2024 Coca-Cola 600 results: Christopher Bell gets rain-shortened win at Charlotte, leads race-high 90 laps (2024)

Some news I didn't get the opportunity to get to with all that was going on in pre-race: Charlotte Motor Speedway announced earlier today that they have made some tweaks to the Charlotte Roval that will be implemented for this track's playoff race.

The straightaway coming out of Turn 5 of the Charlotte Roval will be extended, creating a new Turn 6 and a much sharper hairpin at Turn 7. There will also be a sharper apex in turn 16 of the final chicane, creating more braking zones and greater passing opportunities.

Justin Allgaier is proving in this press conference that he's quite a quote.

On the differences between the Next Gen Cup car compared to the more traditional Xfinity car: "It was like I was in Europe going on the wrong side of the road. That's how weird it was."

On his somewhat ill-fitting hat: "I look like I'm Yosemite Sam because it's so tall."

He also fielded questions about how this time around as a substitute driver to Hendrick Motorsports compared to another race four years ago that went quite poorly: When Jimmie Johnson was sidelined from the 2020 Brickyard 400 due to a positive COVID test, Allgaier was tabbed to fill in behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet, but he only lasted 17 laps before he was collected in a crash on pit road that ended his day.

Justin Allgaier is now speaking to the print media at the Charlotte Motor Speedway media center.

Good news: The rain has come to a stop at Charlotte Motor Speedway and track drying efforts have begun.

Meanwhile, in the media center, we're currently awaiting a press conference from Justin Allgaier as he recaps his day driving in relief of Kyle Larson.

Did a quick bit of math: Assuming Kyle Larson does indeed complete the final 151 laps of this race once the red flag is lifted, he will have completed 725 miles of racing in the Indy-Charlotte Double. However, he will not be credited in the NASCAR record books as having run this race -- As Justin Allgaier started his car, Allgaier will go down as the driver of record in the race results.

It's important to note that in the history of NASCAR, there have been instances where a driver has started a race, another driver has taken over the car, and that driver has gone on to win: The last time it happened was in 1977 at Talladega, when Darrell Waltrip won the Talladega 500 after taking over mid-race for an ill Donnie Allison. To this day, Allison is credited with the victory.

While we wait for the weather to pass through, here are some photos from the lens of our Canon camera from the grid in pre-race.

Personally speaking, this has been a special weekend to be doing the photography part of my job, which I've expanded this season: My grandfather, John Vincent Taranto, was a commercial photographer. Yesterday would've been his 99th birthday.

Good look at the radar as the storm passes through.

With this race in a rain delay, it's worth noting that the scenario that Kyle Larson is in now is exactly what happened to Robby Gordon when he did the Indy-Charlotte Double back in 2000.

Gordon was set to run both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 for car owner John Menard, but rain delayed the start at Indianapolis, forcing Gordon to miss the start of the co*ke 600 as he finished sixth in the Indy 500. Then, a rain delay at Charlotte allowed him to take over mid-race for relief driver P.J. Jones, and Gordon would drive his car to a 35th place finish.

Kyle Larson is now at his pit box, helmet and firesuit on, and it now sounds like there might be a natural opportunity for him to get in his car: There is lightning in the area at Charlotte Motor Speedway, meaning that this race will be put under the red flag for at least 30 minutes and until 30 minutes after the last lightning strike.

This is the Top 10 with 249 laps complete. If weather prevents this race from being resumed, it will be declared official as we are past the halfway mark.

1 - #20 - Christopher Bell
2 - #6 - Brad Keselowski
3 - #24 - William Byron
4 - #45 - Tyler Reddick
5 - #11 - Denny Hamlin
6 - #54 - Ty Gibbs
7 - #9 - Chase Elliott
8 - #1 - Ross Chastain
9 - #48 - Alex Bowman
10 - #4 - Josh Berry (R)

Should make mention that William Byron made a daring pass for third, going all the way downstairs on Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs -- clipping the infield astroturf in the process -- to take the spot.

Shades of the Pass in the Grass that Dale Earnhardt made in the 1987 Winston, and he didn't even gain a position when that happened!