Coke Zero Sugar 400 highlights: Bubba Wallace secures final playoff spot, Chris Buescher wins at Daytona
The NASCAR Cup Series‘ August schedule and regular season wrapped up Saturday with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, and we’ve got you covered with all the action from start to finish!
NASCAR’s top stars battled it out over 160 laps and 400 miles on the iconic speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with Bubba Wallace clinching the final playoff spot and Chris Buescher winning the race.
It was the final race of the season, and all eyes were on who would secure the final spot in the 16-driver playoff field.
There were 13 drivers locked in thanks to wins — William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell — and two drivers were locked in on points: Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick.
Meanwhile, there were 14 drivers whose only chance to advance was with a win Saturday. They were: Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, AJ Allmendinger, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Aric Almirola, Ryan Preece, Corey LaJoie, Todd Gilliland, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Harrison Burton, Chase Briscoe and Ty Dillon.
You can find a full list of winners so far this year, as well as the season’s remaining schedule here.
Follow our live coverage below!
We’re off!
Lead change
Chase Briscoe led the first 23 laps of the race before Denny Hamlin went out front.
Can’t hear ya
Chase Elliott appeared to be having communication issues in the early going.
Martin Truex Jr. steals Stage 1
He only led one lap in the entire stage, but Truex picked the best lap to lead, as he took the lead from Hamlin on the final lap of Stage 1 and subsequently won the stage.
Christopher Bell was second, followed by Kevin Harvick in third. After taking the lead in the latter half of Stage 1, Hamlin fell to eighth and Briscoe fell to 10th.
Making moves
Shortly after Elliott took the lead, AJ Allmendinger went sprinting out front with some help from Kyle Busch.
The suspense
Things can get wobbly — and three-wide — at Daytona.
Hamlin pit issue
Brad Keselowski wins Stage 2 after huge wreck
Busch took the lead late in Stage 2, but he was passed by Ty Gibbs on the last lap of the stage. Then Ryan Blaney took the lead from Gibbs before an accident took out both drivers and several others.
In the aftermath, Keselowski won the stage, with Busch and Daniel Suarez in second and third. The red flag came out, and the race didn’t resume until 9:38 p.m. ET
Truex clinches regular season championship
Finding a way out
Ugly crash
Ryan Preece‘s car went airborne and bounced down the grass on Lap 156. He was able to get out of the car.
Chris Buescher wins!
Buescher led two laps the entire race but pulled ahead late for the win. Keselowski finished second with Aric Almirola behind him in third, Elliott in fourth and Joey Logano in fifth. Meanwhile, Wallace finished 12th and advanced to the playoffs.
Stay tuned for updates!
PRE-RACE
Let’s get it!
Florida Atlantic head coach Dusty May got the crowd going.
Setting the stage
Ahead of the action, FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass broke down what and who to watch out for in Saturday’s race.
Kurt Busch, 45, officially announced Saturday that he will retire from Cup Series competition, ending a driving career that spanned more than two decades. Busch was the first champion of the NASCAR Cup Series’ playoff era in 2004.
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Ryan Preece released from hospital following scary Daytona wreck
Kurt Busch officially retires from NASCAR due to concussions
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