After three days off, NASCAR will be back in action with one of its crown jewels, the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Martin Truex Jr. has won this event two of the past four years, including last year.
“The 600 is such a big race and it’s so special to be able to go there and honor the fallen soldiers,” Truex said. “Not only the names on the cars, but to get to meet the families and really kind of understand more about their story or the kind of person that they were, that’s always been something that I think all of us look forward to. I certainly did. That’s something that’s going to be missed, but what won’t be missed is just what the weekend means, what the holiday means, and the fact that we all know what we’re racing for, who we’re racing for.”
Here is the info for Sunday’s race.
(All times are Eastern)
START: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley will give the command to start engines at 6:16 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 6:28 p.m.
PRERACE: Garage access health screening begins at 8 a.m. (teams are assigned specific times). Qualifying begins at 2:05 p.m. Drivers report to their cars at 5:50 p.m.
PRERACE CEREMONIES: The invocation will be given at 6:05 p.m. by Franklin Graham, president & CEO, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association & Samaritan’s Purse. “Amazing Grace” will be performed at 6:06 p.m. by the Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band. “Taps” will be performed at 6:08 p.m. by U.S. Coast Guard Band Chief Musician Gino Villarreal. The National Anthem will be performed at 6:09 p.m. by Edward Schrank, a five-time head and neck cancer survivor from chemical exposure while serving 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Flyover at 6:10 p.m.
PACE LAP: At the direction of race control, drivers will have the opportunity to run one pace lap down pit road before the green flag for a pit road speed check. If they stop in their box for any reason, pull over or slow down, they will start at the rear of the field.
COMPETITION CAUTION: Lap 20
MOMENT OF REMEMBRANCE: Lap 200
DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (600 miles) around the 1.5-mile oval.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 100. Stage 2 ends on Lap 200. Stage 3 ends on Lap 300.
TV/RADIO: Fox will televise the race. Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. Performance Racing Network will broadcast the race. Coverage begins at 5 p.m. and also can be heard at goprn.com and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
FORECAST: The wunderground.com forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms with a high of 79 degrees and 57% chance of rain at the race’s start.
LAST RACE: Denny Hamlin won at Darlington on Wednesday night. Chase Elliott was wrecked by Kyle Busch while Elliott ran second late in the event. Busch, who apologized for the contact, finished second. Kevin Harvick placed third.
LAST COCA-COLA 600: Martin Truex Jr. led 116 laps in winning last year’s race. Joey Logano placed second. Kyle Busch finished third.
TO THE REAR: Matt DiBenedetto (backup car), Brad Keselowski (unapproved adjustment), Aric Almirola (unapproved adjustment), JJ Yeley (unapproved adjustment) and Timmy Hill (unapproved adjustment)
STARTING LINEUP: Qualifying begins at 2:05 p.m.
CATCHING UP TO SPEED WITH NBC SPORTS COVERAGE:
Chase Elliott on Kyle Busch: “He made a mistake ... I was on the wrong end of it”
Kyle Busch: “Chase Elliott and I talked and it went really well”
Joey Logano hopes to give Ford first Coke 600 win in 18 years
Joey Logano: Don’t ever shorten length of Coca-Cola 600
Will Coca-Cola 600 fortune smile on William Byron?
Jimmie Johnson buoyed by Darlington rebound
Coca-Cola 600 to be halted briefly for moment of remembrance
How military careers shaped future NASCAR careers
Cup drivers express desire for choose cone
Friday 5: What’s next in these changing times for NASCAR?