The Coca-Cola 600 Should Not Be Split Into 4 Quarters

The Coca-Cola 600 is the NASCAR Cup Series’ hallmark test of endurance and stamina.

So why is it split into four 100-lap stages with a halftime break as if it was a basketball or football game?

Much of the fun in the Coke 600s of yesteryear came from the long distance and the unpredictability it created for race strategy. Not knowing when the next caution would come out created suspense in that department, as the teams never knew if the race was due for a bunch of short runs interspersed with cautions, or if a long green flag run of more than 100 laps was on tap.

Having set cautions at laps 100, 200 and 300 has changed the game in that department. With a fuel window of just over 60 laps, every team makes one pit stop in the middle of the four segments plus an additional pit stop under the three stage breaks. There’s little variability involved, and one of the race’s former strengths has, for the most part, been eliminated under the current format.

Of course, the current format has been made a moot point with the Next Gen car. The 2022 600 featured 18 cautions, while last year’s running had 16. Both races combined for a runtime over 10 hours, and the longest green flag run between the two was only 49 laps. Charlotte Motor Speedway is also one of the tracks where the Next Gen has been a smashing success, so the frantic, close, side-by-side racing seen throughout the event has more than made up for the loss of strategy.

That reflects fan interest in the event, as Charlotte has gone from losing its second oval date in 2018 to the present day, when the 600 has once again become one of NASCAR’s hottest tickets. Now there are plenty of calls to bring that second oval date back.

The race is fantastic as it is, but adjusting the stage lengths so that the final segment is the longest would be great for both the strategy and the racing. My preference is to drop the third stage and have the race divided into segments of 80, 80 and 240 laps. It’s the longest race of the year; throw the teams a curveball with no guaranteed caution for nearly the final 400 miles.

If the race were to keep a third stage, I like the idea of 50-70-90-190. Enough variation to change the strategy for each stage and a long enough finish to really open up the playbook.

The Coke 600 with the Next Gen is already one of the best races on the entire Cup schedule; tweaking the stage lengths would turn a great race into an epic one.

2. What can Josh…