NASCAR, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Coca-Cola salute the military and their families

This Memorial Day weekend will serve as the launching pad for the NASCAR community to formally honor and recognize the United States Armed Forces through its annual NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola program.

Anchoring the opening weekend is the powerful “600 Miles of Remembrance” tribute, where every NASCAR Cup Series car in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) features the name of a fallen service member on the windshield. NASCAR and Coca-Cola will host Gold Star Families at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including many whose loved ones will be honored in the race. 

“Coca-Cola North America cherishes the opportunity to honor the valor and sacrifice of our military heroes and their families in such a significant way each NASCAR season,” said Chris Bigda, Senior Director of Sports Marketing at Coca-Cola North America. “We’re looking forward to partnering with Speedway Motorsports, NASCAR and the racing community to show our appreciation throughout the entire NASCAR Salutes window, especially this Memorial Day weekend as we pay tribute during the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.” 

NASCAR Salutes Together with Coca-Cola officially kicked off with a new 30-second television spot that debuted during FOX’s broadcast of the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway this past Sunday. The campaign will continue 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 through the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 30. Fans can visit www.nascar.com/salutes to learn more.

“NASCAR has always displayed a deep-seated appreciation for our nation’s service members throughout its 76-year history, and we’re proud to continue partnering with Coca-Cola and our entire industry to express our gratitude for the incredible sacrifices those individuals and their families make on behalf of all Americans,” said Pete Jung, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at NASCAR.

In conjunction with NASCAR Salutes, the sanctioning body has announced a new NASCAR IMPACT partnership with Honor and Remember to continue recognizing fallen service members and the sacrifices of their families. For more than a decade, Honor and Remember has collaborated with the NASCAR industry to host Gold Star Families at race weekends and display the organization’s dedicated symbol of remembrance – the Honor and Remember Flag – at racetracks across the country, including Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR IMPACT this week also launched a campaign to support the mission of Sound Off, a nonprofit organization founded to help reduce veteran suicide through free and anonymous mental health support for veterans and service members. Forty-seven percent of military members who show signs of PTSD or depression do not seek help, in part because of fears related to stigma or blowback. Sound Off provides a platform where military members who would otherwise avoid mental health support can engage anonymously with veterans with similar lived experiences. NASCAR is encouraging veterans across its fan base to download the fully encrypted Sound Off app and register as peer supporters.

In addition to those mentioned above, other NASCAR Salutes activities across the industry include:

• 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 campaign, 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.

• NASCAR Troops to the Track, presented by Chevrolet, honors and pays tribute to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces by inviting service members from local military installations to VIP experiences at NASCAR races, including hosting military personnel at World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway during NASCAR Salutes.

• Mechanix Wear will provide NASCAR officials and Cup Series teams special camouflage “MultiCam Mechanix Wear” gloves for the Coca-Cola 600.

• For the seventh season, Mack Trucks, the “Official Hauler of NASCAR”, will wrap one of its NASCAR haulers in support of NASCAR Salutes for Memorial Day weekend. Fans voted for one of several different paint schemes in April. Mack will reveal the winning scheme on its social media channels leading into the Coca-Cola 600 weekend.

• In the weeks leading up to the Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway continued 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 Bet MGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This initiative showcases Xfinity’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.

• 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.

• NASCAR will continue to utilize its handicap enabled “Mobility Pit Box” throughout the NASCAR Salutes campaign to host mobility impaired race fans and veterans attending races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and New Hampshire Speedway. The Mobility Pit Box was designed and announced by Toyota last year. It was gifted to NASCAR at the beginning of the 2024 season to expand its availability, highlighting Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”.

• Ford Motor Company will pay tribute to veterans and active service members in a special pre-race moment including several specially wrapped vehicles ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 30.

• Universal Technical Institute, NASCAR’s Official Automotive Education partner for more than 20 years, in partnership with the United Service Organizations, will host a group of 50 active-duty military service members at their Mooresville campus for a day of motorsports industry immersion. Service members will tour UTI’s Mooresville NASCAR Technical Institute campus, visit a race shop, and talk about industry training and employment opportunities.

