Coke Zero Sugar 400
Daytona International Speedway, August 26, 2023
Chris Buescher
Winner
163
Laps
39
Entries
17
Leaders
Chris Buescher won the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 26, 2023, leading 2 of 163 laps. Brad Keselowski finished second; Aric Almirola rounded out the podium. The race featured 17 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Season
2023
Winner
Leaders
17 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | +10 | Chris Buescher |
| 2 | 12 | +10 | Brad Keselowski |
| 3 | 2 | -1 | Aric Almirola |
| 4 | 23 | +19 | Chase Elliott |
| 5 | 14 | +9 | Joey Logano |
| 6 | 31 | +25 | Alex Bowman |
| 7 | 18 | +11 | Kyle Busch |
| 8 | 27 | +19 | William Byron |
| 9 | 10 | +1 | Kevin Harvick |
| 10 | 37 | +27 | Corey LaJoie |
| 11 | 30 | +19 | Ty Dillon |
| 12 | 4 | -8 | Bubba Wallace |
| 13 | 39 | +26 | Michael McDowell |
| 14 | 26 | +12 | Austin Hill |
| 15 | 36 | +21 | Chandler Smith |
| 16 | 15 | -1 | Christopher Bell |
| 17 | 25 | +8 | Ross Chastain |
| 18 | 24 | +6 | Erik Jones |
| 19 | 33 | +14 | J.J. Yeley |
| 20 | 22 | +2 | Daniel Suarez |
| 21 | 28 | +7 | Justin Haley |
| 22 | 29 | +7 | Josh Berry |
| 23 | 38 | +15 | B.J. McLeod |
| 24 | 13 | -11 | Martin Truex, Jr. |
| 25 | 20 | -5 | Tyler Reddick |
| 26 | 19 | -7 | Denny Hamlin |
| 27 | 7 | -20 | Kyle Larson |
| 28 | 3 | -25 | Harrison Burton |
| 29 | 17 | -12 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 30 | 1 | -29 | Chase Briscoe |
| 31 | 9 | -22 | Ryan Preece |
| 32 | 35 | +3 | Todd Gilliland |
| 33 | 21 | -12 | Austin Dillon |
| 34 | 32 | -2 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 35 | 5 | -30 | Ty Gibbs |
| 36 | 8 | -28 | Ryan Blaney |
| 37 | 16 | -21 | Austin Cindric |
| 38 | 6 | -32 | Riley Herbst |
| 39 | 34 | -5 | Brennan Poole |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Keselowski | — | 1 | — | 10 |
| Martin Truex, Jr. | 1 | — | — | 10 |
| Kyle Busch | — | 2 | — | 9 |
| Christopher Bell | 2 | — | — | 9 |
| Daniel Suarez | 10 | 3 | — | 9 |
| Kevin Harvick | 3 | — | — | 8 |
| Joey Logano | 5 | 10 | — | 7 |
| Alex Bowman | — | 4 | — | 7 |
| Ty Gibbs | 4 | — | — | 7 |
| William Byron | — | 5 | — | 6 |
| Bubba Wallace | 6 | — | — | 5 |
| Tyler Reddick | — | 6 | — | 5 |
| Chase Elliott | — | 7 | — | 4 |
| Austin Cindric | 7 | — | — | 4 |
| Denny Hamlin | 8 | — | — | 3 |
| Austin Dillon | — | 8 | — | 3 |
| Ross Chastain | — | 9 | — | 2 |
| Chase Briscoe | 9 | — | — | 2 |
| Chris Buescher | — | — | — | — |
| Aric Almirola | — | — | — | — |
| Corey LaJoie | — | — | — | — |
| Ty Dillon | — | — | — | — |
| Michael McDowell | — | — | — | — |
| Austin Hill | — | — | — | — |
| Chandler Smith | — | — | — | — |
| Erik Jones | — | — | — | — |
| J.J. Yeley | — | — | — | — |
| Justin Haley | — | — | — | — |
| Josh Berry | — | — | — | — |
| B.J. McLeod | — | — | — | — |
| Kyle Larson | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison Burton | — | — | — | — |
| A.J. Allmendinger | — | — | — | — |
| Ryan Preece | — | — | — | — |
| Todd Gilliland | — | — | — | — |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | — | — | — | — |
| Ryan Blaney | — | — | — | — |
| Riley Herbst | — | — | — | — |
| Brennan Poole | — | — | — | — |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 34 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.5 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Buescher | 13.6 | 1 | +12.6 |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | 18.5 | 2 | +16.5 |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 13.6 | 4 | +9.6 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 18.5 | 5 | +13.5 |
| 6 | Alex Bowman | 17.4 | 6 | +11.4 |
| 8 | William Byron | 13.9 | 8 | +5.9 |
| 10 | Corey LaJoie | 23.3 | 10 | +13.3 |
| 11 | Ty Dillon | 22.9 | 11 | +11.9 |
| 12 | Bubba Wallace | 16.9 | 12 | +4.9 |
| 13 | Michael McDowell | 19.2 | 13 | +6.2 |
| 14 | Austin Hill | 25.5 | 14 | +11.5 |
| 16 | Christopher Bell | 15.1 | 16 | -0.9 |
| 17 | Ross Chastain | 16.0 | 17 | -1.0 |
| 18 | Erik Jones | 16.0 | 18 | -2.0 |
| 19 | J.J. Yeley | 25.5 | 19 | +6.5 |
| 20 | Daniel Suarez | 15.1 | 20 | -4.9 |
| 21 | Justin Haley | 23.4 | 21 | +2.4 |
| 22 | Josh Berry | 24.0 | 22 | +2.0 |
| 23 | B.J. McLeod | 25.5 | 23 | +2.5 |
| 24 | Martin Truex, Jr. | 20.5 | 24 | -3.5 |
(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
- Chris Buescher: has 25 career starts at Daytona International Speedway with a 16.8 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 P36 on the day.
- Brad Keselowski: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P19. Track history: 49 starts, 19.5 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400?
Chris Buescher won the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway driving for RFK Racing.
Where was the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 held?
The 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on August 26, 2023.