View source for 2009 Coca-Cola 600

{{short description|Auto race run in North Carolina in 2009}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{NASCAR race season infobox
| Type           = NAS
| Race Name      = Coca-Cola 600
| Details ref    =<ref name="weather-information">{{cite web | url = http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/zipcode/28027/2009-05-25 | title = 2009 Coca-Cola 600 weather information | publisher = The Old Farmers' Almanac | access-date = July 30, 2013}}</ref>
| Fulldate       = {{Start date|2009|5|25}}
| Year           = 2009
| Race_No        = 12
| Season_No      = 36
| Image          = 2009_Coca-Cola_600_program_cover.png|
| Location       = [[Charlotte Motor Speedway|Lowe's Motor Speedway]] in [[Concord, North Carolina]]
| Course_mi      = 1.5
| Course_km      = 2.4
| Distance_laps  = 227
| Distance_mi    = 340.5
| Distance_km    = 547.981
| Scheduled_laps = 400
| Scheduled_mi   = 600
| Scheduled_km   = 965.606
| Weather        = Temperatures reaching up to {{convert|80.1|F|C}}; wind speeds approaching {{convert|15.9|mph|km/h}}
| Avg            = 
| Pole_Driver    = [[Ryan Newman (racing driver)|Ryan Newman]]
| Pole_Team      = [[Stewart-Haas Racing]]
| Pole_Time      = 28.651
| Most_Driver    = [[Kyle Busch]]
| Most_Team      = [[Joe Gibbs Racing]]
| Most_laps      = 173
| Car            = 00
| First_Driver   = [[David Reutimann]]
| First_Team     = [[Michael Waltrip Racing]]
| Network        = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
| Announcers     = [[Mike Joy]], [[Darrell Waltrip]] and [[Larry McReynolds]]
|Caption=2009 Coca-Cola 600 program cover, with artwork from [[Sam Bass (artist)|Sam Bass]].

"Gold Rush!"}}
[[File:Lowesmotorspeedway.jpg|thumb|left|alt=An aerial view of an oval-shaped motor-racing circuit.|[[Charlotte Motor Speedway|Lowe's Motor Speedway]], where the race was held.]]The '''2009 Coca-Cola 600''' was the twelfth [[Stock car racing|stock car race]] of the [[2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series]] and the fiftieth iteration of the [[Coca-Cola 600|event]]. It was held on May 25, 2009, at [[Charlotte Motor Speedway|Lowe's Motor Speedway]] in [[Concord, North Carolina]] after being postponed on May 24 because of inclement weather. Scheduled for 400 laps on the {{Convert|1.5|mi|km|adj=on}} quad-oval, the race was won by [[David Reutimann]] of [[Michael Waltrip Racing]] after being shortened to 227 laps because of poor weather conditions. [[Ryan Newman (racing driver)|Ryan Newman]] finished second ahead of [[Robby Gordon]], [[Carl Edwards]], and [[Brian Vickers]], who completed the first five positions.

[[NASCAR on Fox|Fox Sports]] televised the event in the United States, while the race was broadcast on radio by [[Performance Racing Network]] (over-the-air) and [[Sirius XM Radio]] (satellite)
[[File:2009 Coca-Cola 600 race logo.png|thumb|The logo for the 2009 Coca-Cola 600, celebrating the 50th running of the event.]]
On the day of the race, 1.33 inches of precipitation were recorded around the speedway; a significant amount of rain for the Charlotte area for the month of May.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.sercc.com/CharlotteNASCARClimatology.pdf | title = Charlotte NASCAR Climatology | publisher = SERCC | access-date = 2018-09-12 | archive-date = September 8, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180908092914/http://www.sercc.com/CharlotteNASCARClimatology.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==Background==
[[Charlotte Motor Speedway|Lowe's Motor Speedway]], now called Charlotte Motor Speedway, is one of ten [[Oval track racing#Intermediate|intermediate tracks]] to hold [[NASCAR]] races; the others are [[Atlanta Motor Speedway]], [[Kansas Speedway]], [[Chicagoland Speedway]], [[Darlington Raceway]], [[Homestead-Miami Speedway]], [[New Hampshire Motor Speedway]], [[Kentucky Speedway]], [[Las Vegas Motor Speedway]], and [[Texas Motor Speedway]].<ref name="tacksnascar">{{cite web|title=NASCAR Race Tracks|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/|access-date=December 20, 2011|work=NASCAR|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130101145548/http://www.nascar.com/races/tracks/|archive-date=January 1, 2013}}</ref> The standard track at Lowe's Motor Speedway is a four-turn, {{convert|1.5|mi|km|adj=on}}-long, [[Oval track#Quad-oval|quad-oval]] track. The track's turns are [[Banked turn|banked]] at twenty-four degrees; both the front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch (opposite the front) have a five-degree banking.<ref name="charltrack">{{cite web|last=Bonkowski|first=Jerry|title=Here's all you need to know about the Coca-Cola 600 and the Charlotte Motor Speedway|url=http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2015/05/22/heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-coca-cola-600-and-charlotte-motor-speedway/|work=[[NBC Sports]]|publisher=[[NBC]]|access-date=January 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906144104/http://nascar.nbcsports.com/2015/05/22/heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-coca-cola-600-and-charlotte-motor-speedway/|archive-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>

