RACE RECAP
Ryan Blaney authored one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2025 season, rocketing from 12th place with three laps remaining to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in a breathtaking four-wide photo finish. Blaney crossed the line just 0.031 seconds ahead of Daniel Suarez, with Justin Haley and Cole Custer also part of the dramatic four-wide dash to the checkered flag in the regular-season finale.
The race was pure Daytona chaos: 44 lead changes among 19 different drivers, 8 cautions for 39 laps, and a red flag lasting over 8 minutes. Kyle Larson won Stage 1, Ross Chastain captured Stage 2, and Blaney closed it out with the final-stage win. Blaney's winning move came when he pushed Cole Custer to the lead down the backstretch on the final lap, then capitalized when Custer dove inside Justin Haley, opening the top groove for Blaney to sweep past both with a push from Suarez.
As the last race of the regular season, the result carried enormous Playoff implications. Blaney's win denied a potential new winner from entering the field, which meant Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman secured the final two Playoff berths on points. Erik Jones, Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, and Ty Gibbs also posted top-ten finishes in a chaotic summer night at the World Center of Racing.
BY THE NUMBERS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
VALUE PICKS
BUSTS
PERFECT LINEUP
Optimal 5-driver roster for this race
| Group | Driver | Salary | Finish | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A |  | $15 | 1 | 119.40 2 × 59.70 |
B | | $5 | 3 | 80.85 1.75 × 46.20 |
C | | $5 | 4 | 59.55 1.5 × 39.70 |
D |  | $12 | 6 | 59.13 1.25 × 47.30 |
E |  | $10 | 15 | 45.70 1 × 45.70 |