The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Daytona International Speedway begins on August 28 with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 qualifying, a session that will decide the last two drivers who earn a spot in the playoffs.
New Rules Aim to Boost Competition
Series officials have introduced a package that lowers horsepower and reshapes the rear spoiler, a combination intended to make cars more slide‑happy and to create more passing opportunities on the 2.5‑mile oval.
The changes come as the championship battle tightens, with Ryan Preece sitting 31 points behind Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final Chase position.
A total of 41 entries have been filed for the event, but only 40 spots are available, leaving one car without a guaranteed place on the grid.
Qualifying is scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern, 4 p.m. Central, and will be televised on truTV, streamed on HBO Max and NASCAR.com, and heard on SiriusXM and MRN Radio.
The track itself, Daytona International Speedway, remains a 2.5‑mile high‑banked oval in Daytona Beach, Florida, a venue that has historically tested both driver skill and engineering ingenuity.