• NASCAR, Coca-Cola Consolidated, and Charlotte Motor Speedway teamed up with several local community organizations – including Rebuilding Together of Greater Charlotte and Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region – to complete home rebuild projects for veterans in conjunction with the NASCAR Salutes program.  

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s readies for 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600

Charlotte Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series for the 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26 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 125 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.

In total, the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have produced 48 different pole winners and 55 different race winners dating back to 1960.

Out front isn’t a bad place to start at Charlotte Motor Speedway

A total of 27 different starting positions on the grid have led to wins in the 125 NASCAR Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (19) than any other starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway – a winning percentage of 15.2%.

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 125 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 the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 with a speed of 183.680 MPH. Last season’s Buch Light Pole Qualifying session was canceled due to inclement weather.

Of the 48 NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Motor Speedway pole winners, seven will be active this weekend.

All of the on-track action for the NASCAR Cup Series will begin with practice and Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Saturday night at 5:05 p.m. ET, and both events can be viewed on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The victorious journeymen of the Coca-Cola 600

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca-Cola 600 is the NASCAR Cup Series’ longest and one of the most grueling races on the schedule. Broken up into four stages of 100 laps each, the 600 mile (400 lap) test is a challenge to not only the endurance of the drivers, but the teams as well, making the spoils of victory that much sweeter.

The 125 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have produced 55 different NASCAR Cup Series race winners, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson with eight victories (2003 summer, 2004 sweep, 2005 sweep, 2009 Playoffs, 2014 summer, 2016 Playoffs).

A total of 10 of the 55 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 2024 season – Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon.

Of the 55 NASCAR Cup Series winners at Charlotte Motor Speedway, 38 have won the Coca-Cola 600, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip with five Coke 600 victories (1978, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1989). Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in Coca-Cola 600 wins with four victories (2003, 2004, 2005, 2014). Martin Truex Jr. (2016, 2019) is the only other active driver with multiple Coca-Cola 600 wins.

This weekend, eight former Coca-Cola 600 winners are entered in the race.

Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of the 2023 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. 

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a great place for first-time winners

When it comes to first-time winners in the NASCAR Cup Series on 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.

The 2024 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

Halfway through the NASCAR Cup Series regular season (13 of 26 races completed), eight drivers have earned Playoff positions by virtue of their wins, leaving just eight spots still open as the series heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway for 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600.

Half of this year’s 16 Cup Series Playoff spots are spoken for, by Denny Hamlin (three wins), William Byron (three), Kyle Larson (two), Chase Elliott (one), Tyler Reddick (one), Brad Keselowski (one), Christopher Bell (one), and Daniel Suarez (one).

With hefty point cushions over the Playoff cutoff, Martin Truex Jr. (+84), Ty Gibbs (+55), Ryan Blaney (+53), Alex Bowman (+48), Ross Chastain (+33) and Chris Buescher (+31) sit comfortably in the Playoff standings outlook heading into this weekend. On the other hand, Kyle Busch (+7) in 15th and Chase Briscoe (+4) in 16th the final transfer spots on points will have their work cut out for them if they want to hold on to their positions.

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace is 17th in the Playoff outlook standings – the first spot outside the postseason cutoff – just four points back from Briscoe in 16th and seven back from Kyle Busch in 15th.

Heading into this weekend at Charlotte, four drivers that made the Playoffs last season are currently below the postseason cutline in the driver standings outlook – Bubba Wallace (17th), Joey Logano (18th), Michael McDowell (23rd) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (26th).

Kyle Larson to attempt ‘The Double’ this weekend

This weekend Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson will become the fifth driver all-time to attempt ‘The Double’ and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch.

Of the four drivers that have attempted ‘The Double’ previously, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is the only one to complete every lap of both races (2001) turning in what is still the best showing with a sixth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a third-place finish later that evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson is already off to a fast start in his Indy debut, setting a record for the fastest qualifying four lap average ever recorded by a rookie in the series at 232.846 mph. Larson will start on the second row in the fifth position for the Indianapolis 500.

At Charlotte, Larson is no slouch either. The California native has made 14 Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway putting up a pole, one win (2021 Coke 600), two top fives and four top 10s. His average finish at Charlotte is 17.7.

