Cup Series Preview

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
MI
asphalt
Surface
Race Date
Saturday, August 29, 2026
7:30 PM ET
Band A · The Hook

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

Historical Context

  • Tyler Reddick has 17 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 3 wins and a 13.9 average finish.
  • Chase Elliott has 30 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 2 wins and a 15.9 average finish.
  • Chris Buescher has 25 starts at Daytona International Speedway with 1 win and a 16.2 average finish.

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

DID YOU KNOW?

Tony Stewart has won 9 times at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 average finish.

See Tony Stewart's full stats
LAST TIME HERE

Dale Earnhardt has led 1,671 laps at Daytona International Speedway — more than anyone else.

Dale Earnhardt's stats
Band B · The Story

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

Band C · 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

NR-Rating Track Rankings
#DriverElo RatingLast Finish
1Chase Elliott
1517
P4
2Daniel Suarez
1497
P13
3Kyle Busch
1496
P15
4Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
1495
P2
5Chris Buescher
1493
P7
6William Byron
1493
P12
7Tyler Reddick
1488
P1
8Alex Bowman
1486
P40
9Ryan Blaney
1485
P27
10Bubba Wallace
1483
P10
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: Wed, May 13, 2026, 07:50 AM ET

# Driver Exp. Finish Win %
1 Tyler Reddick Best in Field 13.6 11.2%
2 Chase Elliott 10.4 11.0%
3 Chris Buescher 13.6 10.4%
4 Ryan Blaney 13.9 9.9%
5 William Byron 13.9 8.9%
6 Daniel Suarez 15.1 7.8%
7 Kyle Busch 15.1 7.0%
8 Alex Bowman 15.1 6.2%
9 Bubba Wallace 16.0 5.7%
10 Brad Keselowski 16.0 5.3%
11 Denny Hamlin 16.0 4.5%
12 Christopher Bell 17.4 3.9%
13 Ross Chastain 17.4 3.8%
14 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 18.5 3.3%
15 Casey Mears 18.5 3.2%
16 Erik Jones 18.5 3.1%
17 Kyle Larson 18.5 2.9%
18 Carson Hocevar 19.4 2.8%
19 Michael McDowell 20.0 2.5%
20 Austin Cindric 20.1 1.8%
21 A.J. Allmendinger 20.1 1.7%
22 Joey Logano 20.5 1.4%
23 John Hunter Nemechek 20.5 1.2%
24 Ryan Preece 21.1 1.0%
25 Ty Gibbs 22.9 0.9%
26 Ty Dillon 21.1 0.9%
27 Chase Briscoe 21.7 0.9%
28 Katherine Legge 22.8 0.9%
29 Zane Smith 22.9 0.9%
30 Todd Gilliland 22.9 0.8%
31 Riley Herbst 23.7 0.7%
32 Austin Dillon 23.4 0.6%
33 Shane van Gisbergen 23.4 0.5%
34 Cole Custer 23.4 0.4%
35 Connor Zilisch 23.4 0.4%
36 B.J. McLeod 25.5 0.3%
37 Josh Berry 24.0 0.3%
38 Noah Gragson 24.0 0.3%
39 Cody Ware 27.9 0.2%

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

Go Bowling at The Glen: Model picked Chase Elliott at P1 → Actual P24

(1/5 top-5 hits)

38% top-5 hit rate across 11 races

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

Consistency Plays
Tyler Reddick 14.63 avg

50%+ top-5 rate at this track

Value Picks
Bubba Wallace 13.50 avg, 0 wins
Ty Gibbs 14.86 avg, 0 wins

Strong avg finish but no wins — lower ownership

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