Results
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
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- Sunday, August 29th, 2021
- NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain
Blaney takes the victory, Reddick clinches Playoff spot and Larson wins Regular Season Championship at Daytona
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series' regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway unfolded as billed with dramatic action all Saturday night that included 45 lead changes, a 14-minute Red Flag period and a wild final lap of overtime to decide the championship Playoff picture.
Ultimately, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney managed it all and took his second NASCAR Cup Series victory in as many weeks as a huge multi-car accident happened behind him in the last corners of the track on the final lap.
Blaney's No. 12 Team Penske Ford led only seven of the 165 laps, but the 27-year-old North Carolinian took the lead from fellow Ford driver Roush Fenway Racing's Chris Buescher for the two laps of overtime to claim his third win of the season and seventh of his career.
Richard Childress Racing's Tyler Reddick earned the 16th and final Playoff position with a fifth-place finish in a close and suspenseful battle with his own teammate Austin Dillon.
"How about that," Blaney said. "That was a lot of fun. Gosh, we just barely missed that wreck. Got to line up on the front row and got a good push by the 7 (Corey LaJoie). You never know how the end of these things is going to play out. Down the back you don't know what lane is getting a bigger run. I guess someone got tangled up over there, hopefully everyone is okay."
LaJoie was one of the drivers who was collected in that nine-car crash in Turn 3 on the final lap. He was one of four drivers – including Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez – running among the top-10 on the final restart and needing a victory to qualify for the Playoffs. Instead, all four of them were unfortunately involved in the final incident that eliminated much of the front-running pack.
Kyle Larson, who has a series-best five wins on the season, clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship with a 21st-place finish. Both he and Denny Hamlin were in the last lap wreck. Hamlin, who has led the points standings for all but three of the previous 25 race weekends, finished 14th.
Blaney's Daytona wins caps an impressive summer run that is good enough to move him into second place in the Playoff standings – 28 behind Larson – heading into next week's Playoff opener at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch are ranked third and fourth in the Playoff re-set, followed by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Hamlin and William Byron. Joey Logano, who led a race best 37 laps Saturday but finished 24th, is seeded ninth, followed by his Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, this year's Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, Reddick and Kevin Harvick.
"Got good momentum," Blaney said smiling. "Nice to make it three in a row. We'll see."
Bubba Wallace, who led eight laps late in the race, finished second – his best result of the 2021 season. Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five; a season best for Newman and Preece as well.
Haley was sixth, followed by Alex Bowman, who won the Xfinity Series race earlier in the afternoon. Chase Elliott, B.J. McLeod and Josh Bilicki rounded out the top 10. It was McLeod's first top-10 finish in 76 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
The 10-race elimination style NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin with next Sunday's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kevin Harvick is the defending race winner. Martin Truex Jr. won at Darlington this spring.
UPDATED: No. 17 Disqualified
- Drivers Entered: 40
- Laps Scheduled: 160
- Laps Actual: 165 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
- Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds
- Time of Race: 2 Hours 54 Minutes 3 Seconds
- Average Speed: 142.201
- Cautions: 8 for 31 laps
- Lead Changes: 45
- Green Flag Passes: 9,097 (67.9 passes per green flag lap)
Race weekend links appear as data becomes available.
| FIN | ST | # | DRIVER | MAKE | TOT PTS | FIN PTS | STG PTS | PO PTS | LAPS | LED | X LED | S1 | S2 | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 19 | 10 | Aric Almirola | Ford | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 34 | 10 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Ford | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Accident |
| 14 | 3 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 32 | 23 | 9 | 0 | 165 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | Running |
| 24 | 22 | 22 | Joey Logano | Ford | 27 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 164 | 37 | 5 | 8 | 1 | Running |
| 16 | 11 | 4 | Kevin Harvick | Ford | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 13 | 8 | 1 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 35 | 4 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 13 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 156 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 | Accident |
| 30 | 7 | 19 | Martin Truex Jr | Toyota | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 163 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 0 | Running |
| 40 | 18 | 34 | Michael McDowell | Ford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Engine |
| 4 | 23 | 6 | Ryan Newman | Ford | 33 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 37 | 39 | 96 | Landon Cassill | Toyota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Accident |
| 18 | 27 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Chevrolet | 33 | 19 | 14 | 0 | 164 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | Accident |
| 28 | 40 | 66 | David Starr | Toyota | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 23 | 12 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Chevrolet | 18 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | Running |
| 21 | 1 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Chevrolet | 22 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | Accident |
| 8 | 15 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Chevrolet | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 1 | 6 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Ford | 50 | 40 | 5 | 5 | 165 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | Running |
| 17 | 33 | 7 | Corey Lajoie | Chevrolet | 24 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 164 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | Accident |