NASCAR Cup Series, Etc. 

Coca-Cola 600 sells out for third consecutive year – The 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 is sold out, Charlotte Motor Speedway officials announced this week. This marks the third consecutive sellout for the legendary test of man and machine at America’s Home for Racing, with fans attending this year from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, plus 14 foreign countries including Australia, Tanzania and the Czech Republic.

Like the drivers at the end of 600 miles, reserved grandstand and premium seating, standing-room-only ticket and reserved camping inventory is exhausted.

“For more than six decades, the Coca-Cola 600 has long been a crown jewel event for our sport,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Outstanding on-track action, combined with a full weekend of music and patriotic military salutes on the eve of Memorial Day make this a bucket-list event for so many.

“Fans from around the world continue to make Charlotte their destination not only to take in the grand finale of the greatest day in motorsports, but to enjoy the NASCAR Hall of Fame, motorsport charity activities and the many fan days at the race shops across the region. May in Charlotte and Concord is a motorsports celebration and we’re honored to be a part of it.” 

Matchbox Twenty to rock NASCAR fans prior to Coca-Cola 600 – Cranking out hit after hit for more than three decades, the multi-time GRAMMY Award-nominated band, Matchbox Twenty, is set to rock the infield of Charlotte Motor Speedway with an electric pre-race concert on Sunday, May 26. The platinum-recording band will rev up America’s Home for Racing before the green flag falls on the historic 65th running of the Coca-Cola 600 with a 60-minute set, featuring songs woven into American pop culture’s fabric with generational hits including the diamond-certified, 12x-platinum “Yourself or Someone Like You,” quadruple-platinum “Mad Season,” double-platinum “More Than You Think You Are” and gold-certified “North,” which marked their first No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

“Matchbox Twenty’s music embodies the meaning of rock and roll,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We are excited for fans to experience the magic of Matchbox Twenty at the track. Their live performances are legendary and it’s a fantastic addition to an already spectacular race weekend.”

For their first album in 11 years and fifth overall LP “Where The Light Goes,” the band that includes Rob Thomas, Brian Yale, Paul Doucette and Kyle Cook are ready to rock the house at Charlotte Motor Speedway and celebrate their journey throughout the past 30 years.

“We’ve heard there’s no place like Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend to get NASCAR Nation rocking,” said Thomas. “We’re looking forward to bringing the party to the fans and having a blast to kick off the Coca-Cola 600.”

The pre-race concert, which will take place on the infield of the 1.5-mile superspeedway, is free for fans with a Sunday Coca-Cola 600 ticket. Fans can upgrade to a Track Pass for stage-front access to the concert and driver introductions.

Van Gisbergen to make first start on a 1.5-mile track in the Cup Series – New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen busted on the NASCAR scene last season with his big win in the inaugural Chicago Street Race and this season is running full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and doing a limited schedule in the NASCAR Cup Series including this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway – his debut on a 1.5-mile track in the series. This weekend, van Gisbergen will be piloting the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet alongside crew chief Travis Mack.

So far this season, van Gisbergen has made two NASCAR Cup Series starts for Kaulig Racing, posting a 20^th-place finish at COTA and a 28th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

Other drivers back in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend are Ty Dillon, driving the No. 50 Team AmeriVet Chevrolet and JJ Yeley, driving the No. 44 NY Race Team Chevrolet.

Milestone Watch: Charlotte Motor Speedway – Below are a few of the possible milestones that can be achieved this weekend and over the next few weeks in the NASCAR Cup Series.

 Starts

Corey Lajoie will make his 250th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend becoming the 116th different driver to make 250 or more starts in the series. In Lajoie’s previous 249 starts he has posted four top fives and nine top 10s.

 Chase Elliott will make his 300th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend becoming the 103rd different driver in the series to make 300 or more starts. In Elliott’s 299 previous starts, he has won a NASCAR Cup Series championship (2020), posted 19 wins, 98 top fives, 158 top 10s and 12 poles. He has also led 5,226 laps.

This weekend at Charlotte, Elliott will look to become the seventh different driver to win on their 300th start, joining Rusty Wallace, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski.

Kyle Larson is expected to make his 350th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Nashville Superspeedway.

Austin Cindric is expected to make his 100th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Pocono Raceway

Kyle Busch is expected to make his 700th NASCAR Cup Series career start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wins

Denny Hamlin currently has 54 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace for 11th on the all-time wins list with 55 victories each.

Martin Truex Jr. currently has 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Brad Keselowski for 24th on the all-time wins list with 35 victories each.

Joey Logano currently has 32 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts for 27th on the all-time wins list with 33 victories each.

Kyle Larson currently has 25 NASCAR Cup Series wins, if he were to win another race, he would tie Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Fred Lorenzen for 32nd on the all-time wins list with 26 victories each.

Laps Led

Eight drivers could reach milestones in laps led this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway (400 lap event).

If Hamlin were to reach 15,000 laps led, he would become the 12th driver all-time to accomplish the feat.

If Johnson were to reach 19,000 laps led, he would become the 10th driver all-time to accomplish the feat.

 Crew Member Spotlight: Charlotte Motor Speedway Weekend – This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway we wanted to highlight several of the team’s crew members that are from the surrounding areas of the track in North Carolina.

NASCAR Xfinity Series 

NASCAR Xfinity Series celebrates Memorial Day Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway

After a week off to regroup, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will be heading back to action at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the BetMGM 300 at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 25 on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

There have been 78 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway dating back to the inaugural event on May 29, 1982, which was won by Harry Grant.

The track has produced 39 different race winners and 50 different pole winners in the Xfinity Series. OF the 78 races, 13 have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Justin Allgaier last season (2023).

As with many tracks the Xfinity Series competes at, Kyle Busch has etched his name in the Charlotte Motor Speedway record books with the most wins (nine), top fives (19), top 10s (22), lead lap finishes (22) and laps led (1,475).

The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ on-track action at the 1.5-mile track will kick off with practice at 3:35 p.m. ET followed by qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday, May 24. 

Eleven different winners in last 11 Xfinity races at Charlotte

A hot streak of 11 different winners has swept over Charlotte Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, dating back to 2015.

Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon was the last repeat winner in the Xfinity Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway, sweeping both series events in 2015. Since then, 10 other drivers have added their names to the list bringing the different winners streak to 11 – Dillon (2015), Denny Hamlin (2016), Joey Logano (2016), Ryan Blaney (2017), Alex Bowman (2017), Brad Keselowski (2018), Tyler Reddick (2019), Kyle Busch (2020), Ty Gibbs (2021), Josh Berry (2022), and Justin Allgaier (2023).

However, it’s possible the streak will end as three previous winners are entered in this weekend’s BetMGM 300 – Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs and Justin Allgaier.

If Allgaier lands himself in Victory Lane and pulls off the back-to-back win, he will become just the seventh different driver to accomplish feat; joining Harry Gant (1987 sweep), Rob Moroso (1988-1989 sweep), Jeff Gordon (1992 sweep), Mark Martin (1995-1996 sweep), Kyle Busch (2008 sweep, 2009-2010, 2013 sweep), and Austin Dillon (2015 sweep). 

Several drivers racing multiple series this weekend at Charlotte

With Charlotte Motor Speedway serving as a “home game” for many drivers, several NASCAR Cup Series regulars will be looking to get some extra seat time in Saturday’s BetMGM 300 (FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Kyle Busch will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for his fifth Xfinity Series start of the 2024 season. Throughout his career, he’s made 26 Xfinity Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting nine wins, 19 top fives, 22 top 10s, and has led 1,475 laps – all of which are a record at the track.

Chase Elliott will be piloting the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for his first Xfinity Series start of the season. He has made five starts in the series at Charlotte Motor Speedway, posting three top-five finishes.

Ty Gibbs will be joining in on the fun behind the wheel of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for his second Xfinity Series start of the season. He’s made three series starts at the Charlotte track, posting three top-five finishes and a win in his debut at the track in 2021.

Noah Gragson will get behind the wheel of the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford for his first Xfinity Series start of the season. He’s made four series starts at the Charlotte track, with two top-five and two top-10 finishes. 

