Top Dog: AJ Allmendinger
The illustrious Coca-Cola 600 has worn many hats throughout its 66-year history. Attrition, desperation, dominance, peculiarity, and sheer grit have marked the event over the years.
As the NASCAR’s longest race, it serves as a day-to-night transition for the Cup Series, with nailing the setup for both periods proving crucial to success. And in the Next Gen era, survival has been the name of the game, as the race’s attrition has reared its head once again since 2022.
The 2025 edition of the Coke 600 mirrored a lot of parity that you might have noticed down the scoring pylon in the mid-2000s. Several underdogs ran inside the top 10, or even the top five, throughout the night.
Leading the charge was AJ Allmendinger, who put together one of Kaulig Racing’s best weekends in its young Cup history. Allmendinger finished fourth after starting just one position lower in fifth.
Initially, Allmendinger slumped to 10th in the opening portion of the race. However, impressive lap times and long-run pace propelled him to a fifth-place stage finish, grabbing six points. Stage two saw the No. 16 flirt with the top five the entire stage, grabbing five more points with a sixth-place stage finish.
Did you expect something different in stage three? Well, you’d be wrong, as Allmendinger was a fixture in the top 10, taking advantage of the extra stage to secure five more points in sixth at the end of the third frame.
Positions lost on pit road was a theme for the No. 16 team most of the night, but they overcame them with monster restarts by Allmendinger, who did just that in the final stage by going from eighth to the top five early on in the final stage.
Intense battles with drivers such as eventual race-winner Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Briscoe proved Allmendinger’s veteran pedigree, as he held strong inside the top five the remainder of the race. A late fueling error by Denny Hamlin‘s team allowed the 43-year-old to grab an extra spot to deliver his best finish of the season.
With Sgt. Nicole Gee, a soldier who lost her life in the Afghanistan evacuation of 2021, riding on the windshield of Allmendinger’s car, it was an exceptional night for the Los Gatos, Calif. native. Entering the race with a dismal stretch of three finishes outside the top 20, Allmendinger gained eight spots in the points standings, reinvigorating playoff life into a blossoming, special story for Kaulig. His fourth-place run was also a personal best in NASCAR’s longest event.
A year ago, Allmendinger was scratching and clawing to have a shot at the NASCAR Xfinity Series title. Now, he is the at the center of potentially launching a once-struggling team to having a shot at pointing its way into the playoffs.
Notable Underdog Runs
Michael McDowell finally cracked the top 10 for the first time this season after brutal close calls. A seventh-place run was just what the veteran needed to also keep himself in the mix for the final playoff at points, tentatively.
McDowell’s effort included a strong recovery from an early miscue when he missed his pit stall after stage one. The mistake dropped him outside of the top 30 following a 10th-place stage one result, setting up a grueling rebound throughout the night. By stage two, he reached 23rd, and stage three saw him crack the top 15 once again.
In the words of Larry McReynolds, the night time was the right time for McDowell, who clicked off blistering laps while charging through the top 10. This time, no late-race gremlins or mistakes caught up to him, allowing the Phoenix, Ariz. native to grab a career-best finish in the Coke 600.
Rounding out the top 10 was Noah Gragson, tying the bow on a complete weekend for the Front Row Motorsports team. Piecing together a weekend like that was a goal of Gragson’s crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, who helped Gragson achieve step one by qualifying eighth.
Even with the multiple grooves and raciness of the track, track position was king, especially during the daytime. That fit Gragson’s approach like a glove, as he racked up stage finishes of eighth and ninth in the first two stages.
As the lights illuminated the 1.5 mile track, Gragson’s handling slipped a little, but not enough to keep the top 10 out of sight. A late-race charge sealed the deal, as Gragson grabbed his first top 10 in NASCAR’s crown jewel event.
Just missing out on the top 10 was Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a driver who is on the right side of the playoffs cut line 13 races into the season. Comers and goers became prevalent under the night sky, playing into the hands of Stenhouse, who had fallen a lap down earlier in the race.
After receiving the free pass following stage three, Stenhouse knuckled down, carving his way forward from 20th on the final restart to as high as 10th. A late pass from Gragson prevented Stenhouse from notching a top 10, but he still recorded his fourth consecutive top 20. He currently sits 15th in the playoff standings, 17 points above the cut line.
