Coca-Cola 600 Start Time, Lineup and Weather Updates as NASCAR Honors Kyle Busch

The NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 will run at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, with a 6 p.m. ET start time and a much heavier mood than usual around one of stock car racing’s biggest weekends. The race is already known for its length, late-night strategy and Memorial Day atmosphere, but this year’s event carries added emotion following the death of Kyle Busch, one of NASCAR’s most successful modern drivers.

Charlotte is NASCAR’s home base, so the reaction inside the garage is expected to be deeply personal. Busch had been entered to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing before his death. His family said he died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, according to the Associated Press. NASCAR teams are expected to honor him with black No. 8 decals during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

Coca-Cola 600 start time, streaming and race format

The 2026 Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Amazon Prime Video will stream the race nationally, with pre-race coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET. There is no separate national TV broadcast listed for the event.

The Coca-Cola 600 remains NASCAR’s longest race. Drivers will complete 400 laps around the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval, covering 600 miles in total. The event is divided into four stages of 100 laps each, which makes it different from a normal Cup Series race. Teams need speed, patience and pit-road discipline because the track often changes as the race moves from daylight into nighttime.

Weather may become a major part of the story. The Charlotte forecast includes a strong chance of rain and thunderstorms during the evening, with precipitation possible through the night. That could affect the start, stage strategy or even the finish if storms move over the speedway.

Starting lineup and key drivers to watch

Tyler Reddick will start on pole in the No. 45 Toyota after qualifying was canceled because of weather. Ty Gibbs starts second, followed by Shane van Gisbergen, Michael McDowell and Chase Briscoe. Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon and AJ Allmendinger complete the top 10.

Austin Hill will start 13th in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. RCR moved away from the No. 8 after Busch’s death, adding a significant emotional element to Hill’s race. Busch won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2018 and finished his Cup Series career with 63 wins and two championships.

Katherine Legge is another major focus. She is attempting the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, a rare motorsport challenge known as “The Double.” Legge starts 26th at Indianapolis and 37th at Charlotte in the No. 78 Chevrolet. Her travel plan includes helicopters and a private plane, but any weather delay in Indianapolis or Charlotte could complicate the schedule.

Ross Chastain enters as the defending Coca-Cola 600 winner after passing William Byron late in the 2025 race. This year, however, the spotlight is split between the racing battle, the weather threat, Legge’s historic attempt and the tributes planned for Busch.

Fans looking for official race-weekend updates can check Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca-Cola 600 event page. For more motorsport coverage, read Swikblog’s report on the Daytona 500 2026 start time and schedule.

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