RACE RESULTS: Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

Using an average of rankings between Racing America On SI’s Toby Christie and Zach Evans, here’s where all 36 full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers stand heading into this weekend’s event at Darlington Raceway.

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1. Ryan Blaney

Suffice to say Ryan Blaney saved the best for last, surging to the lead from 13th in the final two laps at Daytona. With a top-10 streak up to six races, no one is hotter entering the playoffs than Blaney. (Previously: 16th)

2. William Byron

William Byron, who has won the last two Daytona 500s, didn’t have his most impressive showing of the season with a 19th-place run, but considering he was put a lap down early following a pre-race penalty for an unapproved adjustment, the fact that he finished top-20, and had a fully intact car was a big accomplishment. (Previously: 3rd)

3. Chase Briscoe

It’s a superspeedway, so it may not come as a major influence to his overall rank. Still, at least Chase Briscoe was somewhat in contention for the victory in the late stages of Saturday’s event, before getting shucked out of line to finish 23rd. (Previously: 4th)

4. Christopher Bell

P13. Christopher Bell wasn’t caught up in a wreck, but he also wasn’t in contention to win the race. Whether or not you can call that a successful night on a superspeedway depends on what your past experiences have been like. Overall, a so-so night. (Previously: 6th)

5. Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson was a lightning rod on Saturday night. It seemed like every big moment began with a shove from his No. 5 Chevrolet. While debate is still ongoing about who to blame for the Lap 28 melee, Larson used his front bumper to nudge Erik Jones and Ryan Preece out of contention for the win in the closing laps, and he’d end the regular season with a sixth-place finish. (Previously: 9th)

6. Alex Bowman

After Tyler Reddick was involved in an early accident, it looked lik Alex Bowman was in the catbird seat to advance to the Playoffs. Then, disaster struck, as his night came to an end in the Big One on Lap 28. Bowman had to sweat out the rest of the race from the garage, and as Ryan Blaney won in a four-wide finish with three other drivers that could have ended Bowman’s Playoff hopes, the driver secured his place in the postseason. (Previously: 2nd)

7. Denny Hamlin

Saturday at Daytona was just another example of Denny Hamlin’s struggle on the superspeedways when it comes to the NextGen car, getting involved in ‘The Big One’ on Lap 28, and spending the rest of the night limping around the racetrack – before blowing a tire and crashing again. Luckily, the points reset, but a bad finish dropped him to sixth in regular-season points. (Previously: 5th)

8. Joey Logano

Saturday night went from good to bad in a hurry for Joey Logano. After leading 27 laps, Logano spun from the top spot exiting turn four, then got stuck in the tri-oval grass with a flat tire. What looked like a promising showing ended with Logano finishing 27th, one lap down. (Previously: 8th)

9. Daniel Suarez

Daniel Suarez has come alive in the last couple of races before the post-season, riding a top-10 streak of three races – after a seventh at Watkins Glen, a seventh at Richmond, and now a runner-up finish at Daytona. Had things played out slightly differently, the Trackhouse Racing driver could have found himself in the Playoffs. Suarez continues to make a case for why he deserves to be in the NASCAR Cup Series. (Previously: 21)

10. Chase Elliott

Despite a ton of lead changes throughout Saturday night’s race, Chase Elliott never held the top spot in the event. That being said, he was able to escape Daytona with a 10th-place effort, which had to feel like a win. (Previously: 16th)

11. Chris Buescher

The RFK Racing cars were fast on Saturday night, they just didn’t find themselves connected when it mattered most. Buescher carried the banner for RFK with a seventh-place finish on Saturday night, where all three RFK drivers were eliminated from Playoff contention. (Previously: 13th)

12. Bubba Wallace

We may never get a consensus on what happened to trigger the multi-car incident on lap 28 that ended the night for Bubba Wallace and several others. No matter how you shake it, it led to Wallace’s worst finish of the season (37th). (Previously: 7th)

13. Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain put his SafetyCulture-sponsored entry out front for seven laps on Saturday, and didn’t get caught up in an accident. So, I guess that’s a win? He did win the race’s second stage, so it was a successful night for the Trackhouse Racing driver in that respect. (Previously: 17th)

14. Austin Cindric

After the top-five at Richmond, it looked like Cindric had a chance to roar into the Playoffs with a good showing at Daytona. Instead, it ended up being more of a whimper, as he was collected in the multi-car incident on lap 28 and finished 39th. (Previously: 10th)

15. Ryan Preece

Not making the Playoffs is a gut-punch for Ryan Preece and the No. 60 RFK Racing team, but they were in position late in the race to do it until Kyle Larson nudged him to the middle lane, and hung him out to dry. Missing the Playoffs shouldn’t diminish what has been a major positive step forward for Preece’s career in 2025. (Previously: 11th)

16. Shane van Gisbergen

Shane Van Gisbergen is still new to this whole superspeedway thing in the NASCAR Cup Series. After leading six laps on the afternoon, the driver of the No. 88 Red Bull Chevrolet faded to finish outside the top-15, in 16th. (Previously: 19th)

17. Brad Keselowski

There were high hopes heading into Saturday’s race at Daytona that Brad Keselowski could complete his rally with a Playoff-berth-securing win. That never materialized, and Keselowski, while he was near the front most of the race, never took the lead, and never looked like serious threat to win and he finished 18th. (Previously: 12th)