The Coca-Cola 600 was conceived by race car driver [[Curtis Turner]] who built the Charlotte Motor Speedway.<ref name="raceorigins">{{cite web | url=http://www.nascar.com/news/120524/maumann-cturner-retro-racing/index.html | title=Turner's dream brings creation of Charlotte track | work=NASCAR | publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. | date=May 24, 2012 | access-date=May 26, 2012 | author=Aumann, Mark | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017221943/http://www.nascar.com/news/120524/maumann-cturner-retro-racing/index.html | archive-date=October 17, 2012}}</ref> It was first held in 1960 in an attempt by NASCAR to stage a [[Memorial Day]] weekend race to compete with the open-wheel [[Indianapolis 500]]; the two races were held together on the same day starting from 1974.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hart|first=Jay|title=Story lines: Lowe's|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=jh-storylines052309|work=[[Yahoo! Sports]]|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]|date=May 23, 2009|access-date=February 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160212103411/http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=jh-storylines052309|archive-date=February 12, 2016}}</ref> The race is the longest (in terms of distance) on the NASCAR calendar and is considered by several drivers as one of the sport's most important races alongside the [[Daytona 500]], the [[Brickyard 400]] and the [[Bojangles' Southern 500|Southern 500]].<ref>{{cite news|author=NASCAR Wire Service|title=NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 has a history with major appeal|url=http://www.cecildaily.com/sports/pros/article_cc358d7b-fb0c-5ab4-8333-e0ca773b17c2.html|work=[[Cecil Whig]]|publisher=Adams Publishing Group|date=May 22, 2014|access-date=February 12, 2016}}</ref> The event was known as the World 600 until 1984 when [[The Coca-Cola Company]] purchased the naming rights to the race and renamed it the Coca-Cola World 600 in 1985. It has been called the Coca-Cola 600 every year since 1986 except for 2002 when the name changed to Coca-Cola Racing Family 600.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coca-Cola 600|url=http://www.excite.com/events/sports-tickets/Coca-Cola-600/index.php|work=TicketsMate|publisher=Excite|access-date=February 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906064331/http://www.excite.com/events/sports-tickets/Coca-Cola-600/index.php|archive-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref>

