5 drivers who savored their first NASCAR Premier level triumph at the Coca-Cola 600

The Coca-Cola 600 is considered one of the biggest races in NASCAR, with drivers covering 600 miles in 400 laps. Only selected drivers in stock car racing have begun their careers by securing their first win at the race, held annually at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, during Memorial Day weekend.

Drivers including David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Casey Mears, and Austin Dillon have won their first race at the Coca-Cola 600. Let's find out how these drivers made this happen, etching their names in history with a golden pen.

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5. Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion David Pearson

David Pearson began competing in the stock car racing series in 1960, the same year the Coca-Cola 600 (then known as the World 600) race was held for the first time, and Paul McDuffie driver Joe Lee Johnson won the race in a Chevy.

The late NASCAR driver qualified behind the seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty and Joe Weatherly for the race held in 1961. During a restart on lap 311, Petty and Pearson were in the lead. Petty took a six-second lead but unfortunately had to retire after blowing his engine, leaving room for Pearson to take the lead. The Pontiac driver won the race, followed by Fireball Roberts in second place and Rex White in third.

David Pearson won the race three times in 1961, 1974, and 1976 during his glorious 27-year career.

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4. Jeff Gordon

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon won the 35th edition of the Coca-Cola 600 in 1994. Gordon debuted in the Cup Series in 1992, racing at the Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, for the next two years, the driver scored no wins, ultimately clinching his first Cup Series victory at the Coca-Cola 600.

During the 11th race of the 1994 Winston Cup Series season, Jeff Gordon secured the pole position with a best time of 29.762 seconds and an average speed of 181.439 mph. The HMS driver fended off the field in the closing 20 laps of the race and took home his first Cup Series win. Later on, Gordon also won the race in 1997 and 1998.

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3. Matt Kenseth

During the 41st edition of the Coca-Cola 600, Roush Racing driver Matt Kenseth won his first Cup Series race. After his debut in 1998, Kenseth collected his first win in the Series in 2000. After five practice rounds, Kenseth qualified 21st fastest on the grid behind Ricky Rudd. But with 26 laps left in the race, Matt Kenseth surpassed Jerry Nadeau and took the lead, taking his first NASCAR Cup Series victory.

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4. Casey Mears

Hendrick Motorsports driver Casey Mears won his first and only win in the Cup Series at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600. During the 12th race of the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, Ryan Newman took the pole position, and Mears qualified in 16th place on the grid. He took the lead when Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin made similar pit stops. Mears took the win over his teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson competing for the championship title.

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5. Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon secured his first Cup Series race victory at the 1.5-mile asphalt speedway in 2017. He is the most recent driver to secure his first Cup Series win at the Coca-Cola 600. Kevin Harvick took the pole position, and Dillon started the race in 22nd place. But later, the Chevy driver won the race and created history by crossing the finish line in the #3 car for the first time since 2000.