18. Tyler Reddick

An early crash nearly jeopardized the night- and possibly the season – for Tyler Reddick, but he recovered to finish 21st and ensure he was one of two drivers to reach the Playoffs on points. Fortunately, the multi-car incident that followed and eliminated Alex Bowman relieved some of those potential tensions for Reddick. (Previously: 14th)

19. Austin Dillon

A 24th-place finish isn’t sexy, but Austin Dillon walked out of Daytona with a lead-lap finish, and he didn’t make any enemies along the way, which should set him up with a decent shot in the opening round of the Playoffs. (Previously: 15th)

20. Josh Berry

Josh Berry carries back-to-back top-10 finishes into the postseason after a ninth-place finish at Daytona. It may not have been a repeat of the win for the No. 21 team one year ago, but it’s a solid trend going into the Southern 500 as Berry begins his first playoff run. (Previously: 22nd)

21. Ty Gibbs

An eighth-place finish is a solid run for Ty Gibbs, but it wasn’t a victory, meaning that he will be the only driver of the four-car Joe Gibbs Racing team not to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The final 10 races of the year are now all about finding a spark (and maybe a checkered flag) for the No. 54 team. (Previously: 23rd)

22. Michael McDowell

Needing a win to make the playoffs, Michael McDowell stayed aggressive throughout the night, led some laps, and kept himself in the mix, particularly in the first half. However, the veteran finished 12th at the end of Saturday’s race, dashing his postseason hopes. (Previously: 25th)

23. Carson Hocevar

Shortly after halfway, Carson Hocevar’s car stopped on track with an engine issue, ending his night. His search for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory continues. (Previously: 18th)

24. Erik Jones

Man, those STP and Petty Blue colors looked great, and they were up front for the majority of the night. In the closing laps, Jones was right where he needed to be to score a win. Unfortunately, he was schucked by Kyle Larson in the closing laps. Still, Jones battled back for a fifth-place finish. (Previously: 27th)

25. Kyle Busch

For the second straight season, Kyle Busch will not be part of the Playoffs as he was one of the many drivers swept up in a Lap 28 crash. Now, Busch will focus on trying to end his career-long winless drought in the final 10 races of the season. (Previously: 20th)

26. Cole Custer

Cole Custer, for the second straight race at Daytona, found himself within a whisker of winning a NASCAR Cup Series event, but had it all taken away on the final lap. After riding the third lane from outside the top-10 into the race-lead, the Haas Factory Team driver finished fourth, coming up just short of the race-win in a four-wide photo finish. (Previously: 32nd)

27. John Hunter Nemechek

The No. 42 lagged behind his teammate in the No. 43 all race long, but in the end, John Hunter Nemechek got a respectable 17th-place finish. The decent season continues for the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver. (Previously: 29th)

28. AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger fell off the pace with what appeared to be an engine miss, finishing 26th, one lap down. Allmendinger hoped to avenge an early exit during the Daytona 500 earlier this year, but it wasn’t meant to be. (Previously: 24th)

29. Justin Haley

Justin Haley nearly recaptured the magic of his Daytona summer win in 2019, battling for the lead all the way to the finish. Unfortunately for Haley, it wasn’t meant to be, as he finished third in the four-wide finish to Daytona. (Previously: 33rd)

30. Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland nearly saw his evening come to an early end after an incident with Tyler Reddick in the first stage, but after making no contact, he was able to work his Grillo’s Pickles machine back into the top-12, finishing 11th. These are the results the No. 34 is looking to make a consistent thing in the final 10 races of the season. (Previously: 31st)

31. Zane Smith

Zane Smith, like his teammate Noah Gragson, has been riding the bad luck train all season, and it prevented the No. 38 Ford Mustang from competing for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, after getting hooked in a Lap 28 accident. Frustrating way to end the regular season for the Huntington Beach, California-native. (Previously: 26th)

32. Ty Dillon

Ty Dillon led nine laps in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 before finishing 22nd on Saturday at Daytona. He’ll hope to build on a 16th-place finish in the spring Darlington race when the series returns to the Lady in Black next week. (Previously: 28th)

33. Cody Ware

After what was possibly one of the best races of his NASCAR Cup Series career, Cody Ware moves out of the basement in the rankings this week. The driver led a career-high 23 laps, and finished top-20. (Previously: 36th)

34. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Things just continue to unravel for Stenhouse and HYAK Motorsports. At one point, this team was in post-season contention, but has struggled to put ANYTHING together this summer, resulting in a poor points position. Daytona was definitely an opportunity for the No. 47 team to reclaim its season, but an early wreck prevented that from materializing. (Previously: 30th)

35. Noah Gragson

Saturday was probably one of the best opportunities for Noah Gragson to earn a berth into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Instead, the No. 4 Zep Ford Mustang found himself out of the race before the end of the first stage. The bad luck for the Front Row Motorsports team has been relentless this season. (Previously: 34th)

36. Riley Herbst

The regular season ends on a down note for Riley Herbst during his rookie season. Like so many other, he was involved in the lap 28 incident, and Herbst was credited with last place in the 40-car field. (Previously: 35th)

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