NASCAR podcast: Previewing the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race at Daytona
The guys break down race week at Daytona International Speedway. How does the NASCAR playoff picture look? Who needs to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400?
DAYTONA BEACH — Friday is the busier of the two NASCAR days at Daytona International Speedway this week.
It begins with Xfinity Series qualifying for the Wawa 250 at 3 p.m. Then, the Cup Series takes its qualifying turn to set the lineup for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. Finally, the Xfinity cars return to the track for their 250-mile race at 7:30 p.m. It will be the third-to-last Xfinity Series event of the 2025 regular season.
At least, that’s the plan if rain doesn’t interfere.
Whatever happens, the Daytona Beach News-Journal has you covered. Scroll down for live updates.
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NASCAR updates from Daytona International Speedway
The wait is over.
Engines are fired, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series is ready to begin the 2025 Wawa 250. Drivers just climbed into their rides.
Green flag incoming.
The Wawa 250 remains in a delay. NASCAR is waiting on the lightning clock to expire.
What is that?
It’s a 30-minute timer that resets every time lighting is detected within an eight-mile radius of the track. When lightning strikes, all on-track action has to halt for 30 minutes.
Thirty minutes after the most recent strike, racing can resume.
While we wait for this weather delay to end and the Wawa 250 to start, let’s revisit some history. Who won the most recent Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway?
That would be Jesse Love.
The 20-year-old from Menlo Park, California, won the 2025 United Rentals 300 in February. It was the second win of his Xfinity career.
Both victories have come on superspeedways, with the first at Talladega.
Sike!
Lightning and forecasted thunderstorms will cause a delay of the Wawa 250. It will not start a few minutes after 7:30 p.m. as originally intended.
The delay began right after driver introductions and the national anthem wrapped up.
It’s cloudy, but this race should start on time.
Driver introductions are happening now. Green flag time is set for a few minutes after 7:30 p.m.
The lightning delay was lifted at 5:45 p.m., so NASCAR is still planning on a 7:30 p.m. start to the Wawa 250.
Connor Zilisch will start on the pole after lightning forced a cancellation of qualifying.
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12
- Alex Bowman, No. 48
- Kyle Larson, No. 5
- Joey Logano, No. 22
- Austin Cindric, No. 2
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11
- Austin Dillon, No. 3
- William Byron, No. 24
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6
- Josh Berry, No. 21
- Daniel Suarez, No. 99
- Zane Smith, No. 38
- Kyle Busch, No. 8
- Christopher Bell, No. 20
- Carson Hocevar, No. 77
- Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54
- Ross Chastain, No. 1
- Michael McDowell, No. 71
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23
- Ty Dillon, No. 10
- Chris Buescher, No. 17
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
- Erik Jones, No. 43
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34
- Cole Custer, No. 41
- Chase Elliott, No. 9
- Ryan Preece, No. 60
- Noah Gragson, No. 4
- Riley Herbst, No. 35
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42
- Cody Ware, No. 51
- Austin Hill, No. 33
- Justin Haley, No. 7
- BJ McLeod, No. 78
- Casey Mears, No. 66
- Joey Gase, No. 44
The Cup Series qualifying session went the way of the Xfinity Series version.
Canceled.
The announcement came at approximately 5:15 p.m. Friday, 15 minutes after its scheduled start time. There is lightning in the area.
As a result, the starting lineup for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 was set by metric.
- Connor Zilisch, No. 88
- Sam Mayer, No. 41
- Sammy Smith, No. 8
- Austin Hill, No. 21
- Justin Allgaier, No. 7
- Carson Kvapil, No. 1
- Brandon Jones, No. 20
- Harrison Burton, No. 25
- Christian Eckes, No. 16
- Jesse Love, No. 2
- Dean Thompson, No. 26
- Brennan Poole, No. 44
- Jeb Burton, No. 27
- Taylor Gray, No. 54
- Rajah Caruth, No. 32
- Jeremy Clements, No. 51
- Daniel Dye, No. 10
- Nick Sanchez, No. 48
- Parker Retzlaff, No. 4
- Josh Williams, No. 45
- Justin Haley, No. 11
- Ryan Sieg, No. 39
- Blaine Perkins, No. 31
- William Sawalich, No. 18
- Joey Gase, No. 53
- Mason Maggio, No. 35
- Sheldon Creed, No. 00
- Josh Bilicki, No. 91
- Aric Almirola, No. 19
- Kyle Sieg, No. 28
- Ryan Ellis, No. 71
- Anthony Alfredo, No. 42
- Matt DiBenedetto, No. 99
- Patrick Emerling, No. 07
- Leland Honeyman, No. 70
- Garrett Smithley, No. 14
- Caesar Bacarella, No. 5
- Natalie Decker, No. 92
NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying didn’t make it the distance. Only 15 drivers hit the track before bad weather interfered, leaving 23 others unable to participate.
The lineup was set by metric. Connor Zilisch will start on the pole.
Only 15 drivers participated into the NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying session before another delay at approximately 4:17 p.m.
There is lightning and threat of a thunderstorm in the area.
Ten drivers have run Xfinity Series qualifying laps, with 28 still to come.
Matt DiBenedetto leads the proceedings with a lap time of 49.88. Aric Almirola and Anthony Alfredo follow him.
Qualifying is underway.
Natalie Decker took to the track first. She ran her fastest lap in 50.409 seconds.
NASCAR is going to try this thing.
Drivers were instructed to report to their cars. Xfinity Series qualifying will begin momentarily.
No cars on the track yet.
Xfinity Series qualifying was scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m., but lightning got in the way, triggering a delay. Fans were instructed to seek shelter.
NASCAR plans to cut from two qualifying rounds to one as long as the lightning clock doesn’t reset.
Daytona International Speedway posted a weather alert on its social media accounts at at approximately 2:40 p.m. Thursday. With thunderstorms forecast for Daytona Beach, the alert instructed fans to seek shelter.
Xfinity Series qualifying was scheduled for 3 p.m. No update on its status yet.
The grand marshal for Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 will still be a WWE superstar.
Heck, a former WWE champion.
But the name is changing. After Rey Mysterio was announced as the guest celebrity earlier this week, Kevin Owens will now serve in the role.
National Weather Service forecast: Will it rain for Daytona Xfinity race?
This afternoon: Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m. High near 90. West southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Low around 75. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday
3 p.m.: Xfinity Series qualifying for Wawa 250
5:05 p.m.: Cup Series qualifying for Coke Zero Sugar 400
7:30 p.m.: Wawa 250
Saturday
7:30 p.m.: Coke Zero Sugar 400
- Date: Friday, Aug. 22
- Start time: 7:30 p.m.
The 2025 Wawa 250 will see the green flag a few minutes after 7:30 p.m. Friday at Daytona International Speedway.
- TV channel: CW
- Live streaming: Fubo
- Radio: MRN | SiriusXM (Channel 90)
The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona will broadcast nationally on The CW. Streaming options include Fubo.
Qualifying for the Xfinity event will also air on The CW.
Watch Daytona Xfinity Series race live on Fubo
Connor Zilisch announced he was given the OK to race at Daytona with a social media post Thursday.
The 19-year-old Xfinity Series standout broke his collarbone two weeks ago while celebrating his win at Watkins Glen. He had surgery to repair the fracture last week.
The NASCAR Cup Series will run the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. NBC will broadcast it live.
— Dan Rorabaugh contributed to these updates