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NASCAR insider reveals ‘optimistic’ possible start time for Coca-Cola 600

Brian Jones Profile Picby:Brian Jones•05/27/24•

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Charlotte Motor Speedway (1)
May 25, 2024; Concord, North Carolina, USA; View from the press box roof during the BETMGM 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass is confident the drivers will finish the Coca-Cola 600 very soon. Pockcrass went to X (formerly Twitter) to say that he thinks the race will restart around midnight ET following a lightning delay.

“Just five minutes left on the lightning clock and track drying has begun,” Pockrass wrote. “I would think probably would start around midnight or a little later (that could be optimistic).”

151 laps are remaining in the Coca-Cola 600, and Christopher Bell has the lead. Bell is followed by Brad Keselowski, William Bryon, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin. This is the longest race of the NASCAR Cup Series season as it takes 400 laps around the track to complete.

Last week, Denny Hamlin spoke about the Coca-Cola 600 on the Actions Detrimental podcast. “It takes its toll, for sure,” Hamlin said, regarding the physical toll of the Coca-Cola 600. “It just kind of depends on who you are. Every driver is a little bit different. But the 600, I think I lost — I know this was ten years ago, when they did the study, but I lost about, was it 10 or 13 pounds of water weight? Now, I took some of that back through the fluids that I took in. I think I lost actually eight pounds during the race. It was a pretty hot one, on that evening, when I did it. So it was like 13.5 pounds of sweat. Burned 2500-2800 calories. Yeah, your heart rate I think was sustained longer than a marathon runner, during the course of the same amount of time. So yeah, it takes its toll a lot.

How the Coca-Cola 600 can be physically challenging

“And for me, physically, now, it’s more on my back, more than anything. Just kind of riding in that position that I’m riding in, in the seat, and taking bumps and stuff, and with us being on our shock limiters all the time. It makes it pretty tough. But it just takes me like a day or two to recover, and then I’m ready to go again.”

When it comes to the history of the Coca-Cola 600, Darrell Waltrip won the race a record five times. The team that has the most Coca-Cola 600 wins is Hendrick Motorsports with 12. Ryan Blaney won the race last year but will not have a chance to defend the crown as he wrecked his car in Stage 2.