cola 600.

From 2005 to 2010, this was harder to do. The state of Indiana started using daylight saving time. This meant there was only about an hour between the two races. Since 2011, the Indianapolis 500 starts earlier. This has made "Double Duty" possible again for some drivers.

The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the top five annual NASCAR races. It is a very important event in the racing world.

Stage Racing Format

In 2017, NASCAR started a new "stage-racing" format. Most races are divided into three stages. But the Coca-Cola 600 is special. It's the only race with four stages! Each stage is 100 laps long.

This means drivers can earn more points in this race. If a driver wins all four stages and the race, they can get 70 points. This is more than any other race on the schedule.

Military Tribute

Before the race, there's a special tribute to the United States military. The songs "Amazing Grace" and "Taps" are played. This honors members of the Armed Forces who have died serving their country. Then, the National Anthem is played.

Race Name Changes

The race has had a few different names over the years:

• 1960 to 1984: It was known as the World 600.
• 1985: The name changed to Coca-Cola World 600.
• 1986 to 2001, and 2003 to present: It became the Coca-Cola 600. People often called it the "Coke 600".
• 2002: The name was changed to Coca-Cola Racing Family 600. This was to highlight drivers sponsored by Coca-Cola.
• 2003: The name went back to the Coca-Cola 600.

Memorable Race Moments

The 2024 Coca-Cola 600, won by Christopher Bell.

• 1960: In the very first race, Don O'Dell's car crashed into Lenny Page's car. Lenny Page was badly hurt. A reporter, Chris Economaki, helped him until medics arrived. He was later said to have saved Lenny's life.
• 1961: There were many crashes. Reds Kagle lost a leg in a bad crash. David Pearson won his first Grand National race.
• 1964: Fireball Roberts had a serious crash. His car caught fire. He was badly burned and later passed away from his injuries.
• 1974: The race was shorter, only 540 miles. This was because of a fuel shortage in the country. David Pearson won. The lead changed 37 times, a record for the race back then.
• 1975: Richard Petty finally won his first World 600. He was a future seven-time champion. Another future champion, Dale Earnhardt, made his first Cup Series start.
• 1978: Darrell Waltrip won the first of his five 600 victories. The lead changed 43 times, making it a very exciting race.
• 1979: This race had the most lead changes ever, with 59! Darrell Waltrip won again.
• 1980: The race lasted seven hours! There were many caution flags and long stops for rain. Many tires failed, causing lots of crashes. Benny Parsons won by a tiny bit over Darrell Waltrip.
• 1985: There was a lot of excitement around Bill Elliott. He had a chance to win a million-dollar bonus. But Darrell Waltrip won the race instead.
• 1988: There were many tire problems during the race. Darrell Waltrip won, becoming the first driver to win the race four times.
• 1989: Darrell Waltrip won for a record fifth time! He is still the only driver to do this.
• 1992: Dale Earnhardt won this race. It was the last Coca-Cola 600 to be run entirely in daylight.
• 1993: This was the first Coca-Cola 600 to start in the day and finish under the lights. Dale Earnhardt won his third 600 race.
• 1994: Young driver Jeff Gordon won his very first career race. His team made a smart choice on the last pit stop.
• 1995: The lead changed 32 times in this dramatic race. Bobby Labonte won his first Winston Cup race.
• 2000: Matt Kenseth became the first rookie (new driver) to win the race. It was his first career win.
• 2001: Tony Stewart did something amazing. He successfully raced the full distances of both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. This is known as the "Memorial Day Double".
• 2005: This race set a new record with 22 caution flags. Jimmie Johnson won by just inches on the last lap. He became the first driver to win three Coca-Cola 600s in a row.
• 2007: In a big surprise, Casey Mears won. Many leading drivers ran out of fuel near the end. Mears ran out of fuel right after crossing the finish line!
• 2009: This was the shortest Coca-Cola 600 ever. Rain caused many delays. The race ended early after only 227 laps. David Reutimann was the surprise winner.
• 2011: This race was 603 miles long, making it the longest NASCAR race at the time. Kevin Harvick won after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas.
• 2013: A camera cable fell onto the track, causing a red flag. Some fans were hurt, and cars were damaged. Kevin Harvick won his second 600 race.
• 2014: Jimmie Johnson won his fourth Coca-Cola 600. During this race, the world's biggest photo was taken. It was so big that fans could zoom in and find themselves!
• 2016: Martin Truex Jr. led almost the entire race, 392 out of 400 laps. He led for 588 out of 600 miles! This was the fastest Coca-Cola 600 ever.
• 2017: This was the first race to use the new four-stage format. Austin Dillon won his first career Cup race. Danica Patrick led 7 laps, becoming the first woman to lead the Coca-Cola 600.
• 2018: Kyle Busch completely dominated the race. He won all four stages and led 377 laps. He became the first driver to win at every track he had competed on.
• 2020: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans were allowed in the stands. The race went into overtime. Brad Keselowski won, breaking the record for the longest NASCAR race ever at 607.5 miles.
• 2022: This race broke the record again for the longest NASCAR race. It was 619.5 miles long due to two overtime finishes. It also had 18 caution flags and lasted over five hours.

First-Time Winners

Many drivers have won their very first NASCAR Cup Series race at the Coca-Cola 600. These include:

• David Pearson (1961)
• Jeff Gordon (1994)
• Bobby Labonte (1995)
• Matt Kenseth (2000)
• Casey Mears (2007)
• David Reutimann (2009)
• The most recent first-time winner was Austin Dillon in 2017.

Past Winners

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Teams with Multiple Wins

Car Manufacturers with Wins

See also

In Spanish: 600 Millas de Charlotte para niños

• Double Duty