Blaney Steals Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Wild Daytona Finish

Daytona , Florida (August 23rd, 2025)

Daytona International Speedway once again lived up to its reputation for drama and unpredictability, serving up a thriller in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 — NASCAR’s regular season finale. With just two playoff spots still up for grabs, the night carried high stakes for Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman, both of whom entered the race clinging to postseason positions. By the time the checkered flag waved, it was Ryan Blaney celebrating a razor-thin victory while Bowman breathed a sigh of relief, narrowly hanging on to the final playoff berth.

The tension started early. On lap 18, Todd Gilliland lost control from the middle lane and collected Tyler Reddick’s Toyota in the process. Though Reddick’s crew managed to make repairs and return him to the track, his night was effectively over. From that point forward, his playoff hopes rested on the cushion of points he had built throughout the season.

Alex Bowman’s situation turned dire just minutes later. On lap 27, a chain-reaction crash involving Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch erupted on the frontstretch. Bowman had nowhere to go and absorbed heavy damage, ending his night far too soon. His elimination meant Reddick was mathematically safe for the postseason, but Bowman’s fate was suddenly tied to whether or not the Coke Zero 400 produced a first-time winner. If it did, his playoff hopes would vanish.

From there, the race evolved into a classic Daytona slugfest. In total, there were 44 lead changes among 19 different drivers, with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney pacing the field the most — 27 laps apiece. Logano in particular seemed poised to deliver another superspeedway masterclass, running with precision at the front of the pack and keeping his Ford in clean air for much of the night.

But with 11 laps to go, it all unraveled. Logano lost control exiting the corner and spun into the damp grass, leaving his car stranded in the infield while the rest of the field thundered past. His bid for victory was gone, and suddenly the door was open for a Cinderella storyline.

That’s when Daniel Suárez, Justin Haley, and Cole Custer took center stage. None had locked themselves into the playoffs, and suddenly each was staring at a golden ticket. If any of them reached victory lane, Alex Bowman’s playoff dreams would come to an abrupt end.

As the laps wound down, the intensity ratcheted up. With just two laps remaining, Blaney sat mired in 13th, seemingly out of contention. But Daytona has a way of producing chaos, and when the pack splintered around Ryan Preece, Blaney found a surge of momentum up top, glued to Custer’s bumper. Together they roared into contention, setting up a breathtaking final lap.

Down the backstretch, Custer made an aggressive move to the inside of Haley, opening the door for Blaney and Suárez to mount a charge along the top groove. What followed was pure Daytona magic: four cars — Blaney, Suárez, Haley, and Custer — fanned out side-by-side, each clawing for inches as the grandstands erupted.

At the line, it was Blaney by the slimmest of margins. His Ford edged Suárez by just .031 seconds, with Haley another .005 behind in third, and Custer a mere .013 behind Haley in fourth. Four cars covered by less than five hundredths of a second — it was the kind of finish that only Daytona can produce.

“What a wild last couple laps, honestly,” Blaney said afterward, still catching his breath. “I was with Cole, and I kind of asked him on the restart, ‘If you go to the top, I’m going with you.’ We waited, the opportunity came, and he made a good move. We got great shoves, the 7 (Haley) and 41 (Custer) started racing each other, and I was just able to barely hold on for the win.”

For Blaney, the victory marked his second of the season and another confidence booster heading into the playoffs. For Suárez, Haley, and Custer, the near-misses were heartbreaking — opportunities to punch a ticket to the postseason that slipped away in the final 300 yards.

And for Alex Bowman, the result was a mix of relief and exhaustion. Despite his early exit, the chaos of Daytona ultimately broke his way. With Blaney’s win locking in a repeat victor, Bowman secured the 16th and final playoff spot by the narrowest of margins.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 once again delivered on its reputation: unpredictable, nerve-wracking, and unforgettable. As the sun sets on the regular season, Ryan Blaney carries momentum into the playoffs, while Alex Bowman sneaks in by the skin of his teeth — a reminder that in NASCAR, every lap and every point truly matters.