== Entry list ==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Car #
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Driver</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Hometown</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Make</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Sponsor</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Owner
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Team
|-
|00
|David Reutimann
|Zephyrhills, FL
|Toyota
|Aaron's Dream Machine
|Michael Waltrip
|
|-
|1
|Martin Truex Jr
|Mayetta, NJ
|Chevrolet
|Bass Pro Shops / NWTF
|Teresa Earnhardt
|
|-
|2
|Kurt Busch
|Las Vegas, NV
|Dodge
|Miller Lite "Taste Protector"
|Walter Czarnecki
|
|-
|5
|Mark Martin
|Batesville, AR
|Chevrolet
|Carquest / Kellogg's
|Mary Hendrick
|
|-
|06
|David Starr
|Houston, TX
|Dodge
|Roni Deutch Tax Center
|Theresa Boys
|
|-
|6
|David Ragan
|Unadilla, GA
|Ford
|UPS
|John Henry
|
|-
|07
|Casey Mears
|Bakersfield, CA
|Chevrolet
|Jack Daniel's
|Richard Childress
|
|-
|7
|Robby Gordon
|Bellflower, CA
|Toyota
|Jim Beam / Operation Homefront
|Robby Gordon
|
|-
|09
|Mike Bliss
|Milwaukie, OR
|Dodge
|Phoenix Racing
|James Finch
|
|-
|9
|Kasey Kahne
|Enumclaw, WA
|Dodge
|Budweiser
|George Gillett Jr
|
|-
|11
|Denny Hamlin
|Chesterfield, VA
|Toyota
|FedEx Express
|J D Gibbs
|
|-
|12
|David Stremme
|South Bend, IN
|Dodge
|Penske Racing
|Roger Penske
|
|-
|13
|Max Papis
|Como, Italy
|Toyota
|GEICO
|Bob Germain
|
|-
|14
|Tony Stewart
|Rushville, IN
|Chevrolet
|Office Depot / Old Spice
|Margaret Haas
|
|-
|16
|Greg Biffle
|Vancouver, WA
|Ford
|American Red Cross / 3M
|Jack Roush
|
|-
|17
|Matt Kenseth
|Cambridge, WI
|Ford
|R+L Carriers
|John Henry
|
|-
|18
|Kyle Busch
|Las Vegas, NV
|Toyota
|M&M's
|Joe Gibbs
|
|-
|19
|Elliott Sadler
|Emporia, VA
|Dodge
|Best Buy
|George Gillett Jr
|
|-
|20
|Joey Logano
|Middleton, CT
|Toyota
|The Home Depot
|Joe Gibbs
|
|-
|21
|Bill Elliott
|Dawsonville, GA
|Ford
|Motorcraft
|Glen Wood
|
|-
|24
|Jeff Gordon
|Vallejo, CA
|Chevrolet
|DuPont
|Rick Hendrick
|
|-
|26
|Jamie McMurray
|Joplin, MO
|Ford
|Irwin Vise-Grip
|Geoff Smith
|
|-
|29
|Kevin Harvick
|Bakersfield, CA
|Chevrolet
|Shell / Pennzoil
|Richard Childress
|
|-
|31
|Jeff Burton
|South Boston, VA
|Chevrolet
|Caterpillar
|Richard Childress
|
|-
|33
|Clint Bowyer
|Emporia, KS
|Chevrolet
|Cheerios / Hamburger Helper
|Bobby Ginn III
|
|-
|34
|Tony Raines
|LaPorte, IN
|Chevrolet
|Taco Bell
|Teresa Earnhardt
|
|-
|36
|Scott Riggs
|Bahama, NC
|Toyota
|Tommy Baldwin Racing
|Tommy Baldwin
|
|-
|39
|Ryan Newman
|South Bend, IN
|Chevrolet
|U.S. Army
|Tony Stewart
|
|-
|41
|JJ Yeley
|Phoenix, AZ
|Toyota
|SmallSponsor.com
|Jeremy Mayfield
|
|-
|42
|Juan Pablo Montoya
|Bogota, Colombia
|Chevrolet
|Target
|Teresa Earnhardt
|
|-
|43
|Reed Sorenson
|Peachtree City, GA
|Dodge
|U.S. Air Force
|Richard Petty
|
|-
|44
|AJ Allmendinger
|Los Gatos, CA
|Dodge
|Hunt Brothers Pizza
|George Gillett Jr
|
|-
|47
|Marcos Ambrose
|Launceston, Tasmania
|Toyota
|Kingsford / Clorox
|Rob Kauffman
|
|-
|48
|Jimmie Johnson
|El Cajon, CA
|Chevrolet
|Lowe's
|Jeff Gordon
|
|-
|55
|Michael Waltrip
|Owensboro, KY
|Toyota
|NAPA
|Michael Waltrip
|
|-
|64
|Todd Bodine
|Chemung, NY
|Toyota
|Gunselman Motorsports
|Larry Gunselman
|
|-
|66
|Dave Blaney
|Hartford, OH
|Toyota
|Aaron's Dream Machine
|Phil Parsons
|
|-
|71
|David Gilliland
|Riverside, CA
|Chevrolet
|CompUSA
|Kevin Buckler
|
|-
|73
|Mike Garvey
|McDonough, GA
|Dodge
|Quality Concrete
|Barry Haefele
|
|-
|77
|Sam Hornish Jr
|Defiance, OH
|Dodge
|Mobil 1
|Bill Davis
|
|-
|82
|Scott Speed
|Manteca, CA
|Toyota
|Red Bull
|Dietrich Mateschitz
|
|-
|83
|Brian Vickers
|Thomasville, NC
|Toyota
|Red Bull
|Dietrich Mateschitz
|
|-
|87
|Joe Nemechek
|Lakeland, FL
|Toyota
|G.P.'s Enterprises
|Andrea Nemechek
|
|-
|88
|Dale Earnhardt Jr
|Kannapolis, NC
|Chevrolet
|National Guard / Amp Energy
|Rick Hendrick
|
|-
|96
|Bobby Labonte
|Corpus Christi, TX
|Ford
|Ask.com
|Jeffrey Moorad
|
|-
|98
|Paul Menard
|Eau Claire, WI
|Ford
|Johns Manville / Menards
|Max Jones
|
|-
|99
|Carl Edwards
|Columbia, MO
|Ford
|Aflac
|Jack Roush
|
|}

