A New Broadcast Era
Ross Chastain secured the pole for the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, posting a blistering lap at 184.396 miles per hour that set the tone for the season‑ending event.
He will be joined on the front row by Chris Buescher, who qualified second and is currently navigating the ten‑race playoff stretch that could determine the championship.
The race, scheduled for the final weekend of the regular season, will be broadcast live on NBC for the first time, with coverage kicking off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, promising a new television milestone for NASCAR fans.
Daytona Beach, Florida, will host the finale, a venue that has long been synonymous with high‑speed drama, and the event is sponsored by Coke Zero Sugar, adding a familiar branding presence to the track.
The starting grid features a blend of Chevrolet and Ford entries from teams such as Trackhouse Racing, RFK Racing, Team Penske, and Hendrick Motorsports, with drivers like Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace among those set to compete.
Notably, Gray Gaulding failed to qualify, marking his first Cup Series start since June 2023, while the field also includes rising talents such as Austin Hill, Riley Herbst and Shane van Gisbergen, alongside veteran names like Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin.