Coke Zero Sugar 400
Daytona International Speedway, July 7, 2018
Erik Jones
Winner
168
Laps
40
Entries
16
Leaders
Erik Jones won the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2018, leading 1 of 168 laps. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second; A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the podium. The race featured 16 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Saturday, July 7, 2018
Season
2018
Winner
Leaders
16 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | +28 | Erik Jones |
| 2 | 13 | +11 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 3 | 24 | +21 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 4 | 28 | +24 | Kasey Kahne |
| 5 | 25 | +20 | Chris Buescher |
| 6 | 19 | +13 | Ty Dillon |
| 7 | 31 | +24 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 8 | 7 | -1 | Ryan Newman |
| 9 | 10 | +1 | Austin Dillon |
| 10 | 2 | -8 | Alex Bowman |
| 11 | 34 | +23 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 12 | 16 | +4 | Brendan Gaughan |
| 13 | 35 | +22 | D.J. Kennington |
| 14 | 22 | +8 | Bubba Wallace |
| 15 | 21 | +6 | David Ragan |
| 16 | 39 | +23 | Ray Black, Jr. |
| 17 | 6 | -11 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 18 | 40 | +22 | J.J. Yeley |
| 19 | 5 | -14 | Kevin Harvick |
| 20 | 20 | — | Trevor Bayne |
| 21 | 33 | +12 | Ross Chastain |
| 22 | 9 | -13 | Clint Bowyer |
| 23 | 4 | -19 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 24 | 37 | +13 | Landon Cassill |
| 25 | 36 | +11 | Joey Gase |
| 26 | 8 | -18 | Michael McDowell |
| 27 | 26 | -1 | Aric Almirola |
| 28 | 30 | +2 | Paul Menard |
| 29 | 14 | -15 | Kyle Larson |
| 30 | 27 | -3 | Jamie McMurray |
| 31 | 38 | +7 | Corey LaJoie |
| 32 | 18 | -14 | William Byron |
| 33 | 15 | -18 | Kyle Busch |
| 34 | 1 | -33 | Chase Elliott |
| 35 | 32 | -3 | Daniel Suarez |
| 36 | 3 | -33 | Brad Keselowski |
| 37 | 23 | -14 | Kurt Busch |
| 38 | 17 | -21 | Denny Hamlin |
| 39 | 11 | -28 | Joey Logano |
| 40 | 12 | -28 | Ryan Blaney |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 23 matched drivers, the model averaged 12.7 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Jones | 16.0 | 1 | +15.0 |
| 2 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.5 | 2 | +18.5 |
| 3 | A.J. Allmendinger | 22.9 | 3 | +19.9 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 5 | +8.6 |
| 6 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 6 | +16.9 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 21.1 | 9 | +12.1 |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 17.4 | 10 | +7.4 |
| 14 | Bubba Wallace | 16.9 | 14 | +2.9 |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 17 | +1.5 |
| 18 | J.J. Yeley | 25.5 | 18 | +7.5 |
| 21 | Ross Chastain | 16.0 | 21 | -5.0 |
| 23 | Jimmie Johnson | 20.0 | 23 | -3.0 |
| 25 | Joey Gase | 23.7 | 25 | -1.3 |
| 26 | Michael McDowell | 19.2 | 26 | -6.8 |
| 29 | Kyle Larson | 20.1 | 29 | -8.9 |
| 31 | Corey LaJoie | 23.3 | 31 | -7.7 |
| 32 | William Byron | 13.9 | 32 | -18.1 |
| 34 | Chase Elliott | 13.6 | 34 | -20.4 |
| 35 | Daniel Suarez | 15.1 | 35 | -19.9 |
| 36 | Brad Keselowski | 18.5 | 36 | -17.5 |
(showing top 20 finishers)
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Erik Jones: has 26 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 18.8 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Ryan Blaney: was the model’s top pick based on 26 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.5 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P40 on the day.
- A.J. Allmendinger: was the biggest surprise, finishing P3 vs predicted P23. Track history: 34 starts, 18.8 avg finish.
Explore More
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400?
Erik Jones won the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway driving for Legacy Motor Club.
Where was the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 held?
The 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2018.