Ryan Blaney Triumphs in Dramatic Coca-Cola Zero Sugar 400 Finale
In an exhilarating finish, Ryan Blaney narrowly claimed victory at Daytona, securing a thrilling four-wide finish ahead of Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, and Cole Custer.
In a finish that puts even some of the greatest last laps ever at Daytona to shame, Ryan Blaney won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in incredible fashion, surging ahead on the last lap to beat Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, and Cole Custer as the four leaders crossed the finish line nearly completely four abreast. Blaney, who just nosed ahead as the field entered the trioval for the final time, wound up winning over Suarez by 0.031 seconds.
Blaney’s win is his second of the 2025 season, his second in Daytona’s summertime race after also winning in 2021, and it preserved the status quo of the NASCAR playoffs grid.
With Blaney’s victory in the regular-season finale denying a potential new winner entry into the playoffs, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman were able to secure the final two seeds in NASCAR’s 16-driver race for the championship.
“What a wild last couple laps, honestly,” Blaney told NBC Sports. “I was with Cole, I kind of asked him on the restart, ‘if you go to the top I’m going with you.’ We kind of just waited and waited and then the opportunity came and he made a good move to get to the top, and we were able to really get good shots.
“A couple good guys behind us and then it cleared the way for us when the 7 and 41 got racing, and I was able to clear on the top and just barely hold out for the win. … It’s cool to win here again. I won here a few years ago, and nice to be back.”
Both Reddick and Bowman faced major adversity in their pursuit of playoff spots, with both being involved in crashes early. Disaster appeared to strike early for Reddick, who suffered extensive front end damage when he nosed into the inside wall. But Bowman’s problems were far worse: The Big One struck when Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch made contact entering the trioval, triggering a multi-car pileup that eliminated Bowman from contention.
Coke Zero Sugar 400 Results
- #12 - Ryan Blaney
- #99 - Daniel Suarez
- #7 - Justin Haley
- #41 - Cole Custer
- #43 - Erik Jones
- #5 - Kyle Larson
- #17 - Chris Buescher
- #54 - Ty Gibbs
- #21 - Josh Berry
- #9 - Chase Elliott
