The first-time winners of NASCAR's grueling Coke 600 and who might be next

It may be a bit strange to think that inexperienced drivers seem to shine in this grueling five-hour marathon, but it’s happened enough for it to become notable. At 600 miles, no other NASCAR race gets close to the length of the Coca Cola 600.

And it is no surprise that several of those drivers who got their first win in NASCAR’s longest race went on to become some of the sport’s most legendary names. As the saying goes: “The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire.”

Born from the minds of Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner, the 1.5-mile asphalt oval known as Charlotte Motor Speedway is now the heartbeat of the NASCAR community with a majority of teams and drivers living within a short drive of the track.

The race was originally called the World 600 and ran its inaugural event in 1960. Its first victor was Joe Lee Johnson in the No. 89 machine. It wasn’t his first win, but it was his last, winning the race by a margin of four laps.

But what about the event’s first-time winners? Some became Hall of Famers while others were no more than one-hit-wonders. But nearly all of them had to beat established titans of the sport to get the job done. So, let’s take a look at the complete list of first-time winners and how they all managed to conquer NASCAR’s longest race.

1961 – David Pearson

David Pearson 1979 NASCAR

This three-time series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer would go on to win three championships and 105 races in a career that spanned nearly 30 years, but his first win came right at Charlotte in 1961. After starting third, he led over half the race in a dominant showing, beating the legendary Fireball Roberts by two full laps. His 105 career victories ranks second only to Richard Petty.

Pearson’s triumph in the second-ever running of the race appeared to be an anomaly at first. It would be 33 years until a first-time winner won the 600 again, but it was name that every single race fan now knows.

Jeff Gordon leads Coke 600

At just 22 years old, ‘Wonder Boy’ was piloting the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that he would later make famous. But at the time, he was still searching for his first career win. This race appeared to be Rusty Wallace’s to lose but with the brilliant Ray Evernham on the box, he and Gordon proved to be a formidable duo. A call for a short two-tire stop allowed them to jump ahead of Wallace late in the running. He led just 16 laps but it was enough to claim his first Cup win, defeating the 1989 Cup Series champion.

Of course, we all know Gordon didn’t stop there. The Hall of Fame driver went on to win 93 Cup races and sits just behind Pearson on the all-time wins list. He also won four Cup titles, eclipsing Pearson in that category. These days, he helps run the Hendrick Motorsports empire as the vice chairman – second-in-command to Mr. H. himself.

Bobby Labonte

We certainly didn’t have to wait another 33 years for the next first-time winner after Gordon’s big win. The very next year, another future Hall of Fame would make their mark with a win in NASCAR’s longest race. Ken Schrader was in control, but blew an engine late in the running.

Bobby Labonte moved into the race lead and stretched the fuel to take the checkered flag. It was also Labonte 1-2 with his elder brother and two-time Cup Series champion Terry finishing second. Bobby went on to become the 2000 Cup champion, winning 21 races total in his career, and joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

Matt Kenseth

The theme of first-time winners in the 600 going on to become NASCAR legends continued as the sport raced into the 21st century. Matt Kenseth, running fourth after the final restart, quickly marched forward with the cunning one would expect from a veteran driver. He passed Gordon, Earnhardt, and finally Labonte on Lap 373 of 400. He then held back Labonte as they navigated slower traffic, winning the race by just over half a second.

Kenseth won 39 Cup races throughout his career and was the final champion under the season-long points format in 2003. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2024, so the first four drivers to get their maiden Cup win the 600 all went on to become Cup champions and members of the sport’s Hall of Fame. What an elite group, but that trend suddenly shifted after Kenseth.

Victory lane: race winner Casey Mears celebrates

As we alluded to, this is where the trend started to change a bit. Underdogs began to rise from the midfield and snatch this crown jewel victory for themselves. It became a true wildcard event, and no one could really predict the outcome. After a few years of struggle at Chip Ganassi Racing, Casey Mears, nephew of four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, joined Hendrick Motorsports for the 2007 season. It was still a struggle for Mears and the No. 25 team, but the Coke 600 presented him with a unique opportunity.

With everyone running on fumes, Mears watched as Tony Stewart pitted from the lead with just eight laps to go. Then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pitted from the lead as well, and Denny Hamlin the lap after him. With just six laps to go, Mears inherited the top spot. He peddled that car, hanging on to win the race with 9.5s advantage over J.J. Yeley. Those final six laps were the only laps he led during the entire 400-lap event.

While it was Mears’ first trip to Victory Lane, unlike the previous drivers on this list, it was also his only triumph. He has almost 500 Cup starts now, likely to hit that number by the end of the 2026 season as a part-time driver, but that 2007 Coke 600 was his only shining moment of glory.

2009 – David Reutimann

Victory lane: David Reutimann celebrates

The 2009 Coke 600 was plagued by bad weather and was already postponed to Monday. Running a day late with weather still threatening, the rain returned on Lap 222 of 400. then on lap 222 of 400. David Reutimann was running 14th at the time of the yellow with no hope of victory. However, teams were closing in on needing fuel, so most the field decided to pit during the caution. But Reutimann did not. He led five laps behind the pace car before the rain intensified and forced NASCAR to red flag the event.

And it never resumed, giving us an upset win by both driver and team, as Michael Waltrip Racing had never won a race before either. It was an underdog story for the ages, and one of two Cup wins in Reutimann’s career. It was also the first Coke 600 win for Toyota, which was quite the milestone for a manufacturer that now has seven. As for Reutimann, he went on to win his second and final race the following year at Chicagoland Speedway — no rain needed.

