Austin Dillon secured one of the last few remaining playoff spots last weekend with a win at Richmond Raceway.. The Richard Childress Racing Driver held off playoff hopeful Alex Bowman for his first victory of the year.
It came at an opportune time with just one race left in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Saturday marks final chance for drivers to join the postseason and contend for the 2025 title. All you need is one win in the regular season to have a shot; just ask defending series champion Joey Logano.
This year, the regular-season finale comes at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR’s most famous venue. It’s the second stop at the track for the Cup Series this season, following the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. William Byron won that race for his second consecutive victory in ‘The Great American Race’ and could be a contender there once again.
Byron’s already clinched the regular-season title ahead of today’s race. He’s one of 14 drivers to have secured a playoff spot, leaving two up for grabs at Daytona.
A new playoff contender may emerge, like in the 2024 edition of this race when Harrison Burton earned a surprising victory, or a winning driver could secure some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Here’s everything you need to know to get ready for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Aug. 23:
What time does the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona start?
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 23, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona on?
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be broadcast on NBC. Pre-race coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET.
Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona?
Yes, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 will be streamed on HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream the NASCAR race at Daytona on Fubo
How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona?
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is 160 laps around the 2.5-mile track for a total of 400 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 35 laps; Stage 2: 60 laps; Stage 3: 65 laps.
Who won the NASCAR Cup race at Daytona last year?
It took seven caution periods that saw nearly half the field taken out of contention before Harrison Burton made it past Kyle Busch to win his first career Cup Series race. Burton’s win came shortly after Wood Brothers Racing announced he’d be replaced for 2025. Busch, Christopher Bell, Cody Ware and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five drivers.
NASCAR playoff picture
Fourteen drivers have clinched berths in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs (Number of wins in parentheses):
Denny Hamlin (four)
Shane van Gisbergen (four)
Kyle Larson (three)
Christopher Bell (three)
William Byron (two)
Chase Elliott (one)
Ryan Blaney (one)
Chase Briscoe (one)
Bubba Wallace (one)
Joey Logano (one)
Ross Chastain (one)
Austin Cindric (one)
Josh Berry (one)
Austin Dillon (one)
Here are the next five winless drivers by points:
Tyler Reddick: 714
Alex Bowman: 685
Chris Buescher: 625
Ryan Preece: 591
Kyle Busch: 537
If a driver with a 2025 victory takes the checkered flag at Daytona, the remaining two playoffs spots will go to the top two winless drivers in the standings after the regular-season finale. If a new winner emerges, only one driver will make the playoffs on points.
What is the lineup for the Coke Zero Sugar 400?
Qualifying was cancelled due to lightning, and the starting grid was set by NASCAR’s formula instead (Car number in parentheses):
(12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
(48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
(5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
(22) Joey Logano, Ford
(2) Austin Cindric, Ford
(11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
(3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
(24) William Byron, Chevrolet
(19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
(6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
(21) Josh Berry, Ford
(99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
(38) Zane Smith, Ford
(8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
(20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
(77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
(88) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
(54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
(1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
(71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
(16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
(23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
(10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
(17) Chris Buescher, Ford
(47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
(43) Erik Jones, Toyota
(45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
(34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
(41) Cole Custer, Ford
(9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
(60) Ryan Preece, Ford
(4) Noah Gragson, Ford
(35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
(42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
(51) Cody Ware, Ford
(33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
(7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
(78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet
(66) Casey Mears, Ford
(44) Joey Gase, Chevrolet
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.