NASCAR at Daytona results: Ryan Blaney wins second straight race in crash-filled Coke Zero Sugar 400

Edward Sutelan

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NASCAR at Daytona results: Ryan Blaney wins second straight race in crash-filled Coke Zero Sugar 400 image

Ryan Blaney will be riding into Darlington and the playoffs with some serious momentum.

A week ago, he won at Michigan for his second win of the season. On Saturday, he took the lead in overtime of a hectic Coke Zero Sugar 400 and was far enough ahead on the final lap to avoid a second big crash that took out most of the remaining field and earn win No. 3 of 2021 at Daytona International Speedway.

With the final spot in NASCAR's Cup Series playoffs on the line Saturday, drivers were extra aggressive on the oval. The first big crash took out a number of drivers and nearly wiped out Tyler Reddick, who was hoping to secure enough points to hold onto his spot in the playoffs. The wreck brought out the red flag and ultimately forced Reddick to pit three times between two yellow-flag periods. He finished sixth in the race and punched his ticket to the playoffs as the 16th entrant.

Another big crash, this time involving Chase Elliott and Matt DiBenedetto, collected more cars and sent the race to overtime with three laps to go. Chris Buescher, who needed to win to reach the playoffs, was leading out of the caution but was passed late by Blaney and finished second. (UPDATE: Buescher was disqualified after a postrace inspection detected an illegal track bar mounting assembly on his car.)  Kyle Larson finished 21st but still claimed the regular-season championship.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin Sept. 5 with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the first of three races in the Round of 16.

Sporting News tracked live updates and lap-by-lap highlights from NASCAR's race at Daytona on Saturday night. Follow below for complete results from the Coke Zero Sugar 400

MORE: Watch NASCAR racing live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

NASCAR at Daytona live updates, highlights from Coke Zero Sugar 400

10:58 p.m.: Kyle Larson is the regular-season champion.

10:56 p.m.: Reddick clinches the final playoff spot.

10:54 p.m.: Blaney cleared the pack as another big crash takes out a number of drivers. Blaney wins the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

10:53 p.m.: Blaney is leading the race on the final lap. LaJoie moves up into second. 

10:52 p.m.: The race is back in green. Two laps to go.

10:43 p.m.: This race is now in overtime.

10:41 p.m.: Here's the big one.

10:41 p.m.: Buescher is now leading the race as it moves to yellow.

10:39 p.m.: Matt DiBenedetto makes a cross-over move to take the lead, but he falls behind Elliott. The two have collided and now a big crash is collecting a huge swath of cars with three laps to go.

10:39 p.m.: Logano had a flat tire and he's able to make it to pit road and keep the race in green.

10:37 p.m.: Elliott moved into the lead briefly, but Buescher held him off. He's now falled back down far as Elliott and Hamlin move into the one and two spots.

10:37 p.m.: A lot of contact late. Buescher moves up into the top spot ahead of Logano and Blaney.

10:37 p.m.: Chris Buescher has moved into the top three late in the race. He's fighting for a playoff spot, needing a win to make it into the field.

10:34 p.m.: 10 laps to go with Logano leading Blaney on the restart.

10:31 p.m.: Reddick is back in pit row, but he is off once again.

10:29 p.m.: Dillon is going to be getting a new battery to try and finish the race. Reddick is back out after a stop to pit row.

10:27 p.m.: The yellow flag is back out.

10:25 p.m.: Reddick is heading back to pit row.

10:17 p.m.: Byron is officially done after that crash.

10:14 p.m.: These are the stakes for Reddick. He could be in danger if he's not able to finish this race.

10:13 p.m.: Here's another look at that crash that collected several contenders.

10:11 p.m.: This race has been put on a red flag to clean the track. Reddick is off pit road, but there is plenty of smoke coming off the back of his car.

10:09 p.m.: Truex gets turned into the outside wall. He collected Byron and others.

10:08 p.m.: There's a crash and caution flag comes out. Among the damaged cars is Reddick, who had smoke coming out the back of the car. He could be in danger of losing his spot ahead of Dillon in points if he can't get back out to the race. Pit crew looking under the hood now.

10:07 p.m.: Logano, Blaney and Almirola are the top three on the restart.

10:04 p.m.: Dillon is heading to the rear for speeding on pit road.

10:03 p.m.: Kyle Busch is the first off pit road with Truex and LaJoie right behind him.

10:01 p.m.: Brad Keselowski gets the free pass and the Fords that pitted on green will move up to the front as the Toyotas and Chevys go to pit road on the caution.

9:59 p.m.: The caution has acome out with Joey Gase and Ware having a minor crash. Garrett Smithley spun out to start the chain. 

9:55 p.m.: The Toyotas and Chevys leading the way still haven't taken a pit stop as Wallace stays out in front of Busch and Chastain. They should be nearing pit road soon though as they will need to refuel to finish the race.

