Who’s next? The first-time winners of NASCAR’s grueling Coke 600

It’s 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.

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 as for the event’s first-time winners,  some became legends 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. 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

This 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

Photo by: ISC Archives – Getty Images for NASCAR

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.

Bobby Labonte

Photo by: Greg Gage

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 Series champion, winning 21 races, and joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

Matt Kenseth

Photo by: Autostock

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 just last year. That’s right. 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. 

Victory lane: race winner Casey Mears celebrates

Photo by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

This is where the trend started to shift a bit. Underdogs began to rise from the midfield and snatch this crown jewel victory for themselves. 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 last. He started 489 Cup races between 2003 and 2019, but that 2007 Coke 600 was his only moment of glory. 

2009 – David Reutimann

Victory lane: David Reutimann celebrates

Photo by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

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. 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

Photo by: NASCAR Media

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 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 a highly controversial victory at Richmond in 2024. In doing so, he is actually the most successful driver on this list who hasn’t actually won (or even come close) to a Cup Series title.

Who’s next?

Since Dillon’s 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. Nearly every Coke 600 victor after Dillon is now a NASCAR Cup Series champion, with the exception of Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell, and both are consistent championship contenders.

Recent outcomes tell us that another veteran will likely take the checkered flag this weekend, but I believe we’re due for another first-time winner. But if that happens, who could it be?

Perhaps Ty Gibbs, who has yet to win despite some very impressive performances. The 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is making his 100th career start in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend, driving the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. He has placed as high as sixth in the 600 and is certainly due for a trip to Victory Lane with 563 laps led at the Cup level, but his recent struggles have confused many. Gibbs has the equipment and is a proven champion in lower divisions, so what is missing?

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

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’s also an intensely driven person who only wants to succeed, as you’ll see in this recent Motorsport.com interview with him. 

Ryan Preece, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

Then there’s Carson Hocevar, a natural talent who has knack for punching above his weight, and finding trouble along the way. Hocevar is the highest driver in points right among those who have never won a Cup race (17th), and he came extremely close at Atlanta earlier this year. Spire Motorsport is running stronger than ever in 2025 with Hocevar already recording a pole position and a runner-up finish this year. The No. 77 already has an ‘unofficial’ win this year, capturing the checkered flag in the Open race at North Wilkesboro just last weekend.

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: David Jensen / Getty Images

Of course, they aren’t the only ones who break through on Sunday. The 40-car entry list for this year’s Coke 600 features 13 differentdrivers who have never won a Cup race. This includes the trio above, but also names like Noah Gragson, Zane Smith, Todd Gilliland, Riley Herbst, even rising star Connor Zilisch in his Cup oval debut — and what a story that would be. It may seem highly improbable, but so did several of the names now immortalized on this list.