NASCAR Xfinity Series, Etc.

 Josh Bilicki to run select races with Joe Gibbs Racing – Josh Bilicki, 29, will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in multiple races this season.

He will make his debut with the team at Portland International Raceway on June 1 and the rest of his schedule will be announced at a later date.

“This is a huge opportunity for me and my partners,” said Bilicki. “I’ve been blessed to race for a lot of teams but given JGR’s reputation in the Xfinity Series, I’m particularly excited to see what we can accomplish in their equipment.” 

Brett Moffitt to join Joe Gibbs Racing at Iowa Speedway – Grimes, Iowa native Brett Moffitt will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway.

He is no stranger to success at the 0.875-mile Iowa track. Moffitt made his Xfinity Series debut at the track in 2012 earning a ninth-place finish. He also has a pair of back-to-back NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins at Iowa in 2018 and 2019.

“We’re excited to have Brett come back to JGR to run in Xfinity,” said Steve DeSouza, EVP NASCAR Xfinity Series/Development at JGR. “He has shown great success at Iowa and will have knowledge of the track that will help our entire Xfinity program as the series makes its return to the track.” 

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series ready to kick off Memorial Day weekend in their backyard

Ready to honor the fallen this weekend, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is returning home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Friday, May 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM Radio).

Located in ‘America’s Home for Racing’, the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway has hosted 21 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, producing 12 different winners and 12 different pole winners. Four races have been won from the pole or first starting position, most recently by Johnny Sauter in 2018.

Here’s a look at the drivers who have stamped their names in the Charlotte Motor Speedway record books:

• Race record: Matt Crafton 141.855 mph (05/21/2016)
• Qualifying record: Kyle Busch 183.773 mph (05/16/2014)
• Most races: Matt Crafton (21)
• Most poles: Kyle Busch and Mike Skinner (3)
• Most wins: Kyle Busch (8)
• Most top fives: Kyle Busch (12)
• Most top 10s: Kyle Busch (14)
• Laps led: Kyle Busch (789)

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will be broken up into three stages. The first two stages will be 30 laps each and the final stage will be 74 laps for a race total of 134 laps (201 miles).

Practice will begin Friday, May 24 at 1:35 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio followed by Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying at 2:05 p.m. ET.

2024 Triple Truck Challenge kicks off at Charlotte Motor Speedway

The Triple Truck Challenge was introduced in 2019 as a three-race program that provides drivers in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series an opportunity to win up to $500,000 in bonus money.

A $50,000 bonus will be awarded to the race winner of any one of the three events. If a driver wins two of the three races, they pocket an additional $150,000. Win all three races and they collect half a million dollars.

Charlotte Motor Speedway returns to the top of the Triple Truck Challenge rotation for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Friday, May 24, at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Following Charlotte Motor Speedway, “The Trip” continues at World Wide Technology Raceway (June 1) before closing out on June 28 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Since its inception in 2019, no driver has been able to win all three races in one season to collect the $500,000 bonus.

Former Triple Truck Challenge Winners:

Practice and Cometic Gasket Pole Qualifying for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will begin Friday, May 24 at 1:35 p.m. ET on FS1. 

Six spots in the Playoffs still up for grabs with six races remaining

Through 10 races this season, four drivers have earned their spot in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs by virtue of their wins – Christian Eckes, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez and Rajah Caruth – leaving six spots still up for grabs heading into Charlotte – with only six races left in the regular season.

Following North Wilkesboro, Matt Crafton is ranked 11th in the Playoff outlook, two points back from Tanner Gray in the 10th and final postseason transfer spot on points. Just behind Crafton is Daniel Dye, 17 points back from the postseason cutoff.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Etc. 

Dean Thompson attempting triple duty this weekend – NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series regular Dean Thompson will attempt his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, piloting the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota.

Thompson will be the sixth driver to get behind the wheel for the team in 2024, joining Jeffrey Earnhardt, John Hunter Nemechek, Corey Heim, Ed Jones and Sage Karam.

The Anaheim, California native will run in the ARCA Menards Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races on Friday before attempting to make his debut in the Xfinity Series on Saturday.