Race winner Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

The grandson of Richard Childress, Dillon was the first driver to pilot the No. 3 car in the Cup Series since the passing of Dale Earnhardt in 2001. And similar to the race from a decade earlier where Mears won, the 2017 Coke 600 became an intense fuel-mileage race. Martin Truex Jr. had absolutely dominated the event, but he did not have enough fuel to make it to the end.

Several drivers tried and failed to stretch it. Jimmie Johnson was leading with just two laps to go, but he ran out exiting Turn 2 with about 2.25 miles left in the 600-mile race.

Dillon was now in control, but he had no room to breathe as both Truex and Kyle Busch were closing in fast. Even if he had enough fuel, there was still a real chance they might reach him anyway, but they did not get there in time. Busch crossed the line just eight tenths back of the No. 3 car, which carried Austin Dillon to his first career win after leading only the final two laps. Had that been a 601 mile race, the result would have looked very different.

Dillon is the only driver on this list who is still competing full-time at the Cup level. He went on to win the 2018 Daytona 500, collecting another crown jewel. He also has victories at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022, the summer Daytona race in 2023, and back-to-back wins at Richmond in 2024 and 2025. In doing so, he is actually the most successful driver on this list who hasn’t won a Cup Series title.

Who’s next?

Since Dillon’s surprise win in 2017, there have been no first-time winners in the Coke 600. In fact, the trend has shifted back towards the more experienced drivers. Every Coke 600 victor after Dillon is now a NASCAR Cup Series champion, or a driver who has ended the year top three in points at one point in their career.

Recent outcomes tell us that another veteran will likely take the checkered flag this weekend, but maybe this is the year another rising star earns their first win in NASCAR’s longest race.

Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs would have been leading contenders to do so, if they had not already secured their first career wins earlier this year. Hocevar pulled off a memorable win at Talladega, while Gibbs finally broke through in a photo finish at Bristol.

So, who else is there? After ruling out the real shockers, there are some potential candidates.

Connor Zilisch

Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

The teenager was labeled a phenom long before he made it to the Cup Series, winning races hand-over-fist in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series and turning heads everywhere he went. However, his rookie season has not gone as planned. The leap from the secondary division to the top level is enormous, and he has been further hindered by the fact that Trackhouse has lost some of their edge and are struggling most weeks.

But the flashes of speed have been there from this highly talented 19-year-old. Zilisch has yet to score a top ten at the Cup level, but he could have been a threat for the win in both road courses this year without some late-race misfortune. But what about the ovals? Well, he just finished fifth in the Dover All-Star Race, even driving through the field at the Monster Mile after a late-race pit road penalty while running second. Since arriving to the Cup Series, that was his best drive on an oval.

He’s also not a Coke 600 rookie. Last year, he became the youngest driver in history to start NASCAR’s longest race, making his Cup Series oval debut. While his teammate Ross Chastain took the win, he managed to finish the race, completing 398 of 400 laps (597 of 600 miles) and finishing 23rd. If given a fast car this weekend, who knows what he could do just one year after his first 600.

Corey Heim

Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota

What a story this would be, and it’s not as far-fetched as some might believe. Heim only has ten previous Cup starts, and he’s never started the Coke 600 before. A part-time driver in an open entry normally wouldn’t be considered a threat to win any race, but this driver and team are different. Along with being one of the most promising young stars in NASCAR, Heim is driving for 23XI Racing — a team that has dominated the early portion of 2026 with Tyler Reddick, and shown speed across the board.

Heim’s most recent start came at Texas, where he led a whopping 69 laps. He also finished sixth at Bristol that year, showing that he is already fully capable of running at the front of the Cup field. 23XI and Toyota are also leading the pack at the moment, and I’m sure there several drivers who would happily drive a part-time open entry for 23XI over the full-time ride they currently got. Heim is a potential threat for the win, if the right circumstances present themselves.

And of course, how can you count out the No. 67 in the 67th running of the Coca-Cola 600?

Ryan Preece

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing

Another potential candidate is Ryan Preece, who drives the No. 60 RFK Racing Ford Mustang. In a deal that came together late in the 2024 season, Preece has impressed everyone so far, brushing shoulders with the checkered flag on more than one occasion.

He even won a Cup race this year, but it was the Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray. But that Victory Lane interview showed just how hungry he is to get an ‘official’ one in a points-paying race. He will be making his 236th start this weekend, This will be Preece’s seventh appearance in the Coke 600, and he finished as high as ninth there one year ago.

And despite going up in flames just two laps into last weekend’s All-Star Race, he’s also a very consistent driver who is good at getting his car to the finish. That personality trait it very important when you’re taking on a 600-mile marathon.

The others

Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet, Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports Ford

While those three look to be the most realistic bets, they aren’t the only drivers in the field without a Cup win. The 39-car entry list for this year’s Coke 600 features 13 different drivers who have never won a Cup race. Besides Zilisch, Heim, and Preece, they are:

Noah Gragson (Front Row), Ty Dillon (Kaulig), Todd Gilliland (Front Row), Riley Herbst (23XI), Zane Smith (Front Row), John-Hunter Nemechek (Legacy), Cody Ware (Rick Ware), Timmy Hill (Gararage 56), Katherine Legge (Live Fast).

It might all seem highly improbable, but at one point, so did several of the names now immortalized on this list.

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