The 2025 Coca-Cola 600, held on May 25, 2025, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, marked the 66th running of NASCAR’s longest and most grueling crown-jewel event. As the 13th race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, drivers faced 400 laps (600 miles) on the 1.5-mile oval under warm, late-May conditions. Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing emerged triumphant, overcoming a torrid path from the rear of the field to claim his first victory of the 2025 season—and make history in the process.
Practice and Qualifying Highlights
In Friday’s lone practice session, Carson Hocevar topped the charts with a lap of 29.926 seconds (180.445 mph), edging out Ty Gibbs and A. J. Allmendinger to set the early tone for contenders. On Saturday afternoon, Chase Briscoe, driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, captured the pole position with a blistering lap of 29.532 seconds. Briscoe’s qualifying effort placed him at the front of the 40-car field, giving Toyota the initial advantage for Sunday’s 600-mile marathon.
Race Day Conditions and Early Stages
Under clear skies and track temperatures approaching 120°F, the field dropped the green flag at 6:00 PM ET. Chase Briscoe led the opening lap but quickly faced pressure from Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, who had demonstrated strong long-run speed in practice. Byron seized control by Lap 10 and never looked back during Stage 1, leading all 100 laps to claim the first stage win.
The second stage saw Byron extend his dominance. Despite multiple cautions—one for a multi-car incident in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 125 and another for debris on Lap 175—Byron managed restarts flawlessly, preserving his lead through Lap 200. He secured Stage 2 by a half-second margin and emerged as the clear favorite for the overall win.
William Byron’s Domination and Early Surprises
Byron’s performance was nothing short of spectacular—he led 283 of the 400 laps, sweeping the first three stages (Laps 1–100, 101–200, and 201–300). His Chevrolet was unmatched in both short-run speed and tire management, allowing him to fend off challengers like Chase Briscoe and A. J. Allmendinger throughout the middle portions of the night.
However, an unexpected spin by Ross Chastain during final practice forced Trackhouse Racing onto a backup car; Chastain, who qualified 38th in Friday’s session, had to start 40th (last) on Sunday. Despite this setback, Chastain’s crew worked through the night—transforming a backup template into a race-ready machine—returning to the garage at 12:30 PM on race day.
The Double Attempt: Kyle Larson’s Grueling Day
Kyle Larson’s bid to complete “The Double” (racing both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day) ended in disappointment yet again. After crashing out of the Indy 500 on Lap 91—his second consecutive year hampered by misfortune—Larson arrived in Charlotte just in time for the green flag. He briefly ran inside the top 10 early, but contact with the Turn 4 wall on Lap 38 compromised his handling. A multi-car accident on Lap 246 sealed his fate, resulting in a 37th-place finish.
Late-Race Drama: Chastain’s Charge from the Back
While Byron maintained his stranglehold through the first three stages, the complexion of the race shifted in the final 100 laps. A debris caution on Lap 300 bunched the field, erasing Byron’s substantial lead and setting up a sprint to the finish. Chastain, now running inside the top 10 thanks to a series of well-timed pit stops and aggressive two-right-side-tire calls, began methodically picking off cars.
On Lap 392, Chastain snuck past Brad Keselowski for fifth, eyeing the dominant Byron up front. With 10 laps to go, Chastain dove low in Turn 3 to challenge A. J. Allmendinger for third—and by Lap 396, he was pressuring Chase Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota. Finally, with six laps remaining, Chastain executed a textbook slide job on Byron in Turn 1, slipping past the No. 24 Chevrolet to assume the lead.
From there, Chastain checked out—his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet maintaining enough speed to hold off a charging Byron. As the field streamed across the finish line, Chastain’s masterful charge from 40th to first overshadowed Byron’s 283-lap domination. He took the checkered flag by a margin of 0.732 seconds, recording the lowest starting position ever for a Coca-Cola 600 winner (and in Charlotte Motor Speedway history).
Final Results and Top Ten Finishers
- Ross Chastain (No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet)
- William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
- Chase Briscoe (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
- A. J. Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet)
- Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)
- Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)
- Michael McDowell (No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford)
- Christopher Bell (No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
- Ryan Preece (No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford)
- Noah Gragson (No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet)
Byron’s runner-up finish still earned Hendrick Motorsports valuable points, while Briscoe’s third placed Toyota firmly in contention for the Manufacturer championship.
Post-Race Reactions and Season Implications
In Victory Lane, an elated Chastain reflected on the crew’s tireless effort:
“Starting last and winning one of the crown-jewel events is surreal. The team built a car from scratch overnight, and we executed everything perfectly. Passing Byron was a pinch-me moment—he was nearly unbeatable tonight.”
Byron, while disappointed to come up just short, praised his team’s performance:
“We were clearly the car to beat—led over 70% of the race. But credit to Ross; he found something on those final restarts. We’ll take the points and bounce back in Nashville.”
As a result of this victory, Chastain vaulted into the Top 5 in the Cup Series standings, signaling Trackhouse Racing’s rise as a championship contender. Byron’s consistency kept him atop the points lead, setting the stage for a heated battle at Nashville Superspeedway in early June.
Conclusion
The 2025 Coca-Cola 600 reinforced why it remains NASCAR’s crown-jewel event: 600 miles of strategy, attrition, and late-race heroics. William Byron’s near-flawless performance was upended by Ross Chastain’s historic charge from 40th, creating a finish for the ages. Add in Kyle Larson’s daring yet ill-fated “Double” attempt, and the night solidified its place among the most dramatic in motorsports. As the series heads to Nashville, momentum swings promise an electrifying summer stretch for both drivers and fans alike.
