Coke Zero Sugar 400 Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Six drivers made the move to NASCAR’s top division with the goal of winning Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors at season’s end. After this Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, one man could walk away with the award and that’s none other than Cole Custer. Due to his maiden Cup win at Kentucky Speedway last month, Custer punched his ticket into the playoffs and currently the only rookie to do so with just one regular season race remaining. The scenario is simple,Read More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – To pit or not to pit? That is the question that crew chiefs always face when weather is a factor late in the going. Make the wrong decision and it could cost your driver a chance at a win. Unfortunately for Kurt Busch and Chip Ganassi Racing crew chief Matt McCall, the odds weren’t in their favor in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, as an untimely lightning strike would be their undoing. Busch was able to escape the “BigRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Anything can happen at Daytona International Speedway and it usually does. Once again, it was the case in Sunday’s rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400. Only this time, it involved two Ford camp regulars on the bottom of the points table. After dodging the 18-car big one and some pitting before the red flag, both Corey LaJoie and rookie Matt Tifft were in excellent spots for a strong outcome. Then Mother Nature reared its ugly head for good and after 127 laps, they each scored their maidenRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Through the carnage and smoke, Matt DiBenedetto emerged unscathed on his way to a Top-10 finish at Daytona International Speedway. With weather in the area, the intensity increased dramatically in the final stage of the Coke Zero Sugar 400. DiBenedetto attempted to stay in line with his fellow Toyota Racing drivers. His No. 95 Procore Toyota Camry was shuffled out of line and he found himself in the middle of the hornets’ nest. On lap 118, contact between Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer at theRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As the dark clouds and lightning descended upon Daytona International Speedway Sunday afternoon, Justin Haley climbed out of his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet feeling like it was perhaps divine intervention. He was first on the scoreboard at the time Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 was red-flagged for lightning 33 laps short of the intended 160-lap distance. Two hours and 12 minutes later, the 20-year old Indiana native was celebrating his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup win – inRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With 42 laps remaining in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, dark clouds closed in on the 2.5-mile superspeedway and as it always happens when weather threatens, the intensity ratcheted up and the inevitable “Big One” struck. Austin Dillon and Clint Bowyer had hooked up in the draft to find their way to the front of the field when Bowyer ducked low from second place to try and take the lead for himself. Dillon threw an untimely blockRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Persistent rain with no letup in sight forced postponement of Saturday night’s scheduled Coke Zero Sugar 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. The event has been rescheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, to be broadcast on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Reigning series champion Joey Logano will lead the field to green at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, with Kyle Busch beside him. A lightning delay on Friday forced cancellation of Cup time trials, andRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A day after a run-in with Brad Keselowski during practice for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, William Byron’s opinion of the incident between he and the 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion hasn’t changed. Though the two were able to talk things out and he was able to hear Keselowski’s side of the story, the second-year Hendrick Motorsports driver still believes the move that sent his No. 24 car spinning and him to a backupRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A lightning delay at Daytona International Speedway forced cancellation of qualifying for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) because it prevented timely completion of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series inspection before time trials. Accordingly, with the field ordered according to owner points, Joey Logano will start from the pole position in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford. Kyle Busch, who thought he would have qualified mid-pack if time trials had beenRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A new Camaro to drive, a house party to bring in the dawn and hundreds of congratulatory messages to answer on social media – including one from PGA legend Jack Nicklaus. It’s been a good week for first time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race winner Alex Bowman. Smiles, a full heart and a checked box. Bowman’s team owner, NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick gave the Chicago race winner a helicopter ride to pick up his new Chevrolet CamaroRead More