Coke Zero Sugar 400
Daytona International Speedway — July 7, 2018
Erik Jones
Winner
168
Laps
27
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 | 7 | +6 | Erik Jones |
| 2 | 3 | +1 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 3 | 24 | +21 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 4 | 29 | +25 | Kasey Kahne |
| 5 | 19 | +14 | Chris Buescher |
| 6 | 28 | +22 | Ty Dillon |
| 7 | 30 | +23 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 8 | 6 | -2 | Ryan Newman |
| 9 | 18 | +9 | Austin Dillon |
| 10 | 4 | -6 | Alex Bowman |
| 11 | 40 | +29 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 12 | — | — | Brendan Gaughan |
| 13 | — | — | D.J. Kennington |
| 14 | 27 | +13 | Bubba Wallace |
| 15 | 23 | +8 | David Ragan |
| 16 | — | — | Ray Black, Jr. |
| 17 | 25 | +8 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 18 | 32 | +14 | J.J. Yeley |
| 19 | 22 | +3 | Kevin Harvick |
| 20 | — | — | Trevor Bayne |
| 22 | 17 | -5 | Clint Bowyer |
| 23 | 20 | -3 | Jimmie Johnson |
| 26 | 26 | — | Michael McDowell |
| 32 | 10 | -22 | William Byron |
| 33 | 5 | -28 | Kyle Busch |
| 34 | 11 | -23 | Chase Elliott |
| 36 | 13 | -23 | Brad Keselowski |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Jones | 2 | 5 | — | 15 |
| Brad Keselowski | 5 | 2 | — | 15 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 3 | — | — | 8 |
| Chase Elliott | 10 | 4 | — | 8 |
| Kevin Harvick | 6 | 10 | — | 6 |
| Kyle Busch | 9 | 8 | — | 5 |
| Ryan Newman | — | 7 | — | 4 |
| A.J. Allmendinger | — | — | — | — |
| Kasey Kahne | — | — | — | — |
| Chris Buescher | — | — | — | — |
| Ty Dillon | — | — | — | — |
| Matt DiBenedetto | — | — | — | — |
| Austin Dillon | — | — | — | — |
| Alex Bowman | — | — | — | — |
| Jeffrey Earnhardt | — | — | — | — |
| Brendan Gaughan | — | — | — | — |
| D.J. Kennington | — | — | — | — |
| Bubba Wallace | — | — | — | — |
| David Ragan | — | — | — | — |
| Ray Black, Jr. | — | — | — | — |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | — | — | — | — |
| J.J. Yeley | — | — | — | — |
| Trevor Bayne | — | — | — | — |
| Clint Bowyer | — | — | — | — |
| Jimmie Johnson | — | — | — | — |
| Michael McDowell | — | — | — | — |
| William Byron | — | — | — | — |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 16 matched drivers, the model averaged 12.3 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Jones | 18.5 | 1 | +17.5 |
| 2 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.1 | 2 | +18.1 |
| 3 | A.J. Allmendinger | 20.1 | 3 | +17.1 |
| 5 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 5 | +8.6 |
| 6 | Ty Dillon | 21.1 | 6 | +15.1 |
| 9 | Austin Dillon | 23.4 | 9 | +14.4 |
| 10 | Alex Bowman | 15.1 | 10 | +5.1 |
| 14 | Bubba Wallace | 16.0 | 14 | +2.0 |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 18.5 | 17 | +1.5 |
| 18 | J.J. Yeley | 25.2 | 18 | +7.2 |
| 23 | Jimmie Johnson | 18.9 | 23 | -4.1 |
| 26 | Michael McDowell | 20.0 | 26 | -6.0 |
| 32 | William Byron | 13.9 | 32 | -18.1 |
| 33 | Kyle Busch | 15.1 | 33 | -17.9 |
| 34 | Chase Elliott | 10.4 | 34 | -23.6 |
| 36 | Brad Keselowski | 16.0 | 36 | -20.0 |
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 24 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.9 avg finish (1 win) — the model may have underweighted this track history.
- Chase Elliott: was the model’s top pick based on 30 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 15.9 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P34 on the day.
- Martin Truex, Jr.: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P20. Track history: 35 starts, 21.0 avg finish.
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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 Joe Gibbs Racing.
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.