The 2026 NASCAR season will close with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, the final regular‑season event before the playoffs.
A New Era of Racing at Daytona
Ross Chastain secured the pole position, his first since a Watkins Glen victory in 2023, and while his car later dropped out of the Chase because of an engine failure, the achievement marks a career milestone.
Shane van Gisbergen and Ryan Preece are locked in a points battle for the last Chase berth, with van Gisbergen holding a 31‑point edge over Preece heading into the 160‑lap showdown.
The race will debut a new competition package that reduces horsepower and downforce, a change that reshapes drafting dynamics and could alter strategies for drivers such as Austin Hill, who is filling the seat vacated by Kyle Busch.
Hill, eager to claim his first Cup Series win, expressed confidence in the new package, while Bubba Wallace must avoid any wrecks to preserve his postseason hopes.
The event will be televised on NBC, with pre‑race coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET, and will stream live on Peacock, Fubo TV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, offering fans multiple ways to watch the 400‑mile contest.
Divided into three stages of 35, 60 and 65 laps, the race covers 160 laps for a total of 400 miles, a format that has historically produced first‑time Cup winners like Harrison Burton, William Byron and Erik Jones.
NASCAR officials hope the revised aerodynamic package will deliver closer racing and more competitive battles, especially as the field includes Trackhouse Racing teammates Chastain and van Gisbergen alongside RFK Racing’s Preece.
As the sun sets over Daytona, the stage is set for a dramatic climax that could reshape the playoff picture and deliver the excitement that fans have come to expect from the sport’s most iconic track.