The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season will close with a full field of 40 cars at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night. The Coke Zero Sugar 400, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, will see no drivers sent home in qualifying, ensuring that every team will take the green flag. With two playoff berths still open and only 400 miles left to settle the regular season, tension and anticipation will shape the high-speed drama on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
Key Highlights
40 cars entered for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.
Austin Dillon returns in the No. 3 Chevrolet after winning last weekend at Richmond.
Casey Mears set for his 491st career Cup start in the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford.
Austin Hill and BJ McLeod headline notable independent entries for the finale.
Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman hold final playoff spots entering Daytona.
A Packed Entry List
The preliminary entry list for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 features a maximum 40-car field, meaning no driver will be excluded after qualifying. Among the headliners is Austin Dillon, fresh off his Richmond victory, returning in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with primary backing from BREZTRI. Dillon’s win added momentum to a season that has seen its share of ups and downs.
Casey Mears will also return for his second start of the season, piloting the No. 66 Garage 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The 491st start of his Cup career marks a milestone for the veteran, who made his series debut in 2003 and had not competed at this level between 2019 and this season.
Other notable names include Austin Hill, entered in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet for his third Cup outing of 2025, and BJ McLeod, attempting to make his first Daytona start of the year after failing to qualify in February. Joey Gase will wheel the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing, adding more variety to an already diverse lineup.
Playoff Picture Looms Large
The regular season concludes where it began, at Daytona. With 14 of 16 playoff positions already secured, Saturday night will decide the remaining two berths. Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing, currently 89 points above the elimination line, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, 60 points clear, lead the charge to claim those final spots. Both drivers, however, must survive the unpredictability of pack racing, where one mistake can change everything.
The superspeedway setting heightens the stakes. Teams that have struggled all year see Daytona as a final chance to lock in with a victory. For drivers outside the cutoff, winning Saturday night is the only route into the playoffs.
Drivers to Watch
Dillon enters with renewed confidence, aiming to carry his Richmond momentum onto the high banks. Mears, with his wealth of experience, returns as a sentimental favorite, adding another chapter to a long Cup career. Austin Hill, known for his success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at superspeedways, is a dark horse with potential to disrupt.
BJ McLeod and Joey Gase bring grit and determination, representing smaller teams striving to make noise against powerhouse operations. Hendrick Motorsports, with Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Bowman, fields a strong four-car lineup, while Team Penske counters with Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric.
From Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin to Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Shane van Gisbergen, the entry list reflects both established talent and emerging contenders.
| Entry | Car | Driver |
| 1 | 1 | Ross Chastain |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric |
| 3 | 3 | Austin Dillon |
| 4 | 4 | Noah Gragson |
| 5 | 5 | Kyle Larson |
| 6 | 6 | Brad Keselowski |
| 7 | 7 | Justin Haley |
| 8 | 8 | Kyle Busch |
| 9 | 9 | Chase Elliott |
| 10 | 10 | Ty Dillon |
| 11 | 11 | Denny Hamlin |
| 12 | 12 | Ryan Blaney |
| 13 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger |
| 14 | 17 | Chris Buescher |
| 15 | 19 | Chase Briscoe |
| 16 | 20 | Christopher Bell |
| 17 | 21 | Josh Berry |
| 18 | 22 | Joey Logano |
| 19 | 23 | Bubba Wallace |
| 20 | 24 | William Byron |
| 21 | 33 | Austin Hill |
| 22 | 34 | Todd Gilliland |
| 23 | 35 | Riley Herbst |
| 24 | 38 | Zane Smith |
| 25 | 41 | Cole Custer |
| 26 | 42 | |
| 27 | 43 | Erik Jones |
| 28 | 44 | Joey Gase |
| 29 | 45 | Tyler Reddick |
| 30 | 47 | |
| 31 | 48 | Alex Bowman |
| 32 | 51 | Cody Ware |
| 33 | 54 | Ty Gibbs |
| 34 | 60 | Ryan Preece |
| 35 | 66 | Casey Mears |
| 36 | 71 | |
| 37 | 77 | Carson Hocevar |
| 38 | 78 | BJ McLeod |
| 39 | 88 | Shane Van Gisbergen |
| 40 | 99 | Daniel Suarez |
News in Brief: 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 Entry List
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale will feature 40 cars in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. With no teams going home, all entries—including Austin Dillon, Casey Mears, Austin Hill, Joey Gase, and BJ McLeod—will compete on Saturday night. Dillon returns fresh from a Richmond win, while Mears makes his 491st career start. With 14 playoff berths locked, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman hold the final two spots entering Daytona.
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