This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Coke 600
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5 Mile Oval Quad
Turns: 400
NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series is sticking to the Carolinas this week after returning from All-Star racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway last weekend. Kyle Larson dominated this 200-lap exhibition race and earned his third All-Star triumph. This week’s Coca-Cola 600 will be a different matter altogether, however. Denny Hamlin is the defending winner of this marathon. Larson won it in 2021. The high speeds and extra-long race distance make it one of the classic events on the calendar, and it caps off the traditional Memorial Day race weekend. The return to the regular season will be especially important for drivers who have yet to win in 2023. Thirteen races remain to secure a playoff spot, and the pressure will only increase on playoff hopes at every race that passes without a trip to Victory Lane. This year’s race will be the 64th race in the 600-mile marathon and it will be the 125th series race held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. There have been 54 different race winners during this period, and 10 of those 54 are entered in this week’s race. Better yet, five of those 10 are winless in 2023. As playoff pressure mounts, the action on the track is sure to heat up as NASCAR races from day to night in the Coca-Cola 600.
Key stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 124
- Pole winners: 19
- Winners among the top 5 starters: 70
- Winners among the top 10 starters: 92
- Winners from the 21st or less: 10
- Fastest run: 160.655 mph
Charlotte’s 10 Previous Winners
2022 – Denny Hamlin
2021 – Kyle Larson
2020 II – Chase Elliott
2020 I – Brad Keselowski
2019 – Martin Truex Jr.
2018 – Kyle Busch
Fall 2017 – Martin Truex Jr.
Spring 2017 – Austin Dillon
Fall 2016 – Jimmie Johnson
Spring 2016 – Martin Truex Jr.
The new NASCAR Cup Series car, introduced last season, was built to spice up racing in places like Charlotte. Last year’s race featured 31 lead changes, a stark contrast to some more recent races where the winner led a large majority of the distance. The track’s bends feature a steep 24 degree incline and plenty of room for drivers to find the perfect line for their car. Track position has always been a driver of success at this circuit, but that has changed a bit with the new car. Teams are now able to make more adjustments while racing, and improved racing allows drivers who receive these adjustments to make forward track moves. More than half of Charlotte’s 123 races have been won by drivers starting in the top five, and almost 75% have been won by someone starting in the top 10. While Denny Hamlin won the last year from pole, it wasn’t a wild ride that he dominated. Ross Chastain, who led the most laps, actually started 22nd. Hamlin only led 15. However, clean air is still important because new cars handle differently up front than in traffic. Although traffic remains an issue, Charlotte’s wide corners provide different lines for drivers to overtake and help their cars adapt to find the best lap times. Pit strategy is also an important factor over 600 miles. The long race will feature four distinct stages, plenty of pit road trips and plenty of opportunities to recover from early mistakes.
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DraftKings Value Pick for the Coca-Cola 600 (based on a standard salary cap of $50,000)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson- $11,000
William Byron- $10,500
Denny Hamlin- $10,300
Ross Chastain- $10,100
DraftKings Level 2 Values
Martin Truex Jr. – $9,900
Chase Elliott – $9,700
Kyle Busch- $9,500
Christopher Bell – $9,300
DraftKings Level 3 Values
Tyler Reddick- $8,800
Alex Bowman – $8,600
Ryan Blaney- $8,400
Bubba Wallace- $8,300
Long Term Values of DraftKings
Daniel Suarez – $7,800
Austin Dillon- $7,200
Ryan Preece – $7,000
Erik Jones- $6,400
NASCAR DFS pick for the Coca-Cola 600
Low-risk range ($50,000 salary cap)
William Byron- $10,500
Christopher Bell – $9,300
Alex Bowman – $8,600
Ty Gibbs – $8,100
Ryan Preece – $7,000
Erik Jones- $6,400
William Byron’s (DK $10,500, FD $13,500) consistent competitive season has earned him the No. 1 spot in this week’s low-risk lineup so far. He retired from last year’s race but leads the series in wins so far in 2023 and has finished seventh or better in the four races leading up to All-Star Weekend. He also led 62 laps in his six Charlotte starts. Christopher Bell (DK $9,300, FD $10,500) finished fifth in this race last season. He’s also been quick on the 1.5-mile ovals this season. A fifth-place finish in Las Vegas and three laps led in Kansas are testament to his pace. Bell also scored stage points in two splits at Charlotte last season. Alex Bowman (DK $8,600, FD $10,000) returns this week after missing four weeks of action after suffering a fractured vertebra. He was granted a playoff waiver by NASCAR and sits just outside the playoff positions in the standings. A win would get him in, and he finished fifth and 10th in his last two races at Charlotte.
Rookie Ty Gibbs (DK $8,100, FD $7,200) earned his first All-Star Race appearance a week ago by finishing second in the All-Star Open. Gibbs is also in playoff contention based on his points total so far. He finished first and second in his two Xfinity Series starts at this track. Ryan Preece (DK $7,000, FD $5,000) is still working to find his comfort zone since joining this series full time. He finished fourth at last week’s All-Star Open and will aim for his first top 20 finish in what will be his sixth series start at the track. Another driver with a strong finish last week is Erik Jones (DK $6,400, FD $6,200), who finished eighth in the All-Star Race. He has a top 10 finish in eight Charlotte starts with an average of 18.8. He finished 14th in that race last season.
High-risk range ($50,000 salary cap)
Ross Chastain- $10,100
Kyle Busch- $9,500
Tyler Reddick- $8,800
Daniel Suarez – $7,800
Chase Briscoe – $7,600
Justin Haley- $6,100
Ross Chastain (DK $10,100, FD $13,000) led 153 laps of this race last year before being caught up in a late-race crash and dropping to 15th. Chastain has been just as fast this season, but still misses that momentous win. Its aggressive driving style is the biggest drawback for fantasy gamers, however. Those looking for a riskier option should definitely look to his direction. Kyle Busch (DK $9,500, FD $11,000) is another aggressive driver, but he knows how to win in Charlotte. He won this race from pole in 2018 and has finished fourth or better on the track on four of his last five attempts. Busch hasn’t had the greatest consistency in recent weeks, but his recent consistency in Charlotte is enough to be optimistic about his chances this week. Tyler Reddick (DK $8,800, FD $9,500) should also have more potential for fantasy players this week. He has two top-10 finishes in the four races leading up to last week’s All-Star race. One of those finishes was a ninth-place finish at Kansas, which should be an indication of top-10 potential this week.
Daniel Suarez (DK $7,800, FD $7,800) also ran well in this race last year. He led 36 laps and won stage two before an accident knocked him out. These are his first laps led at this track, but he has four top 15s and one top 10 in his eight starts. Another driver who impressed in this race last season was Chase Briscoe (DK $7,600, FD $6,000). He finished an impressive fourth and was in the top five on stages two and three. Being in the bubble in the playoff standings will give him added incentive to replicate that performance again this season. An eighth-place finish in Las Vegas and an 18th-place finish in Kansas make Justin Haley (DK $6,100, FD $4,200) someone to consider this week as well. Haley dropped out of that race last year due to engine failure, but he’s been a pretty reliable top-20 finisher this season. A top 15 this week would be a good result for him.
The author(s) of this article may enter daily fantasy contests, including but not limited to games for which they have provided recommendations or advice in this article. By playing these games using their personal accounts, it is possible that they are using players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. CJ Radune enters daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.
