NASCAR at Charlotte 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch

One week after the top drivers in NASCAR competed in the Sprint All-Star Race, the Sprint Cup Series is back at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a true test of endurance in the form of the Coca-Cola 600.

The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the season, and it often leads to some exciting finishes. Fuel strategy always plays a big role since there are so many laps to be run, and that allows some underdogs to roll the dice and go for a victory that essentially locks them in to the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The drivers will be raring to go after a week off from racing for points, which could lead to one of the season's most entertaining races.

Here is everything you need to know about when and where to watch the Coca-Cola 600, along with a closer look at drivers worth keeping an eye on at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Where: Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina

When: Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Qualifying Order

Position	Driver	Car No.
1	Matt Kenseth	20
2	Joey Logano	22
3	Carl Edwards	19
4	Greg Biffle	16
5	Denny Hamlin	11
6	Brad Keselowski	2
7	David Ragan	55
8	Kevin Harvick	4
9	Kyle Larson	42
10	Martin Truex Jr.	78
11	Austin Dillon	3
12	Tony Stewart	14
13	Jimmie Johnson	48
14	Kurt Busch	41
15	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88
16	Ryan Blaney	21
17	Kyle Busch	18
18	Jeff Gordon	24
19	Ryan Newman	31
20	Danica Patrick	10
21	Aric Almirola	43
22	Jamie McMurray	1
23	Paul Menard	27
24	Clint Bowyer	15
25	Michael McDowell	95
26	Sam Hornish Jr.	9
27	Trevor Bayne	6
28	Chase Elliott	25
29	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	17
30	AJ Allmendinger	47
31	Alex Bowman	7
32	Landon Cassill	40
33	Kasey Kahne	5
34	Casey Mears	13
35	Justin Allgaier	51
36	Michael Annett	46
37	Cole Whitt	35
38	Josh Wise	98
39	David Gilliland	38
40	Brett Moffitt	34
41	J.J. Yeley	23
42	Matt DiBenedetto	83
43	Alex Kennedy	33

Drivers to Watch

Denny Hamlin

Jerry Markland/Getty Images

While Denny Hamlin has never won an official points race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he took the No. 11 car to victory lane last week in the Sprint All-Star Race, which suggests he is ready to take the next step this weekend.

The 34-year-old veteran has traditionally run well at Charlotte with an average finish of 13.5 and 11 top-10 results in 19 attempts. He has been close to winning on a few different occasions, and he certainly feels good about his chances entering Saturday's race, according to NASCAR Wire Service (h/t SportingNews.com):

"I think we learned some valuable stuff (in the All-Star Race)," Hamlin said. "We ran up front, re-ran in the middle, we ran in the back. I think we have an idea of what our car did. I have some really good information that I'll download with these guys next week."

In addition to Hamlin running well last weekend, he received a great deal of help from his pit crew as it positioned him to go for the win late in the race.

Fellow driver Kyle Larson was extremely impressed with the manner in which Hamlin's crew set him up for success:

Hamlin has already won a race this year, and that should work to his advantage at Charlotte as well since there is incentive for him to gamble and go for another win due to the fact that his Chase spot is pretty well secured.

With all of that working in his favor, Sunday may represent Hamlin's best chance to win at Charlotte yet.

Jimmie Johnson

Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

With seven career victories at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jimmie Johnson enters the track as the favorite essentially every time NASCAR races in Concord, North Carolina. Although JJ is coming off a subpar performance in the Sprint All-Star Race, he still promises to be a major threat Sunday.

Johnson won the Coca-Cola 600 last season, and he has traditionally been extremely strong in the marathon-esque race. 

The six-time Sprint Cup champion acknowledged that he and his team had some issues last week at Charlotte, but he believes they are capable of finding the right setup to succeed this week, according to Reid Spencer of NASCAR Wire Service (h/t RaceDayCT.com):

"

(Crew chief) Chad (Knaus) and I seem to fix our race car as the night goes on, be aggressive with adjustments, chase the race track well, and I do a nice job searching for a line. The distance of the race doesn't bother me. I think we'll have a strong night, but we have a few things to sort out today and even into Saturday's practice sessions, based on what we learned and what we saw during the All-Star Race.

"

Johnson has built up so much confidence over the years as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history that it is difficult to envision him allowing one poor performance to impact his psyche.

He has proven on multiple occasions that he knows how to conquer Charlotte Motor Speedway, and there is little doubt that he will be among the top contenders Sunday.

Kevin Harvick

Sarah Glenn/Getty Images

While Kevin Harvick has been forced to play second fiddle to Johnson oftentimes this year and in past years, his dominance on 1.5-mile tracks suggests that he will be running near the front of the field Sunday in the latter stages of the race.

According to NASCAR Stats, Harvick and Johnson have proven to be unbeatable at the 1.5-mile distance as of late:

Although Harvick wasn't running particularly well in practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he ended up qualifying eighth, and there is every reason to believe that the reigning Sprint Cup champion will be a deciding factor in the Coca-Cola 600.

Harvick has won two of the past four Sprint Cup races at Charlotte, including the 600-mile race in 2013. He also sits atop the standings currently with two wins and 10 top-10 finishes in 11 races. Even when he isn't at his best, Harvick seemingly finds a way to finish strong.

Based on his recent history at Charlotte Motor Speedway, every indication is that the 39-year-old veteran will be among the drivers to beat in the Coca-Cola 600.

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