Coca-Cola 600 Race Results: NASCAR at Charlotte Finish Order, Winner, and Key Takeaways

NASCAR waved the yellow flag on lap 353 due to lightning in the area. NASCAR has a rule which the race must be halted if lightning is detected within an 8-mile radius of the track.

On lap 355, a meteorologist on track reversed the lightning hold and cleared NASCAR to race — something that is not quite by the rules, as NASCAR generally demands a mandatory 30-minute delay in racing since the most recent lightning strike within the radius.

Once racing was cleared to resume, drivers went to pit road for their final stops of the race. Suarez's team boldly played into the weather, aiming for rainfall to end the race early. In that play, Suarez took 2 tyres instead of the 4 tires that all other contending drivers had taken. That decision catapulted Suarez to first place.

NASCAR went green for just 2 total laps before they waved the caution flag again at lap 362. Suarez maintained his lead, and once the rain fell, it fell hard. NASCAR lost the track to rain, which would now likely require 90+ minutes of track drying. NASCAR dislikes racing into the early morning, as drying the track would likely have held off any further racing until 1:00 a.m.

The race would not resume the following day for a mere <30 laps. NASCAR made the race official, and Suarez's pit-road gamble earned him the win. He broke down on pit road in celebration and paid tribute to the late Kyle Busch.