== Qualifying ==
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Pos.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2009 Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying Results and Race Lineup - Charlotte Motor Speedway|url=https://frcs.pro/nascar/cup/races/lineup/2009/charlotte-motor-speedway/coca-cola-600|access-date=2021-06-17|website=frcs.pro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Race Results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Racing-Reference|language=en-US}}</ref>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |Car #
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Driver</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Make</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>SPD Q</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>Time</abbr>
! colspan="1" rowspan="1" |<abbr>BHND</abbr>
|-
|1
|39
|Ryan Newman
|Chevrolet
|188.475
|28.651
|0.000
|-
|2
|18
|Kyle Busch
|Toyota
|188.258
|28.684
|00.033
|-
|3
|24
|Jeff Gordon
|Chevrolet
|188.193
|28.694
|00.043
|-
|4
|5
|Mark Martin
|Chevrolet
|188.166
|28.698
|00.047
|-
|5
|48
|Jimmie Johnson
|Chevrolet
|187.820
|28.751
|00.100
|-
|6
|9
|Kasey Kahne
|Dodge
|187.493
|28.801
|00.150
|-
|7
|09
|Mike Bliss
|Dodge
|187.422
|28.812
|00.161
|-
|8
|83
|Brian Vickers
|Toyota
|187.396
|28.816
|00.165
|-
|9
|42
|Juan Pablo Montoya
|Chevrolet
|187.188
|28.848
|00.197
|-
|10
|21
|Bill Elliott
|Ford
|187.169
|28.851
|00.200
|-
|11
|87
|Joe Nemechek
|Toyota
|187.162
|28.852
|00.201
|-
|12
|1
|Martin Truex Jr
|Chevrolet
|186.916
|28.890
|00.239
|-
|13
|11
|Denny Hamlin
|Toyota
|186.864
|28.898
|00.247
|-
|14
|20
|Joey Logano
|Toyota
|186.832
|28.903
|00.252
|-
|15
|19
|Elliott Sadler
|Dodge
|186.825
|28.904
|00.253
|-
|16
|16
|Greg Biffle
|Ford
|186.735
|28.918
|00.267
|-
|17
|2
|Kurt Busch
|Dodge
|186.599
|28.939
|00.288
|-
|18
|82
|Scott Speed
|Toyota
|186.574
|28.943
|00.292
|-
|19
|99
|Carl Edwards
|Ford
|186.548
|28.947
|00.296
|-
|20
|96
|Bobby Labonte
|Ford
|186.477
|28.958
|00.307
|-
|21
|00
|David Reutimann
|Toyota
|186.368
|28.975
|00.324
|-
|22
|29
|Kevin Harvick
|Chevrolet
|186.233
|28.996
|00.345
|-
|23
|47
|Marcos Ambrose
|Toyota
|186.220
|28.998
|00.347
|-
|24
|33
|Clint Bowyer
|Chevrolet
|186.181
|29.004
|00.353
|-
|25
|66
|Dave Blaney
|Toyota
|186.014
|29.030
|00.379
|-
|26
|77
|Sam Hornish Jr
|Dodge
|185.970
|29.037
|00.386
|-
|27
|88
|Dale Earnhardt Jr
|Chevrolet
|185.829
|29.059
|00.408
|-
|28
|14
|Tony Stewart
|Chevrolet
|185.778
|29.067
|00.416
|-
|29
|71
|David Gilliland
|Chevrolet
|185.707
|29.078
|00.427
|-
|30
|17
|Matt Kenseth
|Ford
|185.605
|29.094
|00.443
|-
|31
|98
|Paul Menard
|Ford
|185.592
|29.096
|00.445
|-
|32
|13
|Max Papis
|Toyota
|185.433
|29.121
|00.470
|-
|33
|26
|Jamie McMurray
|Ford
|185.319
|29.139
|00.488
|-
|34
|6
|David Ragan
|Ford
|185.173
|29.162
|00.511
|-
|35
|12
|David Stremme
|Dodge
|185.096
|29.174
|00.523
|-
|36
|07
|Casey Mears
|Chevrolet
|184.704
|29.236
|00.585
|-
|37
|7
|Robby Gordon
|Toyota
|184.590
|29.254
|00.603
|-
|38
|44
|AJ Allmendinger
|Dodge
|184.338
|29.294
|00.643
|-
|39
|55
|Michael Waltrip
|Toyota
|183.949
|29.356
|00.705
|-
|40
|31
|Jeff Burton
|Chevrolet
|183.281
|29.463
|00.812
|-
|41
|34
|Tony Raines
|Chevrolet
|183.175
|29.480
|00.829
|-
|42
|43
|Reed Sorenson
|Dodge
|183.156
|29.483
|00.832
|-
|43
|36
|Scott Riggs
|Toyota
|184.432
|29.279
|00.628
|-
! colspan="7" |Failed to qualify
|-
|44
|41
|J.J. Yeley
|Toyota
|184.093
|29.333
|
|-
|45
|73
|Mike Garvey
|Dodge
|182.457
|29.596
|
|-
|46
|64
|Todd Bodine
|Toyota
|182.426
|29.601
|
|-
|47
|06
|David Starr
|Dodge
|179.081
|30.154
|
|}