NASCAR Cup Series Race – Coke Zero Sugar 400

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

Saturday, August 23, 2025

1. (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 160.

2. (12) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 160.

3. (37) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 160.

4. (29) Cole Custer, Ford, 160.

5. (26) Erik Jones, Toyota, 160.

6. (3) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 160.

7. (24) Chris Buescher, Ford, 160.

8. (18) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 160.

9. (11) Josh Berry, Ford, 160.

10. (30) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 160.

11. (28) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 160.

12. (20) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 160.

13. (15) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 160.

14. (31) Ryan Preece, Ford, 160.

15. (19) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 160.

16. (17) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 160.

17. (34) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 160.

18. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 160.

19. (8) William Byron, Chevrolet, 160.

20. (35) Cody Ware, Ford, 160.

21. (27) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 160.

22. (23) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 160.

23. (9) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 160.

24. (7) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 160.

25. (6) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 160.

26. (21) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 159.

27. (4) Joey Logano, Ford, 159.

28. (40) Joey Gase(i), Chevrolet, 157.

29. (39) Casey Mears, Ford, 156.

30. (36) Austin Hill(i), Chevrolet, 155.

31. (13) Zane Smith, Ford, 154.

32. (38) BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 137.

33. (14) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 95.

34. (16) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, Engine, 81.

35. (25) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 28.

36. (2) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, Accident, 27.

37. (22) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, Accident, 27.

38. (32) Noah Gragson, Ford, Accident, 27.

39. (5) Austin Cindric, Ford, Accident, 27.

40. (33) Riley Herbst #, Toyota, Accident, 27.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 130.909 mph.

Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 3 Mins, 20 Secs. Margin of Victory: .031 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 39 laps.

Lead Changes: 44 among 19 drivers.

Lap Leaders: R. Blaney 1-23;*. Wallace 24;D. Suarez 25-30;R. Blaney 31-32;M. McDowell 33;R. Blaney 34;K. Larson 35-37;R. Chastain 38;C. Ware 39-55;T. Dillon 56-64;R. Chastain 65-66;S. Gisbergen # 67-69;M. McDowell 70;S. Gisbergen # 71-72;M. McDowell 73;C. Ware 74-75;J. Logano 76;C. Ware 77-78;C. Briscoe 79;C. Custer 80-84;W. Byron 85-89;J. Logano 90;C. Briscoe 91-93;J. Logano 94;R. Chastain 95-98;C. Custer 99;C. Bell 100-101;J. Nemechek 102;C. Bell 103-104;J. Nemechek 105-110;S. Gisbergen # 111;C. Ware 112-113;A. Dillon 114-117;J. Logano 118-134;C. Briscoe 135-136;J. Logano 137-141;E. Jones 142-145;J. Logano 146-147;E. Jones 148-152;J. Haley 153;E. Jones 154;R. Preece 155-157;J. Haley 158;C. Custer 159;R. Blaney 160.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Ryan Blaney 4 times for 27 laps; Joey Logano 6 times for 27 laps; Cody Ware 4 times for 23 laps; Erik Jones 3 times for 10 laps; Ty Dillon 1 time for 9 laps; Ross Chastain 3 times for 7 laps; Cole Custer 3 times for 7 laps; John Hunter Nemechek 2 times for 7 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen # 3 times for 6 laps; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 6 laps; Chase Briscoe 3 times for 6 laps; William Byron 1 time for 5 laps; Austin Dillon 1 time for 4 laps; Christopher Bell 2 times for 4 laps; Ryan Preece 1 time for 3 laps; Kyle Larson 1 time for 3 laps; Michael McDowell 3 times for 3 laps; Justin Haley 2 times for 2 laps; * Bubba Wallace 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 5,1,12,71,7,22,34,60,19,20

Stage #2 Top Ten: 1,20,22,42,24,19,12,60,54,5

NASCAR: