McGee: There's no way that Elliott can keep losing in so many weird ways during such a short period of time, right? With that in mind, I expect the No. 9 car to come back in a big way on Wednesday night. And by "big way," I mean survive the last three laps of the race. Even after Sunday night/Monday morning's heartbreak, he still finished second, his third top-four finish in the last four Charlotte oval events. The fourth race during that stretch was a still-not-bad 11th. And hey, if something weird happens that keeps him from winning, don't blame me. Blame whatever these evil mystical forces are that have come at him since NASCAR's quarantine ended.
Clay: Difficulty passing and an inability to catch the leader in clean air were two constants during Sunday's Coca-Cola 600. Bowman benefited from both after diverging from the rest of the field by taking two tires following an early rain delay. He went on to lead 163 laps and, despite finishing 19th, averaged a running position of fourth on the night.
Bowman won't need a similar strategy on Wednesday, as he'll start on the front row in a much shorter race in which track position will be paramount. Bowman isn't a household name, but he has quickly emerged as one of the best cars in the field on a weekly basis, currently sitting third in points and second in laps led through seven starts. Per racing analyst Kevin Matz, Bowman has been first or second quickest in three of the six races at non-drafting ovals this season, including Sunday at Charlotte. He's the best bet for a victory on Wednesday night.
Symmes: Hendrick Motorsports' strong performance was a big part of the story in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, with Elliott and Jimmie Johnson both contending for the win in the closing laps. But the best HMS car for most of the night belonged to Bowman, who led a race-high 164 laps and won the first two stages. Bowman, who will start on the front row Wednesday night, has emerged as a driver who can win on any given week (he has one victory and one runner-up finish already this season) and could very well be in the midst of a breakout year. Count on him being a big part of the story again on Wednesday. Long shots
McGee: There's no doubt that he still has some stuff to figure out after only three races with his new team, but it'll happen soon. He has won "only" twice at Charlotte during his Hall of Fame career, but before he retired the first time, he'd punched out a half-dozen finishes of seventh or better over what we thought were his final nine Charlotte oval races.
Clay: If it weren't for a poor late-race restart Sunday night, Dillon may very well have brought home a top five in what was one of the field's most-competitive cars. The RCR driver ran inside the top 10 for over 80% of the race. Similarly, Dillon ranked 10th in green-flag speed and was eighth-quickest on short runs, per racing analyst Kevin Matz.
With his seventh-place starting position (and a pair of slower Front Row Motorsports cars ahead of him), expect to see Dillon run fifth or better for at least the first stage on Wednesday. He showed no issues remaining in the mix for more than 600 miles on Sunday, so assuming it will be just as difficult to pass this time around, Dillon's speed and track position make him a very intriguing long shot. Winning at Charlotte wouldn't be new for Dillon, who earned his first Cup victory in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600.
Symmes: 1.5-mile tracks have hardly been Richard Childress Racing's bread and butter in recent years, but the organization has shown signs of progress in 2020. Sunday's late-race chaos shuffled Dillon back to a 14th-place finish, but he ran in the top 10 for the majority of the race. His best finish of the season (fourth) came at Las Vegas, another 1.5-miler. His teammate, rookie Tyler Reddick (eighth Sunday), has also made his presence felt on these types of tracks. Look for this duo to bring speed again on Wednesday.
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