==Pre-race festivities==
[[United States Air Force|Air Force]] [[Tops in Blue]] sang the national anthem. [[Bobby Allison]], the race's grand marshal, gave the command to start engines. (It was not televised on Monday, instead, it was preempted by commercials.)

==Race recap==
[[Ryan Newman (racing driver)|Ryan Newman]] and [[Kyle Busch]] started on the front row followed by [[Jeff Gordon]] and [[Mark Martin (NASCAR)|Mark Martin]] in the second one, and [[Jimmie Johnson]] and [[Kasey Kahne]] in the third. Newman decided to start the race from the outside, switching positions with Busch.

At 12:12&nbsp;pm EDT, the green flag waved marking the start of the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600. After lap 1, Newman led the first lap with Busch in 2nd and Martin in 3rd. Two laps later, Busch took the lead from Newman while out of turn 4. On lap 7, the first caution flag was waved for light rain. Before the caution, [[Brian Vickers]] was in 5th after starting in 8th and [[Denny Hamlin]] was in that position after starting 13th. [[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]], starting in 27th, was in 31st. Eleven drivers entered pit road. Among them were Earnhardt Jr.; [[Kevin Harvick]]; [[Michael Waltrip]]; [[Greg Biffle]]; and [[Matt Kenseth]].

When the restarted on lap 12, Busch had the lead followed by Newman, Martin, Kahne, and Vickers behind him. Shortly after, Harvick and [[Sam Hornish Jr.]] made contact on the backstretch. On lap 17, Harvick made contact with the outside wall entering turn 1, causing damage to his car and bringing out a caution. Busch reported an electrical problem with his car.

On lap 19, the race restarted with Busch, Newman, Martin, Kahne, and Gordon in the Top 5. By lap 35, Busch had opened a 2-second lead over Martin, who was 2nd. [[Tony Stewart]], starting in 28th, was now in 15th. During pit stops on lap 42 after a competition caution, Johnson had the lead off pit road and gained 16 positions, followed by Busch and Martin. Newman had to come back to pit road for a lugnut replacement and [[Mike Bliss]] drove his car to the garage.

The race restarted on lap 45 with Johnson, Busch, Martin, [[Kurt Busch]], and [[Denny Hamlin]] rounding out the Top 5. On lap 51, Ky. Busch took the lead away from Johnson with Martin still in 2nd. By lap 55, Johnson, with a loose car, had fallen to the 6th place. Rain returned by lap 71, resulting in yet another caution. After pit stops that followed, [[Carl Edwards]] gained 10 positions, [[Jamie McMurray]] gained 16, Reutimann gained 7, and [[Martin Truex Jr.]] gained 13. Vickers lost 6. Martin's crew lost a tire from their pit, resulting in a penalty for him. [[Robby Gordon]] stayed out and led a lap. Waltrip and [[Scott Riggs]] also stayed out. Approximately 55 minutes after the start of the race, the red flag was waved on lap 74 for rain. R. Gordon, Waltrip, Riggs, KY. Busch, Edwards, Reutimann, McMurray, [[Joey Logano]], Kahne, and [[Juan Pablo Montoya]] made up the Top 10 at that time.

