Charlotte Motor Speedway – Bank of America ROVAL 400

The NASCAR Coca Cola 600 joined NASCAR as the World 600 in the 1960 season. It was the first race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The track was made after stock car racer Curtis Turner saw the success of the Daytona International Speedway and wanted to build something similar near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Track construction took much more time and effort than anticipated. A layer of granite under the topsoil for the track pushed costs to nearly $2 million at the time (close to $20 million when adjusted for inflation). A snowstorm postponed concrete pouring and Turner hoped for a six-week postponement of the event. A paving subcontractor threatened to quit two weeks before the inaugural race. Turner and one of his friends held the subcontractor at gunpoint to finish the backstretch in time for the first event.

Joe Lee Johnson won that first race in 1960. It was an eventful race punctuated by Don O’Dell hitting Lenny Page’s driver door. Reporter Chris Economaki ran over and provided CPR to Page until emergency crews arrived on the scene. Economaki’s been credited with saving Page’s life.

The event quickly became NASCAR’s answer to the Indianapolis 500 in IndyCar racing. It was held over Memorial Day weekend and, until 1974, was held on different days of the weekend. That meant some drivers competed in both events. Circumstances changed in 1974 after IndyCar decided to race on Sundays.

The 1970s saw the race solidify its status as one of the most exciting races on the calendar. Races consistently saw dozens of lead changes and shoot-outs for the win, especially in 1978. Three-time champion Darrell Waltrip won a six-car, race-long shootout for victory.

The race continued to become one of the most significant events on the NASCAR calendar into the 1980s and 1990s. In 1985, Bill Elliott had a chance to win a million-dollar cash bonus for winning all four of the NASCAR significant events. He faded at the finish and Waltrip took the victory. Waltrip set the record for most wins with his fifth in 1989. Organizers installed lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1992. Beginning in 1993, the race started later in the day to end at night, a format that continues today.

Since 2000, the race has seen some dramatic action. The 2005 race saw the most cautions in any Cup Series race (22) and a late red flag. In 2009, the race was rained out to Monday and went for just 227 laps. The 2013 race was red flagged after a cable supporting Fox Sports’ skycam snapped and fell onto the track. Multiple spectators were injured and cars were damaged as well. The 2022 Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race in NASCAR history. Two overtime finishes meant the race went for 619.5 miles and five hours, 13 minutes.

Unlike many of the other events on the Cup Series Calendar, the race has had just two name sponsors in its history. The race was the World 600 from 1960 to 1984. Coca-Cola took over title sponsorship starting in 1985. It was titled the Coca-Cola World 600 that year before shortening to the Coca-Cola 600 from 1986 onward. One exception was in 2002, when the event was titled the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600.

Waltrip has the record for the most wins with five. The race has been the site of many first wins for drivers. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon won his first NASCAR race there in 1994, 2000 champion Bobby Labonte took his first win in 1995, and 2003 champion Matt Kenseth won his first Cup Series race there in 2000. Denny Hamlin won the 2022 Coca-Cola 600. The Charlotte Motor Speedway has been a crucial battleground for drivers vying for top positions in the NASCAR standings throughout the racing season.