9:51 p.m.: Wallace, Busch and Chastain are fighting it out for the top spot. Wallace is the current leader with 30 laps to go.

9:47 p.m.: Wallace had taken a lead after the Fords went for a pit, but Chastain passes him with 36 to go.

9:46 p.m.: Harvick leads a few cars out for a green flag pit stop as they pull aside for fuel.

9:45 p.m.: Chastain is running a big lead out right now from the inside. Should he win, he will be the 16th playoff qualifier. 

9:42 p.m.: Alex Bowman was spun earlier, and he's now moved up to second behind only Chastain.

9:38 p.m.: Blaney passes from the inside with Chastain now in front on the outside lane. Neither is able to get out fully in front of the other.

9:36 p.m.: Logano rides up the inside to pass Harvick and Chastain follows Logano to move into second. Chastain is trying to move up in front of Logano, who is now on the outside.

9:34 p.m.: Harvick and Logano jump to the top two positions ahead of Hamlin.

9:32 p.m.: Hamlin takes the lead over Byron with Wallace now in third and Harvick running fourth.

9:31 p.m.: The final stage is in the green. 

9:25 p.m.: Byron, Hamlin, Harvick are the first three off pit road at the start of the final stage.

9:21 p.m.: Dillon makes a move to go all the way up to second on the final lap as Logano wins the stage. Reddick finishes fourth. 

9:21 p.m.: Blaney and the inside line have fallen back as Logano and Reddick are now taking the top two spots.

9:17 p.m.: Logano is switching between the inside and outside lane to keep his hold on the lead. Ryan Blaney is able to pull out just a bit ahead, but he can't clear Logano. Logano retakes the lead, but also can't clear. These two are just going back and forth from the inside (Blaney) and outside (Logano).

9:15 p.m.: Less than 10 laps to go in the stage, Logano, Reddick and Stenhouse make up the top three.

9:11 p.m.: Kyle Larson has jumped up into the top 10. He's running right behind Hamlin.

9:08 p.m.: Reddick is up to second place with 17 laps remaining. He was not among the top 10 at the end of the first stage.

9:06 p.m.: Green flag is back out. Bell, Logano and LaJoie are the top three on the restart.

8:59 p.m.: Aric Almirola takes some damage to his car in an incident after cars on the inside started to pile up. The caution flag is out.

8:57 p.m.: Halfway through the second stage, here's the top 10: Bell, Stenhouse, Kyle Busch, Dillon, Logano, Truex, Elliott, LaJoie, Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick.

8:55 p.m.: Logano is leading a line on the inside all the way up. He's moved into the top 10 and has the chance to keep going.

8:54 p.m.: Broadcast shows that Truex had debris when he moved back, and now Bell has debris on the front of his car. This has consistently been an issue so far for the leaders.

8:53 p.m.: Bell passes Truex for the lead with 30 laps left in the second stage. Stenhouse, Busch and Corey LaJoie take the chance to move up in front of Truex as well, but Truex is able to move back quickly in front of LaJoie.

8:45 p.m.: NBC broadcast shows Hamlin's heart rate is just around 100 beats per minute. The experience showing in him as he fights to finish the regular season leading in points.

8:43 p.m.: Truex is the leader now with Christopher Bell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. trailing behind him.

8:41 p.m.: Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. are leading the race on the restart. 

8:38 p.m.: Logano is sent to the rear for throwing equipment.

8:35 p.m.: Cody Ware just refills on fuel and takes the lead out of pit road, jumping up 15 spots.

8:33 p.m.: Right at the end of the stage, Kyle Busch had an incredible save to keep himself from hitting the wall.

8:31 p.m.: Hamlin has really been pushing Elliott, but Elliott holds on to win the stage. A caution comes out at the start of the second stage.

8:30 p.m.: Dillon tries to make his move on the inside, but no one follows him and he drops back to fifth with one lap to go on the stage. Elliott is staying up front.

8:27 p.m.: Elliott makes an aggressive move on the inside to retaket he lead. Logano tries to pass him on the outside as well, but it doesn't work, and he drops back.

8:24 p.m.: Elliott has debris on the front of his car, and he might have to pit. He moves back, and falls down to fourth behind Logano, Custer and Dillon. The move works though as he's able to clear the debris.

8:20 p.m.: The order hasn't changed much as the cars remain racing in a single-file line on the outside. Elliott is still leading Logano and Custer with 13 laps to go in the first stage.

8:15 p.m.: Dillon has been racing near the front of the race for most of the night. He's in fourth right now, while Reddick is in 21st.

8:12 p.m.: Two wide at the front between Elliott and Cole Custer on Lap 28.

8:11 p.m.: There's the green flag, and the race hits the restart at Lap 26.