This red flag period lasted 54 minutes before caution laps resumed. R. Gordon, Waltrip, and Riggs made pit stops under the caution. Each of the three had a led at least a lap. The restart on lap 79 with Ky. Busch, Edwards, Reutimann, McMurray, and Logano in the Top 5. Martin served a penalty from the last pit stop and dropped to 37th place. By lap 87, Ky. Busch opened a two-second lead over second place Reutimann. On lap 93, McMurray dropped from fourth to 10th and Reutimann fell two spots from 2nd after making contact with the outside wall of Turn 4. Meanwhile, Earnhardt Jr. continued to fight an ill-handling car and on lap 111 Ky. Busch, who was leading, put him a lap down. On lap 120, Vickers took the lead from Ky. Busch. As of lap 122, [[Joe Nemechek]], Waltrip, Harvick, and [[Max Papis]], running 38th through 41st respectively, were a lap down. Green flag pit stops began at that point. On lap 129, Montoya took second from KY. Busch. Logano led lap 131. Reutimann and David Gilliland were deemed too fast on pit road and served penalties. Meanwhile, [[Dave Blaney]] led two laps under green flag pit stops. Blaney's stop on lap 134 ended the cycle and Ky. Busch regained the lead, followed by Vickers, Montoya, Kahne, and Johnson. Vickers took the lead on lap 146, and by lap 161, he had opened a 2.2-second lead over Montoya.

===Historic moment of silence===
On lap 163, race officials threw the red flag, and ordered the cars to shut down the engines on the front stretch for a [[minute's silence|moment of silence]] in honor of those who died in the service of [[Military of the United States|America's military]]. This moment took place at 3:00&nbsp;pm EDT; the time was chosen because it coincides with that traditionally set aside by American tradition on [[Memorial Day (United States)|Memorial Day]].  Members of pit crews and fans stood in observance, while drivers quietly reflected in their cars.  Although this moment was not originally planned&nbsp;— and indeed would not have occurred if the race had not been postponed the day before&nbsp;— it reportedly met with praise from drivers, crews and fans.

===Pit stops and resumption of race===
During the pit stops, Edwards gained six spots, Jeff Gordon gained twelve spots, Montoya lost three positions, and Vickers lost nine spots. The rain came and delayed the waving of the green flag. On lap 177, the red flag was waved for rain for the second time in the race three hours and eight minutes since the start. Kyle Busch, Kahne, Johnson, Edwards, Montoya, Logano, Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Hamlin, and Vickers are in the top ten when the red flag waved.

The field restarted on lap 180 at 3:42&nbsp;pm. EDT.  Twenty-six cars were on the lead lap as they took the green flag. On lap 182, Logano took fifth from Montoya and Johnson took second from Kahne. Seven laps later, Montoya, running in 7th, reported his car has tightened up. Kurt Busch, running in 15th, entered pit road for a two-tire change on lap 193 because of vibrations. Kurt Busch re-entered the race in 38th, one lap down. On lap 208, seven laps after halfway, Kyle Busch had a 2.4-second lead over Kasey Kahne. Kyle's brother, Kurt, advanced four spots from 38th since the pitstop for vibrations. On lap 213, Kenseth, running in 7th, reported his car has tightened up.

Eight laps later, rain hit the track again and forced another yellow flag for rain. On the ensuing stops, Edwards gained two spots, Vickers five spots, and Labonte seven spots. Johnson lost four spots. Reutimann, Newman, and Robby Gordon stayed on the track.

On lap 227, the third red flag of the race was waved with Reutimann, Newman, [[Robby Gordon]], Edwards, Vickers, Kyle Busch, Kahne, Montoya, Logano, and Kenseth in the top ten. Hours later the race was called official giving Reutimann his first Cup series win in 76 starts. Newman, the polesitter, finished in second in his [[Stewart-Haas Racing]] Chevrolet. Robby Gordon finished third, his first top 5 finish since the 2007 Watkins Glen race<ref>[http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2007/22/data/results_official.html 2007 Watkins Glen race results].</ref> Carl Edwards had the highest finishing Ford in fourth place. Kyle Busch had led the most laps (173), finished sixth. Kasey Kahne, the defending winner,<ref>[http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/12/data/results_official.html 2008 Coca-Cola 600 race results]</ref> had the highest finishing Dodge in seventh. Rookie Joey Logano finished ninth. Bill Elliott, in his 800 career start,<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Elliott: Welcome to NASCAR's 800 Club |url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/180445-bill-elliott-welcome-to-the-800-club |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226052105/http://bleacherreport.com/articles/180445-bill-elliott-welcome-to-the-800-club |archive-date=February 26, 2012 |url-status=live |access-date=May 27, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref> finished 15th. [[Marcos Ambrose]], the last driver on the lead lap, came in 26th.

