It has been incredibly difficult to write the articles this week. “The Legend”, Kyle Busch was taken from us way too soon… When I found out Thursday morning that he was sick, I posted on social media that I hoped he would get better soon. When I found out about the passing of Busch Thursday evening, I could not believe it. I was sad, I was shocked and I was angry that he was taken from us and his family too soon. I still cannot believe the news. I wish it was all just a bad dream and I could wake up and everything would be back to normal. It makes me so sad to know that is not going to happen. RIP Rowdy!
Sadly, onto the picks for the race at Charlotte….
The Cup Series has a home race this weekend as the honor our veterans and Kyle Busch in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is the toughest test for the Cup Series in 2026. The engines will be tested in the 600-mile race, the pit crews will be tested with 14+ pit stops, the crew chiefs will be tested as the track transitions from day to night and the drivers must be focused for over 5 hours in the race this weekend. It should be fun to see which team can be mistake-free and make it to Victory Lane. The Coca-Cola 600 can be seen Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on Prime.
Here are my Driver Rankings for the Coca-Cola 600…
Need to know which driver would be the best pick for your Fantasy NASCAR lineup Sunday? Simply play the driver highest in the rankings.
UPDATED BEST BETS
I posted my Best Bets for the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this week. Here are the drivers I already have on my card for the race at Charlotte…
CHASE ELLIOTT (11-1): The Cola-Cola 600 is a grueling race that requires the drivers and their teams to be mistake free for 400 laps. That is what the No. 9 team for Hendrick Motorsports is good at. Elliott may not lead 100 laps in the race, but he should stay out of trouble and move to the front. Elliott the last race on a 1.5-mile, intermediate track. I will bet he can do it again Sunday.
CHASE BRISCOE (12-1): I really like the Toyota’s this week, but the odds with Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell are not long enough to take a chance with early in the week. Instead, I will pivot to Briscoe. When I think of the Coca-Cola 600, I think of Martin Truex Jr. leading 392 of the 400 laps on his way to Victory Lane. Briscoe is not going to do that, but he should have a good chance to take the No. 19 car back to Victory Lane in Charlotte. Briscoe finished 3rd in this race last year and he finished 3rd at Kansas this year. His odds will drop significantly if Briscoe wins the pole Saturday (I think he can do it), so I will bet him now at 12-1 odds.
TY GIBBS (16-1): Gibbs is having his best season in the Cup Series. He finished 5th in Las Vegas and 9th at Kansas. He has been hit or miss in the Coca-Cola 600, but he is on a hot streak this year and the Toyota’s have been fast. Gibbs has a good pit crew and he should have the speed to compete for a win in Charlotte.
BRAD KESELOWSKI (30-1): Wow, 30-1 for Keselowski is crazy good value. Keselowski won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2020, finished 2nd in 2024 and 5th last year. He also finished 6th at Kansas and 10th at Las Vegas earlier this season. Keselowski is one of the best at moving through the field to finish up front on the intermediate tracks. He often runs out of time. This 600-mile race should give Keselowski plenty of time to make his way to the front and win the Coca-Cola 600.
Here are the drivers I added after practice….
CHRISTOPHER BELL (8-1): Could the Coca-Cola 600 be the race where Bell gets his first win 2026? This 600 mile race will have at least 14 pit stops and the No. 20 team has dominated the field in the pits. Bell has been fast but he has had some bad luck on the 1.5-mile, intermediate tracks this year. The No. 20 car looks fast again this weekend. Bell won the Coca-Cola 600 in 2024 and he finished 8th last year. Bell should be a threat to win again Sunday.
WILLIAM BYRON (11-1): I am glad I waited to bet Byron. He starts 31st in the Coca-Cola 600, so he odds dropped. Byron will have 400 laps to make his way to the front. This is his home track and it is the best track on the scheduel for Byron. He finished 2nd, 3rd and 2nd in his last three Coca-Cola 600 races. No driver in the field has been as good as Byron at Charlotte. 11-1 odds are too good to pass up for a driver with Byron’s track history at Charlotte.
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