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Five things to watch for in the Coca-Cola 600

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway completes racing’s biggest day of the year following the Monaco F1 and Indianapolis 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images

Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Steve O'Donnell
Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota, Cole Pearn
Kyle Larson, Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Here are five things to watch for in Sunday night’s race:

  • Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will become the first and only race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series to feature four stages (the rest have three). Each stage will last 100 laps and Top-10 points in the race and a playoff point will be awarded at the end of the first three stages. “It's only fitting that teams have an opportunity to be rewarded for the extra effort required to win at the 600,” said Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith. “An additional stage win and that extra playoff point in May could be critical for playoff success in the fall.”
  • Kyle Busch picked up his first Cup series win of any kind at CMS last weekend in the All-Star Race and now looks for his first points-paying race win of the season in the 600. Seven drivers have swept the All-Star Race and 600 in the same season – Darrell Waltrip, Davey Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch. Kyle Busch’s best finish in the 600 is third on three occasions.
  • Martin Truex Jr. hopes to replicate his dominating and record-breaking performance in the 600 from a year ago. Truex’s 588 miles led last season were the most in a single race in NASCAR history and his 392 laps led at Charlotte were the most in the speedway’s history. Truex already owns two wins this season and leads the series in laps led (536).
  • Series points leader Kyle Larson is looking to maintain his position in the standings and collect his first Charlotte victory but he’ll have to do some coming from the back of the field. Larson’s No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team failed to clear inspection in time on Thursday to participate in qualifying and will line up 39th on the grid. His career-best finish at Charlotte is fifth.
  • Ryan Blaney is looking for a sweep of his own and the first Cup Series victory of his career. Blaney passed Kevin Harvick with two of 200 laps remaining to win Saturday’s Xfinity race at Charlotte and starts seventh in the 600. In his last two races on 1.5-mile tracks, Blaney led 83 laps and finished fourth at Kansas and led 148 laps and finished 12th.

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