Ryan Blaney will lead the field to green in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, but the path to setting the lineup wasn’t routine. With threatening lightning halting qualifying on Friday, NASCAR turned to its metric system to establish the starting order for the regular season finale. That left Blaney on pole, with Alex Bowman alongside on the front row. But the storylines extend beyond the front row, as penalties and setbacks reshaped the grid in unexpected ways.
Key Highlights
Lightning forced cancellation of Friday’s qualifying at Daytona
Starting lineup determined by NASCAR’s qualifying metric system
Ryan Blaney awarded the pole, with Alex Bowman second
Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric round out the top five
William Byron penalized to the rear with a stop-and-go penalty at the start
Weather Sets the Grid
The skies above Daytona International Speedway dictated how Saturday’s starting lineup was formed. A lightning storm rolled into the area on Friday afternoon, scrubbing any chance for on-track qualifying. As a result, the NASCAR Cup Series turned to its qualifying metric formula, which combines a driver’s previous race finish and current owner points, to set the lineup. That calculation placed Ryan Blaney on pole, while Alex Bowman earned the outside front row. Kyle Larson will start third, with Joey Logano and Austin Cindric making up the remainder of the top five.
For Blaney, the pole position comes at an important moment as he looks to carry momentum into the postseason. The defending series champion has shown flashes of strength on superspeedways, and leading the field to green offers both opportunity and responsibility.
William Byron’s Penalty Complicates His Night
One of the biggest developments came not from weather but from a NASCAR penalty. William Byron, who won the Daytona 500 earlier this year, was set to start eighth on the grid. Instead, NASCAR ruled that an unapproved adjustment was made to the splitter of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. That decision forced Byron to the rear of the field, ejecting crew chief Rudy Fugle for the weekend. Byron will also be required to perform a stop-and-go penalty after receiving the green flag.
It’s a difficult setback for Byron, who had entered the weekend among the favorites thanks to his earlier season win at the same track. With the penalty, he faces an uphill climb in Saturday’s 400-mile event, needing both speed and drafting help to regain lost ground.
Regular Season Finale Stakes
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 represents the final race of the Cup Series regular season, meaning the stakes are high across the grid. Drivers without a win still have one final chance to punch their ticket into the Playoffs. Superspeedway racing at Daytona is unpredictable, offering opportunities for underdogs but also dangers for established contenders. With 40 cars in the field, including past winners and hungry hopefuls, Saturday night’s race promises to shape the postseason picture dramatically.
The lineup features Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric in the top five, while Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, and Josh Berry fill out the top ten. The stage is set for a chaotic and critical night under the lights.
News in Brief: 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 lineup
Lightning forced NASCAR to cancel Friday’s qualifying for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, setting the lineup by metric formula. Ryan Blaney will start from pole with Alex Bowman second, followed by Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric. William Byron, originally slotted to start eighth, was penalized to the rear after an unapproved splitter adjustment, losing his crew chief Rudy Fugle and facing a stop-and-go penalty at the start. With the regular season finale Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET, fans can expect fireworks on NBC and MRN.
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