NASCAR
Stratta’s Six: Who Can Claim the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona?
400 miles worth of a high speed chess match lie ahead for 40 drivers on the high banks of Daytona. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 has seen Playoff-upsetting wins in two of the last four years, offering every driver a shot at victory lane. Who stand out from the pack as prerace favorites for the Florida spectacle? Here are a few drivers to watch out for under the lights Saturday night.
Brad Keselowski
Few drivers across NASCAR history have the superspeedway résumé boasted by Brad Keselowski. The seven-time drafting track winner has one checkered flag from Daytona, this race in 2016. Keselowski finally won again at Darlington, and eyes to keep an RFK presence in Daytona victory lane.
Keselowski played ultimate teammate helper to Chris Buescher, assisting him in winning last year’s Daytona summer race. Should anyone line up ahead of Keselowski in a dash to the checkers this year, driver 6 may not be as patient. Kez and Buescher both have some of the shortest odds for Saturday, only further cementing Ford as the manufacturer to beat.
Kyle Busch
Perhaps the most consistent driver in recent years at Daytona has been Kyle Busch. Busch has laps led in six-straight trips to Florida, with three top-10s in this span. RCR as a company has turned many heads in both races since the Olympic break, winning Richmond and having Busch be fourth at Michigan. Busch touched on keeping the momentum train rolling into the final weeks of the regular season.
“That’s just it, just trying to get through these next two and keeping ourselves in position to win,” Busch said. “Daytona is a crapshoot. You can be leading on the final lap and be in a heap before you get to the finish line. Darlington is the same way. You have to be in position there. It’s really narrow, really tough, really tight. Handling really comes into play a lot there. We just have to be on top of our game if we’re going to put ourselves in the Playoffs.”
“Daytona has been good for us since I joined RCR. ECR has done a great job on our engines at Daytona. We were really quick there earlier this year and had a good shot to win the race. It comes down to restarts and what happens and what lane you take and how the lines accelerate out of the restart and get the momentum building. There are 36 guys that show up and walk through the gate and at least think that they have a shot to win so they’re going to go out and prove that they can. A lot of Hail Marys are thrown and sometimes a lot of wrecks happen. You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time and hope for the best.”
A few high profile streaks are on the line for Kyle Busch this weekend. Busch has never had a winless season since joining the Cup Series in 2005. A run of 20 consecutive winning years would break a tie with Richard Petty for this record, and only further solidify Busch’s future Hall of Fame spot. Driver 8 is also gunning for a 17th Playoff appearance. At this point, only a win over the next two weeks will satisfy this goal. Daytona has been within Busch’s grasp many times lately; can the stars align Saturday night?
Bubba Wallace
Never one to be counted out at any superspeedway is Bubba Wallace. 23XI Racing has a valid argument for the hottest team in NASCAR right now, fresh off of Tyler Reddick’s Michigan win. Wallace had arguably a faster car though, only to be wrecked out early.
The three weeks leading into Michigan were all top-10s for the 23 team. Currently outside the Playoffs by one point, Wallace can make up valuable ground at Daytona. The past Talladega winner is also a two-time Daytona runner-up, and has laps led in six of the last seven races here. Wallace must find a way to rally forward, but cannot afford another race-ending crash.
Ryan Blaney
Aiming to join the three-win club before the Playoffs begin is Ryan Blaney. Much like Keselowski, Blaney is becoming one of the most prolific superspeedway racers of this era. Driver 12 has three Talladega wins, and the Daytona summer race three years ago. That victory is the high point so far of Blaney’s seven Daytona top-10s. Blaney was leading when he got wrecked out of this race 12 months ago, registering one of the hardest hits in the Next Gen era.
Now fourth in points, Blaney is yearning for maximum Playoff points in two weeks. Daytona allows the Penske team to make inroads on the regular season championship and possibly gain seven more valuable bonus points. If the 12’s wheels stay pointed forward, Blaney should have a shot at taking another Daytona win.
Denny Hamlin
Despite three past Daytona 500 triumphs, Denny Hamlin has not found the same success in the summer race. 0-18 is his Coke Zero Sugar 400 record, with a beat result of third coming three times. Hamlin has added reason to be on the attack this weekend, trying to erase his points deficit from an L2 Penalty. Hamlin is well aware however that many drivers all having unique agendas will make things interesting at the head of the pack.
“With all the guys battling for the regular season and for the cut line, I think everyone is going to race to get stage points,” Hamlin said. That’s simply because you just can’t pass in this car on speedways like you used to be able to. I remember hanging back till the last 10 laps, then I’d drive right to the front. It just isn’t like that now. You can get a good finish. You’re not going to win hanging in the back, but you can get a good finish. I’d almost say just try to get 10, 12 stage points, then if you wreck, you wreck, right? At least that pushes you down to finishing 24th with no stage points if you were to finish last. It could be a net even. I’m sure they’re going to look at the numbers and figure out what is the best strategy.”
Hamlin will go down as one of the best ever around Daytona, but he’s yet to find his groove in the Next Gen car. The last three years have only seen Hamlin’s high mark be a 17th-place run. Between JGR and 23XI Racing though, there are a few Toyotas in perilous Playoff positions Hamlin will surely try and help out Saturday night. It will be fascinating to see who the 11 gives a push and if Hamlin can avoid carnage. Poor summer results aside, Hamlin still enters Saturday night as a slim favorite.
William Byron
Both Daytona races have not been swept in 11 years, and the last to achieve this feat was Jimmie Johnson. Can childhood JJ fan and current Hendrick star William Byron pull off this rare double? The 24 only led the last four laps in The Great American Race, and hopes to be out front late again.
“I’m excited to get back to Daytona,” Byron said. “Obviously, the Daytona 500 ended well for us and it’ll be good to go back with that momentum. However, there’s not much you can translate from that race to this weekend’s race since it will be much hotter and more slick. Hopefully we’re in position at the end again and can go back-to-back, that would be great and a great boost heading into the Playoffs a couple weeks later.”
Byron was seemingly cursed in the Daytona 500 until February, without even a lead lap finish. In the summer race however, Byron saw his first career win in 2020, and has earned two other top-10s. The Michigan runner-up, team 24 appears to be entering Playoff mode now.
Only two races remain until the NASCAR Playoffs, with Daytona being the last true wildcard race. The drama is sure to be as high as speeds this weekend, with two-thirds of the field gunning for a season-defining win. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 goes green Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Will another upset winner leave their mark at The World Center of Racing?
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to James Gilbert/Getty Images