===Firsts===
[[David Reutimann]] won his first race in the [[Sprint Cup Series]].  It was also the first win for [[Michael Waltrip Racing]] in the Sprint Cup Series and the first for [[Michael Waltrip]] as an owner.  This was the first win for a car with the number 00 in Sprint Cup history and the first win for Toyota at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Cup series. Also, due to the rainout, this marked the first time the actual race was held on [[Memorial Day]]. Also, this was the first Sprint Cup race at Charlotte to be held during the day since 2001.

==Results==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Fin<ref>{{Cite web|title=2009 Coca-Cola 600 - The Third Turn|url=https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/2009_Coca-Cola_600|access-date=2021-06-17|website=www.thethirdturn.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Race Results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2009_Coca-Cola_600/W/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-17|website=Racing-Reference|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428031301/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2009_Coca-Cola_600/W/ |archive-date=April 28, 2021 }}</ref>
!St
!#
!Driver
!Sponsor
!Make
!Team
!Laps
!Led
!Status
!Pts
!Winnings
|-
!1
|21
|00
|David Reutimann
|Aaron's Dream Machine
|Toyota
|[[Michael Waltrip Racing]]
|227
|5
|running
|190
|403998
|-
!2
|1
|39
|Ryan Newman
|U.S. Army
|Chevy
|[[Stewart-Haas Racing]]
|227
|2
|running
|175
|326754
|-
!3
|37
|7
|Robby Gordon
|Jim Beam, Operation Homefront
|Toyota
|[[Robby Gordon Motorsports]]
|227
|1
|running
|120
|208985
|-
!4
|19
|99
|Carl Edwards
|Aflac
|Ford
|[[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|160
|207531
|-
!5
|8
|83
|Brian Vickers
|Red Bull
|Toyota
|[[Red Bull Racing Team]]
|227
|33
|running
|160
|177898
|-
!6
|2
|18
|Kyle Busch
|M&M's
|Toyota
|[[Joe Gibbs Racing]]
|227
|173
|running
|160
|200198
|-
!7
|6
|9
|Kasey Kahne
|Budweiser
|Dodge
|[[Richard Petty Motorsports]]
|227
|0
|running
|146
|159998
|-
!8
|9
|42
|Juan Pablo Montoya
|Target
|Chevy
|[[Earnhardt Ganassi Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|142
|151773
|-
!9
|14
|20
|Joey Logano
|Home Depot
|Toyota
|[[Joe Gibbs Racing]]
|227
|1
|running
|143
|163351
|-
!10
|30
|17
|Matt Kenseth
|R & L Carriers
|Ford
|[[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|134
|160965
|-
!11
|13
|11
|Denny Hamlin
|FedEx Express
|Toyota
|[[Joe Gibbs Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|130
|122655
|-
!12
|20
|96
|Bobby Labonte
|Ask.com
|Ford
|[[Hall of Fame Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|127
|135829
|-
!13
|5
|48
|Jimmie Johnson
|Lowe's
|Chevy
|[[Hendrick Motorsports]]
|227
|6
|running
|129
|158751
|-
!14
|3
|24
|Jeff Gordon
|DuPont
|Chevy
|[[Hendrick Motorsports]]
|227
|0
|running
|121
|145951
|-
!15
|10
|21
|Bill Elliott
|Motorcraft
|Ford
|[[Wood Brothers Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|118
|106000
|-
!16
|26
|77
|Sam Hornish Jr.
|Mobil 1
|Dodge
|[[Penske Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|115
|121610
|-
!17
|4
|5
|Mark Martin
|Carquest, Kellogg's
|Chevy
|[[Hendrick Motorsports]]
|227
|0
|running
|112
|111785
|-
!18
|18
|82
|Scott Speed
|Red Bull
|Toyota
|[[Red Bull Racing Team]]
|227
|0
|running
|109
|116648
|-
!19
|28
|14
|Tony Stewart
|Office Depot, Old Spice
|Chevy
|[[Stewart-Haas Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|106
|109973
|-
!20
|16
|16
|Greg Biffle
|3M, Red Cross
|Ford
|[[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|103
|116175
|-
!21
|33
|26
|Jamie McMurray
|Irwin Vise-Grip
|Ford
