The Memorial Day weekend, within motorsports circles, it is one of the most anticipated weekends of the season. While IndyCar makes its visit to Indianapolis for the famed Indianapolis 500, NASCAR heads home to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 weekend. The Coca-Cola 600, the longest race on NASCAR’s Cup Series schedule traditionally is a test of both driver and machine.

Occasionally, one driver attempts to do the impossible….run the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same, which UK native Katherine Legge attempted to do in 2026. While the veteran journeywoman driver did indeed make both races, the results were not the desired….but still deserve a nod for the energy and effort put forth.

This season, the Coca-Cola 600 weekend took on a different tone. The sudden passing of such a dynamic veteran as Kyle Busch only that week created a weekend of remembrance, mourning, and nostalgia. Both tracks and teams in Charlotte and Indianapolis paid tribute to one of the true giants in motorsports.

Perhaps fitting, the NASCAR weekend in Charlotte was limited due to weather for all three races, which makes choosing the Best of the Rest a bit tougher. Each race was cut a considerable amount, but there are still standouts who put themselves in position to have a strong showing on such a somber weekend.

NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY 200
(shortened to 110 of 134 laps)

Winner: Layne Riggs

#91 Christian Eckes

Eckes returned home with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2026 after a stint in what is now the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2025. Following the closing of his NOAP Series Kaulig Racing team (ironically also moving to trucks in 2026), Eckes looked to regain his championship contender form in trucks in 2026. What has followed since is Eckes and his new #91 MHR Chevrolet team have struggled to regain that former glory with new competition.

Eckes and his #91 Chevrolet came to play in Charlotte though, starting 7th, leading 33 of 110 laps run, and collected a solid 6th place finish, proving Eckes and MHR will likely be a factor at the end of the season. Charlotte was also Eckes’ second straight top ten finish.

Photo Credit: Jayski and Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

*Due to the race being weather delayed multiple times, and being put on a time vs. lap limit once run, only one driver chosen for this race*

CHARBROIL 300

(race shortened to 91 of 200 laps, with 60% of 91 laps run under caution)

Winner: Ross Chastain

#39 Ryan Sieg

Announced during the off-season in 2026, RSS Racing and owner-driver Sieg would be leaving Ford and switching back to Chevrolet, in a bid to reach that next level of competition after narrowly missing a playoff spot in 2025. As this season began, the bad luck bug also seemed to come back to RSS Racing’s #39 team. Charlotte though? Despite the untimely end of the race, provided Sieg the opportunity to leave the track being in the right place at the right time when the race was called.

Sieg, who started his SciAps-backed Chevrolet in 9th, held strong through miserable, foggy night to collect his 6th top ten of the season, finishing 7th. Like Eckes above, Charlotte would come to be Sieg’s second straight top ten finish, after several weeks of mid-pack finishes.

Photo Credit: Jayski and David Jensen/Getty Images

*Due to the race being weather and fog delayed, and ending under a red flag on pit road, only one driver will be chosen*

COCA-COLA 600

(race shortened to 373 of 400 laps due to weather)

Winner: Daniel Suarez

#7 Daniel Suarez

When Suarez left Trackhouse Racing (due to release) for Spire Motorsports during the off-season, many thought the move to Spire’s #7 Chevrolet would be at most a lateral move, if not a downgrade of sorts. Come thirteen races into the 2026 season, and Suarez has out performed his former team most weeks as Spire Motorsports as a whole gains serious steam in 2026.

The Coca-Cola 600 though, despite the low cloud of grief hanging over the track, was truly a race Suarez could dedicate to a man who meant so much to his career. Starting his #7 Chevrolet 14th, Suarez and crew steadily moved through the field, put themselves in position when the rains came, and Suarez was able to collect his third career Cup Series win, and first since 2024.

Suarez and his #7 crew have steadily gained traction all season, with the Coca-Cola 600 win being Suarez’s seventh straight finish of 20th or better.

#78 Katherine Legge

One of the biggest positive stories of the weekend belongs to Guilford, England’s Katherine Legge. A veteran racer in many disciplines globally, Legge made her NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2025, running seven races with Live Fast Motorsports. Team owner B.J. McLeod called on Legge again this season, creating the chance for Legge to attempt the Indianapolis-Charlotte double, running both races that same Sunday.

One of only a handful of drivers to attempt such a feat, and being the first woman in history to make the attempt, much was at risk as the weekend began. Legge was able to make both races (considering travel is a challenge itself), and bring Live Fast’s #78 Chevrolet 31st after starting 37th. On the Indy 500 side, Legge qualified the #11 A.J. Foyt owned entry 26th, but finished 33rd  due to an early accident, completing 17 of 200 laps.

While the finishes were not what was desired in either race, Legge did become the first woman to successfully make and compete in both races. Officially, Legge ran 586.5 of 1,100 miles attempted to run on Sunday