The longest race of the year is here. 600 miles. Four stages. One crown jewel. Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend always delivers chaos, heartbreak, and the ultimate test of man and machine.

This race isn’t about luck — it’s about endurance, elite equipment, and executing over four hours of high-speed chess. And this year, we’re seeing value all across the board.

 

 

 

The Favorites

Kyle Larson (+600 DraftKings)

We’re not overthinking it. Larson won this race in 2021, leads the series in average green flag speed on high-speed intermediates in 2025, and dominated the 10-lap averages at Kansas, Vegas, and Texas. He led the most laps in all three. Even with the Indy 500 double, this number’s still value.

Ryan Blaney (+800 FanDuel)

Blaney ended a winless drought here last year — and this track fits him. He’s led 165 laps across the last three Charlotte races, was third at Kansas, and has ranked top-5 in long-run speed in every 1.5-mile race this season. Penske’s clicking again, and this number is still bettable.

 

 

 

Mid-Tier Plays

Christopher Bell (+825 BetMGM)

The line’s short, but the edge is real. Bell’s the defending 600 winner, just won the All-Star Race, and has three wins already in 2025. He owns one of the best driver ratings at Charlotte in the Next Gen era and has led laps in each of the last two Coca-Cola 600s. Elite long-run car. Elite price.

Alex Bowman (+2500 FanDuel)

Bowman’s quietly been one of the best intermediate drivers this year — top-10 finishes at Vegas, Texas, and Kansas, and he’s gone 3-for-4 on top-10s at Charlotte in his last four starts. He’s shown top-10 long-run pace in every relevant race this year. This number is too long.

 

 


 

Longshots

Josh Berry (+2800 BetMGM)

We’re going back to the well. Berry won at Las Vegas, was top-5 in speed at Texas, and finished 10th in his only Cup start at Charlotte. He’s one of just four drivers to rank top-10 in green flag speed at all three high-speed intermediates this year. At this price? Steal.

Ty Gibbs (+3000 DraftKings)

Fastest in practice at Kansas last week. Sixth here last year before rain ended it early. Gibbs has also won in Xfinity at Charlotte and Vegas. He’s priced like a rookie — but he’s running like a contender.

 

 


 

Props

Alex Bowman Top-10 Finish (+100 ESPN BET)

Five straight top-10s here. Top-10 in every intermediate this season. Ran top-10 in long-run speed in every comparable race this year. This should be -150 — we’ll happily take it at even money.

Ty Gibbs Top-10 Finish (+120 FanDuel)

Posted top-10 averages over long runs at every intermediate. He was sixth here last year when rain ended things early, and he’s got Xfinity wins on similar tracks. Gibbs is underpriced.

John Hunter Nemechek Top-10 Finish (+1400 FanDuel)

He’s trending. Two top-10s in the last four races, and he’s shown speed in the Toyota camp. The team has been solid on intermediates — and JHN knows how to survive chaos. We’re sprinkling.

 

 


 

Final Thoughts

This race is a war of attrition. Clean air. Nightfall. Pit stops. Long runs. That’s where races are won and lost. We’ve built our card around guys with elite long-run speed and strong Charlotte track history. Larson and Bell are your hammers. Berry and Gibbs are your ceiling plays. Bowman and Blaney are the glue.

Let’s go win the longest race of the season. And maybe cash a few long tickets along the way.

 

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