Cup Series Preview Saturday, August 29, 2026

Coke Zero Sugar 400

Daytona International Speedway

Laps 160 Distance 400 mi Type superspeedway Coverage NBC · 7:30 PM ET Stages 35 / 95 / 160

2.5

asphalt

Surface

Green Flag In

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Pre-Race Race Day Post-Race

The Hook

Your watchlist, historical context, and race-week curiosities.

Your Drivers' Outlook

Historical Context

Chase Elliott has 32 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 2 wins and a 17.2 average finish.
Ryan Blaney has 26 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 2 wins and a 16.5 average finish.
Chris Buescher has 25 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 1 win and a 16.8 average finish.

Based on Cup Series results at Daytona International Speedway from 1949-2026.

The Story

The narrative arc, drivers to watch, and race-weekend color.

The Data

Schedule, predictions, entry list, track history, fantasy, and betting angles.

TV & Start Time

What channel is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on?

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 airs on NBC on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 7:30 PM ET, broadcast from Daytona International Speedway. The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule splits between FOX, FS1, TNT, NBC, USA, and Amazon Prime Video.

What time does the NASCAR Cup race start today?

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 green flag is set for 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, August 29, 2026, airing on NBC. All NASCAR start times are listed in Eastern Time.

NR-Rating Track Rankings

#	Driver	Badge	Elo Rating	Starts	Wins	Last Finish
1	Chase Elliott		1519	21	0	P4(2026)
2	Chris Buescher	Prev Winner	1498	21	1	P7(2026)
3	Ryan Blaney	Prev Winner	1497	22	2	P27(2026)
4	Kyle Busch		1496	28	0	P15(2026)
5	Tyler Reddick	Prev Winner	1496	14	1	P1(2026)
6	Daniel Suarez		1495	18	0	P13(2026)
7	William Byron	Prev Winner	1494	17	3	P12(2026)
8	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Prev Winner	1491	28	2	P2(2026)
9	Erik Jones	Prev Winner	1486	19	1	P21(2026)
10	Christopher Bell		1485	13	0	P35(2026)

NR-Rating: Elo-based rating from the NR-Rating prediction model. Higher = stronger at this track type. = Previous winner at this track