| 32 | 37 | 15 | Joey Gase | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 162 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 9 | 5 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Chevrolet | 39 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 165 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | Running |
| 26 | 9 | 21 | Matt DiBenedetto | Ford | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 2 | 13 | 17 | Chris Buescher | Ford | 36 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 165 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 0 | Running |
| 12 | 21 | 43 | Erik Jones | Chevrolet | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 10 | 30 | 78 | BJ McLeod | Ford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 5 | 24 | 37 | Ryan Preece | Chevrolet | 34 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | Running |
| 20 | 26 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | Chevrolet | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Accident |
| 29 | 31 | 51 | Cody Ware | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 19 | 29 | 42 | Ross Chastain | Chevrolet | 25 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 164 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 0 | Accident |
| 3 | 20 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | Toyota | 36 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 165 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 9 | Running |
| 38 | 2 | 24 | William Byron | Chevrolet | 9 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 146 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 3 | Accident |
| 25 | 25 | 41 | Cole Custer | Ford | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 31 | 34 | 53 | Garrett Smithley | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 11 | 36 | 52 | Josh Bilicki | Ford | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 6 | 17 | 8 | Tyler Reddick | Chevrolet | 38 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Running |
| 39 | 35 | 0 | Quin Houff | Chevrolet | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 7 | 28 | 77 | Justin Haley | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
| 33 | 14 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Toyota | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 157 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 10 | Accident |
| 36 | 38 | 16 | Kaz Grala | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 156 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Accident |
| 22 | 16 | 14 | Chase Briscoe | Ford | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 164 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Accident |
| 27 | 32 | 38 | Anthony Alfredo | Ford | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Running |
Race Infractions
Penalties imposed prior to or during the race.
| Driver | Infraction | Penalty | Lap | Lap Assessed | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael McDowell | Pre-Race to the Rear Inspection Violation | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White |
| Anthony Alfredo | Pre-Race to the Rear Inspection Violation | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White |
| Kyle Larson | Pre-Race to the Rear Multiple Inspection Failures | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White |
| Corey Lajoie | Pre-Race to the Rear Multiple Inspection Failures | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White |
| Joey Gase | Pre-Race to the Rear Multiple Inspection Failures | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White |
| Pre-Race to the Rear Multiple Inspection Failures | Tail End | 0 | 0 | White | |
| Anthony Alfredo | Unspecified Unapproved body adjustment on grid | Pass Thru | 0 | 1 | Green |
| Ryan Preece | All passing on pit road must be to the outside on entry | Tail End | 22 | 25 | Yellow |
| Anthony Alfredo | Crewmember(s) over the wall too soon | Tail End | 23 | 25 | Yellow |
| Joey Logano | Tossing or throwing equipment | Tail End | 52 | 55 | Yellow |
| Aric Almirola | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 77 | 81 | Yellow |
| Aric Almirola | Speeding on pit road | Tail End | 77 | 81 | Yellow |
| Aric Almirola | Running over/under equipment | Tail End | 77 | 81 | Yellow |
| Anthony Alfredo | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 77 | 81 | Yellow |
| Alex Bowman | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 77 | 81 | Yellow |
| Ryan Newman | Tire violation | Tail End | 80 | 81 | Yellow |
| Cody Ware | Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area | Tail End | 102 | 105 | Yellow |
| Anthony Alfredo | Tire violation | Tail End | 103 | 105 | Yellow |
| Garrett Smithley | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 141 | 144 | Yellow |
| Cody Ware | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 141 | 144 | Yellow |
| Cody Ware | Commitment Line Violation | Tail End | 141 | 144 | Yellow |
| Joey Gase | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 141 | 144 | Yellow |
| Austin Dillon | Speeding on pit road | Tail End | 141 | 144 | Yellow |
| William Byron | Pitting before pit road is open Garage | Tail End | 146 | 0 | Yellow |
| Landon Cassill | Pitting before pit road is open Garage | Tail End | 146 | 0 | Yellow |
| Martin Truex Jr | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Chase Briscoe | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Daniel Suarez | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Anthony Alfredo | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Cody Ware | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Cody Ware | Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Brad Keselowski | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Tyler Reddick | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Tyler Reddick | Crewmember(s) over the wall too soon | Tail End | 146 | 150 | Yellow |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 157 | 163 | Yellow |
| Christopher Bell | Pitting before pit road is open Garage | Tail End | 157 | 0 | Yellow |
| Cole Custer | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 157 | 163 | Yellow |
| Brad Keselowski | Pitting before pit road is open Garage | Tail End | 157 | 0 | Yellow |
| Denny Hamlin | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 157 | 163 | Yellow |
| Joey Logano | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 157 | 163 | Yellow |
| Ryan Preece | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 157 | 163 | Yellow |
| Matt DiBenedetto | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 158 | 163 | Yellow |
| Chase Elliott | Pitting before pit road is open | Tail End | 158 | 163 | Yellow |