Editor's note: The contents of this article have been modified from their original state to reflect Kyle Busch's tragic passing, and to ensure clarity regarding this decision.
The Coca-Cola 600, originally the World 600, has been a mainstay on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar since 1960, and it is considered one of the sport's crown jewel events.
The 400-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Charlotte Motor Speedway oval in Concord, North Carolina is the longest race on the calendar, and it is annually contested on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
There are just three non-chartered (open) cars on the entry list for this year's Coca-Cola 600, meaning that the race is set to feature just 39 cars.
Coca-Cola 600 won't see 40 cars, third time ever
The three open cars on this weekend's entry list are the No. 66 Garage 66 (MBM Motorsports) Ford, which is set to be driven by Timmy Hill, the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, which is set to be driven by Corey Heim, and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Katherine Legge.
It marks just the third time the race won't feature at least 40 cars, something that hadn't happened until 2022. But that originally wasn't supposed to be the case.
Richard Childress Racing had initially planned on running the No. 33 Chevrolet for Jesse Love, who competes for the team in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, but opted against doing so.
Note that this decision was made earlier in the week, with no direct relation to Thursday night's tragedy.
After Kyle Busch's tragic passing, Richard Childress Racing did opt to change his No. 8 Chevrolet to the No. 33 Chevrolet, noting that the No. 8 is now set to be reserved for Busch's 11-year-old son Brexton, if Brexton climbs through the ranks to the Cup Series. Austin Hill is set to drive that car this week.
The original non-chartered No. 33 car remains sidelined, and its future plans understandably remain TBD.
Back in both 2022 and 2023, the race featured just one single open car, alongside the 36 chartered entries. Kaz Grala ran the No. 50 Chevrolet for The Money Team Racing in 2022, and Jimmie Johnson ran the No. 84 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club in 2023.
The Money Team Racing became Team AmeriVet in 2024, and they have not appeared in a race since the preseason Busch Light Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium. Johnson continues to run select races in the No. 84 car, now a Toyota, but for the first time since becoming a part owner of the team in 2023, his schedule does not include the Coke 600.
Amazon Prime Video is set to provide live coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 starting at 6:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 24. Tune in and don't miss any of the action from Charlotte Motor Speedway!
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