Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Race 2025: Start Time, Live Stream, Lineup & Must-Watch Storylines

Ross Chastain stormed from 40th on the grid to capture the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend, locking the Trackhouse Racing driver into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs while electrifying the crown-jewel event’s packed grandstands. Charlotte’s 1.5-mile quad-oval traditionally rewards clean air, yet Chastain flipped that script. After a Saturday blow-tire crash forced a backup car and a rear-of-field start, the No. 1 Chevrolet methodically carved through traffic, saving its freshest Goodyears for a decisive late stint. With six laps remaining, Chastain dived beneath William Byron into Turn 1, slid up to clear the No. 24, and never looked back, winning by 0.673 seconds. The triumph is his first of 2025, his sixth career Cup victory, and Trackhouse’s signature moment of the season so far. Key race nuggets • Byron led a race-best 283 of 400 laps and swept the first three stages before settling for runner-up honors after overheating his right-front tire in dirty air. • Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe rebounded from an early tire violation to finish third, while AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five—Keselowski’s first top-10 of the year. • Denny Hamlin’s fuel-can miscue on Lap 348 relegated the No. 11 Toyota to 16th after he’d traded the lead with Byron nine times in Stage 3. • Kyle Larson’s highly anticipated “Double” dissolved when the Hendrick star slapped the wall on Lap 42, then was swept into a multi-car crash on Lap 246, ending both his Indianapolis 500 and Coke 600 bids in disappointment. • Jimmie Johnson’s 700th Cup start ended early when the Legacy Motor Club Toyota looped in Turn 4 on Lap 112, collecting Cole Custer and rookie Connor Zilisch. Why the Coke 600 matters in 2025 search trends • Playoff shake-up: Chastain becomes the eighth different winner this season, tightening the battle for the 16-driver postseason grid. • Historic comeback: Starting last and winning NASCAR’s longest race hadn’t happened since Richard Petty’s iconic 1975 World 600 charge, adding instant SEO magnetism. • Patriotic appeal: The mid-race military salute and Charlotte’s “600 Miles of Remembrance” paint schemes boost share-worthy visuals across social platforms. • Driver storylines: Byron’s near-miss, Hamlin’s pit-road heartbreak, and Larson’s failed “Double” generate evergreen discussion topics fans and fantasy players search for all week. Fast facts for featured snippets • Race distance: 600 miles (400 laps) • Average speed: 143.911 mph • Cautions: 9 for 52 laps • Lead changes: 21 among 8 drivers • Winning move: Lap 395 pass low in Turn 1 What’s next The Cup Series heads to Nashville Superspeedway on June 1 for the Cracker Barrel 400, where momentum-rich Chastain looks to go back-to-back and Byron seeks redemption on another concrete oval. Expect playoff math, tire wear strategy, and Trackhouse confidence to dominate the conversation as search demand shifts from Charlotte heroics to Music City intrigue.