Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway, May 27, 2018
Kyle Busch
Winner
400
Laps
40
Entries
4
Leaders
Kyle Busch won the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2018, leading 377 of 400 laps. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; Denny Hamlin rounded out the podium. The race featured 4 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Track
Season
2018
Winner
Leaders
4 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | — | Kyle Busch |
| 2 | 15 | +13 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 3 | 3 | — | Denny Hamlin |
| 4 | 5 | +1 | Brad Keselowski |
| 5 | 23 | +18 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 6 | 7 | +1 | Jamie McMurray |
| 7 | 11 | +4 | Kyle Larson |
| 8 | 16 | +8 | Kurt Busch |
| 9 | 27 | +18 | Alex Bowman |
| 10 | 13 | +3 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 11 | 22 | +11 | Chase Elliott |
| 12 | 28 | +16 | Clint Bowyer |
| 13 | 9 | -4 | Aric Almirola |
| 14 | 14 | — | Paul Menard |
| 15 | 10 | -5 | Daniel Suarez |
| 16 | 24 | +8 | Bubba Wallace |
| 17 | 17 | — | Matt Kenseth |
| 18 | 29 | +11 | Michael McDowell |
| 19 | 4 | -15 | Erik Jones |
| 20 | 26 | +6 | Kasey Kahne |
| 21 | 20 | -1 | Ty Dillon |
| 22 | 2 | -20 | Joey Logano |
| 23 | 30 | +7 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 24 | 25 | +1 | Ross Chastain |
| 25 | 19 | -6 | David Ragan |
| 26 | 33 | +7 | Corey LaJoie |
| 27 | 32 | +5 | Parker Kligerman |
| 28 | 35 | +7 | Landon Cassill |
| 29 | 18 | -11 | Chris Buescher |
| 30 | 37 | +7 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 31 | 34 | +3 | Gray Gaulding |
| 32 | 36 | +4 | Timmy Hill |
| 33 | 38 | +5 | B.J. McLeod |
| 34 | 12 | -22 | Austin Dillon |
| 35 | 6 | -29 | Ryan Newman |
| 36 | 8 | -28 | Ryan Blaney |
| 37 | 31 | -6 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 38 | 40 | +2 | J.J. Yeley |
| 39 | 21 | -18 | William Byron |
| 40 | 39 | -1 | Kevin Harvick |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 24 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.4 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 15.4 | 2 | +13.4 |
| 3 | Denny Hamlin | 6.2 | 3 | +3.2 |
| 4 | Brad Keselowski | 15.4 | 4 | +11.4 |
| 5 | Jimmie Johnson | 19.9 | 5 | +14.9 |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | 13.1 | 7 | +6.1 |
| 9 | Alex Bowman | 16.2 | 9 | +7.2 |
| 10 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 19.9 | 10 | +9.9 |
| 11 | Chase Elliott | 10.1 | 11 | -0.9 |
| 15 | Daniel Suarez | 12.7 | 15 | -2.3 |
| 16 | Bubba Wallace | 12.7 | 16 | -3.3 |
| 18 | Michael McDowell | 16.9 | 18 | -1.1 |
| 19 | Erik Jones | 14.7 | 19 | -4.3 |
| 21 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 21 | +1.9 |
| 22 | Joey Logano | 11.9 | 22 | -10.1 |
| 23 | A.J. Allmendinger | 17.1 | 23 | -5.9 |
| 24 | Ross Chastain | 14.5 | 24 | -9.5 |
| 26 | Corey LaJoie | 22.2 | 26 | -3.8 |
| 29 | Chris Buescher | 9.2 | 29 | -19.8 |
| 32 | Timmy Hill | 23.9 | 32 | -8.1 |
| 33 | B.J. McLeod | 24.7 | 33 | -8.3 |
(showing top 20 finishers)
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Kyle Busch: has 66 career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a 7.7 avg finish (17 wins) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Denny Hamlin: was the model’s top pick based on 40 career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a 11.5 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P3 on the day.
- Jimmie Johnson: was the biggest surprise, finishing P5 vs predicted P20. Track history: 38 starts, 19.4 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 Coca-Cola 600?
Kyle Busch won the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Where was the 2018 Coca-Cola 600 held?
The 2018 Coca-Cola 600 was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2018.