Could the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona Give Fans a Brand New Winner Again?

Published 08/27/2020, 6:22 AM EDT

This weekend, the final race of the NASCAR regular season is set to come to an end and the playoff races are right on the horizon. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona is a do-or-die race for drivers and teams that are looking to book a place in the 16-driver playoff field.

William Byron, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt DiBenedetto are the protagonists of this battle. However, there are chances that several drivers can spoil the party and swipe the vacant slot from under their noses. Apparently, the Daytona International Speedway has a reputation for producing ‘Cinderella‘ winners.

It is worth noting that two of the last 4 Cup races at the superspeedway gave rise to maiden victors. The latest winner was Justin Haley in the 2019 season, in only his third Cup start.

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All You Need to Know About the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

The driver found himself in the lead during a caution period after Kurt Busch dove into the pits. However, Mother Nature unleashed her fury, cue lightning.

As a result, the NASCAR officials stopped the race and later declared the results once it started pouring.

Who else has won at Daytona?

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In addition to Haley, Erik Jones is another driver who tasted glory at the superspeedway. What made this win so incredible was the fact that he started the race on the 29th spot.

Of course, he benefitted from various incidents, including ‘The Big One’ that involved 26 cars. After the final overtime restart, Jones passed Martin Truex Jr, courtesy of a helping hand from Chris Buescher. With that, Erik Jones seized victory in his 57th Cup start.

It is worth noting that no Cup driver bagged their first two career Cup wins at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Daytona 500.

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However, Austin Dillon changed the game. Admittedly, he collided with leader Aric Almirola on the last lap, ending the latter’s race. After that hiccup, Dillon stormed to an easy win with the nearest challenger too far behind.

Finally, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sped to victory lane at Daytona following his maiden win at Talladega, all in a matter of months.

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Written by:

Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.