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Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs make decision on running Alsco Uniforms 300 and Coca-Cola 600 in same day

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•05/29/23•

SamraSource

Kyle Busch | Ty Gibbs
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Rain has dampened one of the best race weekends of the NASCAR season, as Charlotte Motor Speedway has felt more like a waterpark than a racetrack over the last couple of days.

In response, NASCAR has been forced to move both the Xfinity Series’ Alsco 300 and Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 to Monday, with the former taking place at 11:00 a.m. ET, and the latter to follow at 3:00 p.m. ET. That’s caused some problems for two drivers looking to pull double duty in Kyle Busch and Ty Gibbs.

According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, the duo has made their decision — Busch will sit out the Alsco 300 and allow Justin Haley to wheel his ride, choosing to focus on the Coca-Cola 600, while Gibbs is throwing caution to the wind and racing both events.

“Xfinity driver update: Justin Haley to replace Kyle Busch for the race Monday as Busch focuses on the 600,” tweeted Pockrass. “… The plan is for Ty Gibbs to run both races tomorrow.”

The two schools of thought are fascinating. Of course, Busch’s replacement in Haley is now pulling double-duty on Monday like Gibbs, as he’ll be in the Coca-Cola 600 as well. It’ll be something to keep an eye on, whether or not it helps or hampers their performances.

Nevertheless, 900 miles of racing is on the docket for today at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It should be a fun Memorial Day for NASCAR fans across the nation.

More on Coca-Cola 600, Starting Grid

Moreover, as a result of the canceled practice and qualifying runs, the starting lineup for the Coca-Cola 600 was automatically set according to the rule book instead of performance in qualifiers. Charlotte Motor Speedway will see William Byron in the No. 24 car start from the pole position.

“Byron won the Cup Series’ most recent points race at Darlington Raceway and leads the series with three victories in 2023,” explained NASCAR’s official release. “The performance metric based on Darlington sets the starting lineup for the longest race of the schedule, factoring 15% of fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race finish position and 35% of the owner points position.”

The full starting grid for the Coca-Cola 600 can be found below, from the aforementioned Byron to seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who will roll off in P37.

  1. #24 – William Byron
  2. #4 – Kevin Harvick
  3. #6 – Brad Keselowski
  4. #11 – Denny Hamlin
  5. #8 – Kyle Busch
  6. #9 – Chase Elliott
  7. #23 – Bubba Wallace
  8. #12 – Ryan Blaney
  9. #20 – Christopher Bell
  10. #47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  11. #17 – Chris Buescher
  12. #5 – Kyle Larson
  13. #21 – Harrison Burton
  14. #1 – Ross Chastain
  15. #45 – Tyler Reddick
  16. #31 – Justin Haley
  17. #22 – Joey Logano
  18. #19 – Martin Truex Jr.
  19. #54 – Ty Gibbs (R)
  20. #14 – Chase Briscoe
  21. #2 – Austin Cindric
  22. #41 – Ryan Preece
  23. #10 – Aric Almirola
  24. #99 – Daniel Suarez
  25. #7 – Corey LaJoie
  26. #43 – Erik Jones
  27. #16 – A.J. Allmendinger
  28. #42 – Noah Gragson (R)
  29. #38 – Zane Smith
  30. #34 – Michael McDowell
  31. #48 – Alex Bowman
  32. #77 – Ty Dillon
  33. #3 – Austin Dillon
  34. #78 – B.J. McLeod
  35. #51 – Todd Gilliland
  36. #15 – J.J. Yeley
  37. #84 – Jimmie Johnson