|[[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|100
|105050
|-
!22
|35
|12
|David Stremme
|Penske Racing
|Dodge
|[[Penske Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|97
|128615
|-
!23
|12
|1
|Martin Truex Jr.
|Bass Pro Shops, National Wild Turkey Federation
|Chevy
|[[Earnhardt Ganassi Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|94
|131140
|-
!24
|34
|6
|David Ragan
|UPS
|Ford
|[[Roush Fenway Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|91
|102325
|-
!25
|40
|31
|Jeff Burton
|Caterpillar
|Chevy
|[[Richard Childress Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|88
|137731
|-
!26
|23
|47
|Marcos Ambrose
|Kingsford, Clorox
|Toyota
|[[JTG Daugherty Racing]]
|227
|0
|running
|85
|104898
|-
!27
|29
|71
|David Gilliland
|CompUSA
|Chevy
|[[TRG Motorsports]]
|226
|0
|running
|82
|89200
|-
!28
|25
|66
|Dave Blaney
|Aaron's Dream Machine
|Toyota
|[[Prism Motorsports]]
|226
|2
|running
|84
|91175
|-
!29
|31
|98
|Paul Menard
|Johns Manville, Menards
|Ford
|[[Yates Racing]]
|226
|0
|running
|76
|121956
|-
!30
|39
|55
|Michael Waltrip
|NAPA Auto Parts
|Toyota
|[[Michael Waltrip Racing]]
|226
|1
|running
|78
|99925
|-
!31
|15
|19
|Elliott Sadler
|Best Buy
|Dodge
|[[Richard Petty Motorsports]]
|226
|0
|running
|70
|98775
|-
!32
|38
|44
|A.J. Allmendinger
|Hunt Brothers Pizza
|Dodge
|[[Richard Petty Motorsports]]
|226
|0
|running
|67
|88150
|-
!33
|36
|07
|Casey Mears
|Jack Daniel's
|Chevy
|[[Richard Childress Racing]]
|226
|0
|running
|64
|106975
|-
!34
|17
|2
|Kurt Busch
|Miller Lite Taste Protector
|Dodge
|[[Penske Racing]]
|226
|0
|running
|61
|106900
|-
!35
|42
|43
|Reed Sorenson
|U.S. Air Force
|Dodge
|[[Richard Petty Motorsports]]
|226
|0
|running
|58
|125101
|-
!36
|24
|33
|Clint Bowyer
|Cheerios, Hamburger Helper
|Chevy
|[[Richard Childress Racing]]
|226
|0
|running
|55
|95625
|-
!37
|11
|87
|Joe Nemechek
|G.P.'s Enterprises Inc.
|Toyota
|[[NEMCO Motorsports]]
|226
|0
|running
|52
|87400
|-
!38
|43
|36
|Scott Riggs
|Cooter's Backyard Bar & Grill
|Toyota
|[[Tommy Baldwin Racing]]
|225
|3
|running
|54
|87285
|-
!39
|41
|34
|Tony Raines
|Taco Bell
|Chevy
|[[Front Row Motorsports]]
|225
|0
|running
|46
|95175
|-
!40
|27
|88
|Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|National Guard, AMP Energy
|Chevy
|[[Hendrick Motorsports]]
|225
|0
|running
|43
|105065
|-
!41
|22
|29
|Kevin Harvick
|Shell, Pennzoil
|Chevy
|[[Richard Childress Racing]]
|224
|0
|running
|40
|124283
|-
!42
|32
|13
|Max Papis
|GEICO
|Toyota
|[[Germain Racing]]
|219
|0
|running
|37
|86850
|-
!43
|7
|09
|Mike Bliss
|Phoenix Racing
|Dodge
|[[Phoenix Racing (NASCAR team)|Phoenix Racing]]
|42
|0
|vibration
|34
|87817
|-
! colspan="12" |Failed to qualify
|-
!44
|
|41
|J.J. Yeley
|SmallSponsor.com
|Toyota
|[[Mayfield Motorsports]]
! colspan="5" rowspan="4" |
|-
!45
|
|73
|Mike Garvey
|Quality Concrete
|Dodge
|[[H&S Motorsports]]
|-
!46
|
|64
|Todd Bodine
|Gunselman Mortorsports
|Toyota
|[[Gunselman Motorsports|Gunselman Mortorsports]]
|-
!47
|
|06
|David Starr
|Roni Deutch Tax Center
|Dodge
|[[Boys Will Be Boys Racing]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{NASCAR next race
| Series        = Sprint Cup Series
| Season        = 2009
| Previous_race = [[2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com]]
| Next_race     = [[2009 Autism Speaks 400]]
}}

{{2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup |state=collapsed}}
{{Coca-Cola 600}}
{{NASCAR on FOX}}

[[Category:2009 in sports in North Carolina|Coca-Cola 600]]
[[Category:2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series|Coca-Cola 600]]
[[Category:NASCAR races at Charlotte Motor Speedway]]
[[Category:May 2009 sports events in the United States]]