NR-Rating Predictions

Last updated: Sun, Aug 16, 2026, 07:09 AM ET

#	Driver	Tier	Exp. Finish	Win %	Top 5 %	Top 10 %
1	Chase Elliott Best in Field	Favorite	13.6	11.2%	39.9%	56.7%
2	Ryan Blaney	Favorite	10.4	11.0%	40.0%	57.2%
3	Chris Buescher	Favorite	13.6	10.4%	38.7%	55.9%
4	Tyler Reddick	Favorite	13.9	9.9%	37.8%	54.8%
5	William Byron	Favorite	13.9	8.9%	35.2%	51.4%
6	Christopher Bell	Favorite	15.1	7.8%	33.8%	51.3%
7	Daniel Suarez	Contender	15.1	7.2%	32.7%	49.6%
8	Denny Hamlin	Contender	15.1	6.6%	32.0%	49.8%
9	Ross Chastain	Contender	16.0	5.3%	27.3%	45.5%
10	Erik Jones	Contender	16.0	4.8%	25.2%	44.5%
11	Bubba Wallace	Contender	16.9	4.1%	23.1%	41.9%
12	Alex Bowman	Contender	17.4	3.9%	21.4%	40.1%
13	Carson Hocevar	Contender	17.4	3.3%	19.0%	37.8%
14	Joey Logano	Contender	18.5	3.2%	16.1%	33.7%
15	Brad Keselowski	Mid-Pack	18.5	3.0%	17.3%	35.1%
16	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Mid-Pack	18.5	3.0%	17.7%	36.3%
17	Austin Cindric	Mid-Pack	19.4	3.0%	15.2%	30.8%
18	Ty Gibbs	Mid-Pack	18.9	2.8%	15.8%	33.1%
19	Michael McDowell	Mid-Pack	19.2	2.7%	15.5%	32.2%
20	Casey Mears	Mid-Pack	20.0	2.4%	13.8%	29.5%
21	Jimmie Johnson	Mid-Pack	20.0	2.3%	13.3%	29.3%
22	Kyle Larson	Mid-Pack	20.1	1.6%	11.3%	26.5%
23	Chase Briscoe	Mid-Pack	20.5	1.3%	10.2%	26.5%
24	John Hunter Nemechek	Mid-Pack	20.5	1.1%	9.0%	25.3%
25	Austin Dillon	Mid-Pack	21.1	1.0%	6.9%	20.3%
26	Ty Dillon	Mid-Pack	22.9	0.9%	5.8%	17.8%
27	A.J. Allmendinger	Dark Horse	22.9	0.9%	5.2%	16.7%
28	Kevin Magnussen	Dark Horse	22.8	0.9%	5.8%	18.3%
29	Katherine Legge	Dark Horse	22.8	0.9%	5.8%	18.3%
30	Ryan Preece	Dark Horse	21.1	0.9%	8.2%	22.7%
31	Todd Gilliland	Dark Horse	22.9	0.8%	4.9%	15.8%
32	Cole Custer	Dark Horse	22.9	0.6%	4.7%	15.7%
33	Zane Smith	Dark Horse	23.4	0.6%	4.6%	15.3%
34	Shane van Gisbergen	Dark Horse	23.4	0.6%	4.6%	15.3%
35	Connor Zilisch	Dark Horse	23.4	0.5%	5.0%	14.8%
36	Riley Herbst	Dark Horse	24.0	0.4%	3.8%	12.2%
37	Noah Gragson	Dark Horse	25.2	0.4%	2.6%	9.5%
38	Cody Ware	Dark Horse	25.5	0.3%	2.1%	7.8%
39	Josh Berry	Dark Horse	24.0	0.3%	3.3%	10.7%
40	B.J. McLeod	Dark Horse	25.5	0.3%	2.2%	7.5%

Win probabilities reflect full-field Monte Carlo simulations. A 10% pWin means roughly 1-in-10 chance of winning, higher than most bettors realize for a 36-car field where the average driver has ~2.8% odds. Top 5 and Top 10 percentages similarly reflect simulated outcomes, not historical averages. Learn how the model works.

Predictions powered by NR-Rating model (MAE: 8.5 positions)

Prediction Scorecard

Anduril 250: Model picked Chase Elliott at P1 → Actual P12

(1/5 top-5 hits)

37% top-5 hit rate across 13 races

History at Daytona International Speedway

Cup Series data from 1949-2026 (29 races)

Recent Results

Year	Race	Winner	Margin	Team	Laps Led
2026	Daytona 500	Tyler Reddick	+0.308	23XI Racing	1
2025	Coke Zero Sugar 400	Ryan Blaney	—	Team Penske	27
2025	Daytona 500	William Byron	—	Hendrick Motorsports	10
2024	Coke Zero Sugar 400	Harrison Burton	—	Wood Brothers Racing	1
2024	Daytona 500	William Byron	—	Hendrick Motorsports	4

Laps Led Leaders

Driver	Total Laps Led
Denny Hamlin	558
Joey Logano	412
Brad Keselowski	345
Kyle Busch	283
Ryan Blaney	260

Track Type Tendencies

superspeedway

Superspeedway races at Daytona International Speedway are defined by pack racing and drafting. Results are less predictable than any other track type; the field stays tight and late-race wrecks reshape the outcome.

Manufacturer strategy and drafting alliances matter as much as raw speed. Longshot winners are more common here than anywhere on the schedule.

Fantasy

Dominator Plays

Denny Hamlin 558 laps led

Joey Logano 412 laps led

Brad Keselowski 345 laps led

High laps-led totals at this track

Value Picks

John Hunter Nemechek 13.14 avg, 0 wins

Bubba Wallace 14.17 avg, 0 wins

Strong avg finish but no wins: lower ownership

Explore More

Track History