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With Brad Keselowski sealing a historic win in Darlington and snapping his winless streak, the NASCAR action now enters one of its most eventful weeks of the season. Cup drivers will hit the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26th, competing in the iconic Coca-Cola 600 race, often considered one of the big-4 races of the season.
The lead-up to this weekend will feature NASCAR's All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The non-points race will be followed by the Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The following weekend will feature the iconic Indy 500 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar's biggest race of the season.
As anticipation builds for the Coca-Cola 600, let's take a closer look at the top five drivers who are poised to make an impact at the 1.500-mile quad-oval:
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Top 5 drivers to keep an eye on in the NASCAR race in Charlotte
#5 Tyler Reddick
23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick enters the race hot on the heels of a crash and finishing 32nd in Darlington. The 28-year-old had started from the pole position but failed to convert his pole into a victory despite leading the most laps on the afternoon.
Nevertheless, Reddick has an impressive record at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While winless, the No. 45 Toyota driver has an average finish of 8.4 at the track, the best among the active drivers.
#4 Ryan Blaney
Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney is also the defending champion of the Coca-Cola 600 race. The Team Penske ace won his first ever NASCAR Cup championship last season, and his victory in Charlotte was pivotal to the 30-year-old's title-winning campaign. In 13 races at the venue, Blaney has one win and three top-5 finishes to his name.
#3 Martin Truex Jr.
Veteran Martin Truex Jr. has the most wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the list of active drivers. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver emerged victorious at the venue in 2016, his title-winning campaign in 2017, and most recently in 2019.
Truex also has an average finish of 13.7 over the course of 32 races, making Charlotte one of his most successful tracks. While winless so far this season, the 43-year-old is still second in the Cup Series standings and would aim to clinch his first win of the season.
#2 Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski made history last weekend in Darlington when he snapped his 110-race winless streak to finally secure a NASCAR win for the first time since 2021. A last-gasp crash between Tyler Reddick and Chris Buescher handed him the victory, also propelling him to the list of drivers to watch out for in Charlotte.
The RFK Racing driver and co-owner has two wins at the venue, and five top-5 finishes. He won in 2013 and 2020, and maintains an average finish of 14.4 in 24 races. With form on his side, Keselowski would once again be a driver to keep a close eye on in the Coca-Cola 600 race.
#1 Kyle Larson
Unquestionably, Hendrick Motorsports ace Kyle Larson comes first in this list. The 31-year-old is set to make history this weekend when he will compete in both the Indianapolis 500 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Larson will attempt to drive a total of 1,100 miles over the course of the weekend, thus becoming the first driver since Kurt Busch in 2014 to attempt the infamous "double." Beyond the double, Larson has one win at the racetrack, which came during his title-winning season in 2021.