The first half of the race was shaping up to be a statement made by Legacy Motor Club, with both John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones running inside the top 10, including Nemechek’s stint in the runner-up position. Unfortunately, contact with the wall derailed Nemechek’s efforts in the final stage.
Meanwhile, Jones slipped outside the top 10, yet closed the night in a respectable position of 13th. While the team appeared unable to keep up with changing track conditions, Jones fought back to 10th in the final run before running long during a green flag pit stop cycle. That strategy ultimately cost him several spots that led to his result, though it is his fourth top 20 in the past six events.
In addition to Chastain’s win, Trackhouse Racing scored another positive with a 14th-place effort by Shane van Gisbergen, his best result on an oval this season.
Van Gisbergen had several close calls throughout the night, yet displayed a prowess that we haven’t seen much from the New Zealander in his rookie campaign.
The 36-year-old hovered around the top 20 all race, closing it out strong in the final quarter of the race to earn his third-career top 15 on an oval.
Death, taxes, and Carson Hocevar sitting down here rather than being documented as the top dog. But of all prior instances, this one was arguably the most gut-wrenching for the 2024 Rookie of the Year.
Starting on the last row due to a spin in qualifying, Hocevar wasted no time blazing through the field, reaching 11th by the end of the opening frame.
A fourth-place stage two finish? Hocevar is going to have a strong night. Then, a third-place stage three showing? This might be the night “Cowboy Carson” gets to victory lane. Even with Byron and Hamlin putting on a masterclass out front, they could not shake Hocevar, who looked to have the best car at moments.
Restarting on the front row to open the final 100 laps, Hocevar inched out ahead of Hamlin before … smoke. Lots of it. In a flash, a blown engine added to a list of nightmares that have plagued Hocevar’s season.
It almost feels like cinematic heartbreak for the sophomore, who also laid down the fastest lap in practice for the 600. But with fancies of himself standing in victory lane, a 34th-place result leaves Hocevar wondering when, not if, that first win will come.
Underdog Power Rankings
1. Stenhouse (–): An 11th-place finish maintained Stenhouse’s position in the standings, and suddenly, the Hyak Motorsports driver is in a somewhat-favorable position to race his way into the playoffs, assuming we don’t get several surprise winners. Despite three finishes outside the top 15 in the last three trips to Nashville Superspeedway, Stenhouse finished sixth in the inaugural event in 2021.
2. McDowell: With the monkey off his back of earning a top-10 finish, the floodgates could open on the potential for McDowell and his No. 71 team. That may not come in Nashville, however, where he has yet to finish inside the top 10.
3. Allmendinger (NR): A strong result can wipe away weeks of misfortune, and that’s exactly what Allmendinger needed to get back into the playoff push. Nashville has been music to his ears in the past, with finishes of 11th and 10th in his last two attempts.
4. Hocevar (–): Week after week, the finishes don’t support Hocevar being in the top five, but the speed screams otherwise. Eventually, it has to come together for the young driver. His one start in Music City produced a 16th-place finish, one he could easily exceed this week.
5. Gragson (NR): Welcome back to the power rankings, Noah Gragson. Three finishes of 14th or better in the last four events have handed the No. 4 team some momentum, and confidence can be a key ingredient for this driver’s success. The momentum could continue in Nashville, where Gragson finished 10th last season.
Top Dog Bracket Challenge Seedings
(1) Stenhouse: Bye
(2) Allmendinger vs (15) Cody Ware
(3) McDowell vs (14) Cole Custer
(4) Nemechek vs (13) Riley Herbst
(5) Hocevar vs (12) van Gisbergen
(6) Todd Gilliland vs (11) Ty Dillon
(7) Zane Smith vs (10) Justin Haley
(8) Jones vs (9) Gragson
Small Team Scheme of the Week
NASCAR’s annual Memorial Day tradition always carries deep significance, much of that reflected by the paint schemes teams sport in the Coke 600. Jones’ No. 43 carried the name of SSG Justin R. Whiting, a U.S. Army soldier who sacrificed his life in Mosul, Iraq in 2008.
A special stars and stripes livery adorned Jones’ Advent Health Toyota, properly paying tribute to the heroes who have provided freedom for our beloved nation.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.