The two-time XFINITY series champion made his first Sprint Cup start at Charlotte in 2011 in the famed No. 21 finishing an impressive 11th; his best Sprint Cup career finish at the 1.5-mile track.
“The Coke 600 is the longest race of the season and gives us an opportunity to work on our car for a long period of time. Charlotte is one of the more temperature sensitive tracks that we race on. Starting in the day and going into evening is a huge factor and why this race is so challenging.
“Charlotte is home for everybody. It’s the hometown crowd and family will all be there. This is definitely one that is highlighted on our schedule. The finishes haven't been the best, but we've always shown speed. Our Cheez-It team is continuing to grow. We are coming off a strong company run at Iowa, looking to carry that into this weekend.”
Coming off the heels of a victory at Iowa Speedway, Chris Buescher makes his fourth NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. In his three previous starts, Buescher’s best start is 12th (2013) and his best finish is sixth (fall 2014). Buescher did not finish lower than ninth in last season’s two races at the 1.5-mile track.
Dale E. Bowyer is Clint Bowyer’s paternal grandfather and was a 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army. He won the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism while fighting the armed enemy in Germany during World War II.
“Racing at Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend is always special. It’s great to get the chance to race in front of your friends and family. This weekend is also a huge honor for this AdvoCare team, as we have the name of Staff Sgt. Casey Crate atop the windshield. It definitely means a lot to have his name on the car and hopefully we will have a great run for him this weekend.”
Elliott Sadler makes his 17th NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) start at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) this weekend in Concord, NC. In Sadler’s previous 16 starts, he has one pole award, four top-five and six top-10 finishes at CMS.
Heading into Sunday nights Coca-Cola 600, Bliss will be making his 176th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start. The Milwaukie, OR native will be making only his fifth appearance in the renowned NASCAR endurance race. Bliss's last Coca-Cola 600 came back in 2011 where he finished 30th. Bliss has visited victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway twice in his NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) career, with the most recent being the spring 2009 event.
Reed has three starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). His first start came in the October 2013 event at the track, where he recorded a 14th-place finish after starting 16th. His two starts at the track in 2014 earned him 14th- and 15th-place finishes in the spring and fall events, respectively.
This weekend is not only special because the Sprint Cup Series races their longest race of the season, but also, all of the series' teams will be honoring fallen servicemen. Aric Almirola and team will have the privilege to carry fallen Special Tactics Airmen Capt. Derek M. Argel on the No. 43 Air Force Ford.
Jesse Love Proves Patience is Key, Rallying for a Third-Place Finish with the No. 2 Samsara Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway to Maintain Points Lead
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Johnston, Iowa, reeled in, slingshotted and outdueled teammate Carson Kvapil on the final lap to snatch his first elusive O'Reilly victory of the 2026 season and his second national touring series victory of this weekend at Talladega.
Dean Thompson delivered an incredible save mid-race and recovered to finish eighth to lead Toyota in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was made available to the media on Saturday after willing the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The two-time Southern 500 champion from Mitchell, Indiana, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 186.065 mph in 51.466 seconds for his first Cup pole of the 2026 season and the 10th of his career at Talladega.
CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Kroger Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “That’s solid. We had a lot of speed here today. I know it’s single car, but it translated really well at Daytona..."
