Rain‑soaked skies over the Charlotte Motor Speedway have reshaped the drama of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Coca‑Cola 600, with officials ultimately canceling qualifying and practice sessions on Saturday afternoon.
As showers lingered across the Concord region, series officials were forced to rely on the standard NASCAR rule‑book procedure to set the starting lineup, handing the pole position to the current series points leader and altering the usual rhythm of single‑car runs that fans typically watch unfold under the lights.
With qualifying canceled, the starting grid is determined by a combination of the current Cup‑Series owner points position, prior‑season owner points, and when necessary, metrics such as car number and team identity.
Current 2026 NASCAR Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick will lead the 39‑car field to the green flag from pole position in the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.
Alongside Reddick for the first draft will be Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, while Shane van Gisbergen headlines the second row driving the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevy, with Michael McDowell starting fourth in the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy.
The third row of the grid features Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 JGR Toyota and Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, both of whom are positioned to immediately factor into the early‑race lead‑lap battle.
Chris Buescher and Austin Cindric will start seventh and eighth, respectively, with Austin Dillon and AJ Allmendinger wrapping up the top ten.
2026 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 weekend schedule: Start times, TV
Full 2026 NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 starting lineup
| Starting pos | Car No. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 2. | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 3. | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | TrackHouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 4. | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 5. | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 6. | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske Ford |
| 7. | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing Ford |
| 8. | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske Ford |
| 9. | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 10. | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 11. | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 12. | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing Ford |
| 13. | 33 | Austin Hill | Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
| 14. | 7 | Daniel Suarez | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 15. | 42 | John Hunter Nemecheck | Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 16. | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 17. | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
| 18. | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 19. | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 20. | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 21. | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
| 22. | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team Chevrolet |
| 23. | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 24. | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 25. | 88 | Connor Zilisch | TrackHouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 26. | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing Ford |
| 27. | 1 | Ross Chastain | TrackHouse Racing Chevrolet |
| 28. | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports Ford |
| 29. | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 30. | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing Toyota |
| 31. | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 32. | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 33. | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske Ford |
| 34. | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
| 35. | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
| 36. | 66 | Timmy Hill | Garage 66 Ford |
| 37. | 78 | Katherine Legge | Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet |
| 37. | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet |
| 37. | 67 | Corey Heim | 23XI Racing Toyota |
Katherine Legge set for historic Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double attempt
Meet the beautiful NASCAR Cup drivers wives and girlfriends of 2026
