<p>On Sunday, the 62nd annual running of the Coca-Cola 600 will commence at Charlotte Motor Speedway in what has been commonly described as the greatest day in motorsports. The motor racing world will have the privilege of tuning in to watch the Indy 500 early Sunday afternoon, and by afternoon, all eyes will shift towards NASCAR's Cup Series for the longest race of the season. As we prepare for one of the grandest days in racing, I would like to shift focus towards Sunday's Coca Cola 600 and discuss the best betting options to have on your radar!</p>
<p>For starters, Charlotte Motor Speedway will be the 5th race of the season at a 1.5-mile venue. The prior venues compiled stops at Homestead, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Kansas. Each of those races yielded four different winners, which proves the 550HP (high-downforce) package has provided more parity than the 750HP (low-downforce) package utilized at the smaller layouts and road courses. Not only will we have to deal with added parity, but Charlotte is not necessarily identical to those other 1.5 mile layouts previously mentioned. In terms of layout and banking, Charlotte is very similar to Atlanta, with a vastly different surface that yields less tire wear.</p>
<p>Despite the parity concern and potential for strategy impacts, I think this event plays into the hands of two individuals by way of Martin Truex Jr and Kyle Larson. Statistically, Larson has dominated all major data elements on the 1.5 mile surfaces this season. Larson has the highest driver rating (132.6), fastest laps (246), and most laps led (509) compared to all other drivers. Despite those impressive stats, Larson only has one victory on the season, which stems from Las Vegas but has shown terrific speed that is likely deserving of 3-4 victories. As this race progresses into the late evening hours on Sunday and the track continues to change, I believe Larson will be the beneficiary because he has shown the most raw speed under this package. Furthermore, Larson is one of the top talents in the sport towards finding long-run speed, which is an important aspect towards winning the Coca Cola 600.</p>
<p>While I believe Larson is the driver to beat, it would be foolish to leave Martin Truex Jr out of the conversation. I have labeled Truex the best long-run driver in the sport on multiple occasions, and that skill set has produced victories in two of the last 5 Coca Cola 600 events. Truex has won three of the previous eight races on Charlotte's oval layout, which proves he knows how to get it done in NASCAR's backyard. Despite leading the Cup Series in victories (3) in 2021, Truex has not scored a victory under the 550 HP rules package that will be utilized on Sunday. For performance purposes under this specific package, I have to put Larson as the top overall threat but rest assured the #19 team will be in the picture as well.</p>
<p>Aside from my primary targets, I believe another important driver that deserves considerable respect is the #24 of William Byron. If you have not followed NASCAR this season, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have returned to prominence with five victories through the opening 14 events. The most improved team within Hendrick Motorsports and perhaps the entire garage revolves around the #24 team with William Byron and new crew chief Rudy Fugle. The duo have been impressive on a weekly basis and have already struck gold at another 1.5-mile venue back at Homestead. Byron is another driver that usually gets better as races progress into the late stages and actually ranks 2nd behind Larson in all major statistical categories on 1.5 mile surfaces. At 15-1 odds, Byron is an excellent dark horse selection that can be targeted in all formats.</p>