8:09 p.m.: Michael McDowell's car starts smoking, and it looks like his day is over. 

8:05 p.m.: Elliott maintains his lead coming off pit road as all the drivers stopped only for more fuel.

8:02 p.m.: Competition caution comes out on Lap 20.

8:00 p.m.: Austin Dillon takes the lead on Lap 19 as Ross Chastain is forced to take an early pit stop for two tires.

7:57 p.m.: Byron and Ross Chastain pull in front of Hamlin on the outside on Lap 15.

7:55 p.m.: Hamlin is up in first now with Byron in second and Bubba Wallace in third. Hamlin has a guaranteed playoff spot, but he has a chance to take the lead in regular season points today.

7:51 p.m.: Kevin Harvick leads the inside lane up to the front, and he takes the lead over Byron on Lap 7.

7:50 p.m.: Hamlin has dropped back to 10th, while Byron has been able to hang onto his lead six laps into the race.

7:47 p.m.: William Byron is the early leader in the race, keeping Denny Hamlin at bay. 

7:45 p.m.: There's the green flag. The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is officially underway.

7:33 p.m.: Drivers have started their engines.

7:26 p.m.: Time for the singing of the national anthem.

7:14 p.m.: The cars are lined up on the grid. Just under a half hour until the start of the race.

7:08 p.m.: The final list of cars moving to the rear after inspections tonight. Add Kaz Grala to that list.

7:04 p.m.: A lot on the line tonight for Tyler Reddick, who is feeling ready for the big race.

6:45 p.m.: Three drivers, including NASCAR Cup Series leader Kyle Larson, will start in the back of the race after their cars failed pre-race inspection. Larson is still credited as the polesitter for the race.

NASCAR start time today

  • Time:  7 p.m. ET (TV time)
  • TV channel: NBC (TSN5 in Canada)
  • Live stream: NBCSports.com | fuboTV ( 7-day free trial )

The green flag for Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race on Daytona International Speedway's 2.5-mile oval is scheduled to drop at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Because it's Daytona in the summer, there is a chance that weather will be a factor. The National Weather Service's forecast for Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla. , is for partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 90 degrees during the day, followed by cloudy skies and a low temperature in the high 70s at night. There is the usual chance for showers and thunderstorms. The weather service puts the chances for precipitation at 30 percent during the day and 20 percent at night.

MORE: How the final playoff spot will be decided at Daytona

NASCAR starting lineup at Daytona

Here is the complete NASCAR starting lineup for Saturday's race at Daytona International Speedway, the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Start pos. Driver Car No. Team
1 Kyle Larson 5 Hendrick Motorsports
2 William Byron 24 Hendrick Motorsports
3 Denny Hamlin 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
4 Kyle Busch 18 Joe Gibbs Racing
5 Chase Elliott 9 Hendrick Motorsports
6 Ryan Blaney 12 Team Penske
7 Martin Truex Jr. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
8 Kurt Busch 1 Chip Ganassi Racing
9 Matt DiBenedetto 21 Wood Brothers Racing
10 Brad Keselowski 2 Team Penske
11 Kevin Harvick 4 Stewart-Haas Racing
12 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing
13 Chris Buescher 17 Roush Fenway Racing
14 Christopher Bell 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
15 Alex Bowman 48 Hendrick Motorsports
16 Chase Briscoe 14 Stewart-Haas Racing
17 Tyler Reddick 8 Richard Childress Racing
18 Michael McDowell 34 Front Row Motorsports
19 Aric Almirola 10 Stewart-Haas Racing
20 Bubba Wallace 23 23XI Racing
21 Erik Jones 43 Richard Petty Motorsports
22 Joey Logano 22 Team Penske
23 Ryan Newman 6 Roush Fenway Racing
24 Ryan Preece 37 JTG Daugherty Racing
25 Cole Custer 41 Stewart-Haas Racing
26 Daniel Suarez 99 Trackhouse Racing
27 Austin Dillon 3 Richard Childress Racing
28 Justin Haley 77 Spire Motorsports
29 Ross Chastain 42 Chip Ganassi Racing
30 BJ McLeod 78 Live Fast Motorsports
31 Cody Ware 51 Petty Ware Racing
32 Anthony Alfredo 38 Front Row Motorsports
33 Corey LaJoie 7 Spire Motorsports
34 Garrett Smithley 53 Rick Ware Racing
35 Quin Houff 00 StarCom Racing
36 Josh Bilicki 52 Rick Ware Racing
37 Joey Gase 15 Rick Ware Racing
38 Kaz Grala 16 Kaulig Racing
39 Landon Cassill 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing
40 David Starr 66 Motorsports Business Management

Edward Sutelan

Edward Sutelan Photo

Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive. Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019, where he gained experience covering the baseball, football and basketball teams. Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times.