It might look like Hogwarts in year five, but the Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona’s going to be a barnburner. (Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
For the past 24 years, outside of the 2014 and 2019 editions, the Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona has been held under the lights. With football season in bloom, the NASCAR Cup Series has its own edition of a Friday night lights atmosphere on a Saturday evening.
Mother Nature may have eliminated qualifying but it does not mean there’ll be plentiful moving and shaking in the field of 37. Anyone from Kyle Larson to Noah Gragson stands a solid chance at wining the regular season finale.
Unlike the season opening Daytona 500, Saturday night’s race places emphasis on handling and finding the right drafting partners. There’s nothing like holding a pretty wheel with a car that thrives in the draft, no matter the lane.
Austin Cindric and Ross Chastain mastered the superspeedway races earlier this year and can enjoy Playoff racing in due part to their victories respectively at Daytona and Talladega. However, past Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 winners like Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Justin Haley, Erik Jones, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Brad Keselowski seem prime for a Saturday night showdown.
This weekend, Cody Shoppe, Kobe Lambeth, Luis Torres, Matt Sisoler, Michelle Raynor, Nathan Solomon, Taylor Kitchen and yours truly consider the next new winner of 2022 and the prospects of Kyle Busch’s title chances.
Podium Preview: Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona
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Question 1
Will Ryan Blaney fight his way into the Playoffs at Daytona? (Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
While the NASCAR Playoffs format has been designed to reward winners with its “win and you’re in” incentive, two of the most consistent contenders, Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., may be eliminated after Saturday night’s race at Daytona.
Should NASCAR reconsider the format so that the 16 best drivers, regardless if they have won or not prior to the Playoffs, are battling for the championship?
Tiongson : This is a tough one because fans have clamored for seeing winning drivers battling for the championship. Fans have argued how the postseason can be a bit tainted if a winless driver emerges triumphant as the champion. Now, we’re in a fun situation where Blaney and Truex may miss the Playoffs, even with Kurt Busch’s return and withdrawal from Playoff eligibility being considered.
Personally, I would like to see the Playoff field reduced from 16 to 10. Eliminate half of the field after the fifth race of the postseason and then let’s see a five race, five driver battle onto the season finale. Of course, if I had it my way, I’d argue for a 36-race Playoff schedule.
Solomon : I don’t think so. I like the idea of having to win to get into the playoffs, but I feel there should be some sort of security for the top five in points. With Kurt Busch withdrawing his playoff waiver, it gives both drivers a better chance to get in, which is a good thing. But, overall, I like the format.
Shoppe : I get the idea of locking in guys in the top five or so in points, but I probably wouldn’t want to change it. I like to see it stay as simple as possible. Win and you’re in. Guys that high in points deserve a title run.
But let’s face it. Most years, they’d be safe anyway. This has just been an extra special year of different winners.
Lambeth : In my opinion, I feel like making the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs would be more rewarding if we went back to the same number of drivers during “The Chase” era, reducing the Playoff field from 16 to 10.
This would put an even greater emphasis on not just winning a single race, but winning as often as you can to secure your spot to contend for a championship. With 16 Playoff spots up for grabs now and nearly 16 different race winners, having a 10-driver field duking it out for the title would have lots of drivers with only a one win squirming and possibly leading to an even more intense regular season finale at Daytona.
Question 2
Kimi Räikkönen embraced the NASCAR scene last weekend with Project 91. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
After Kimi Räikkönen’s strong performance in his NASCAR Cup Series debut with PROJECT 91, do you foresee his experience inspiring more racers from different series to compete in at least one race and why?
Sisoler : I think there is a strong possibility that PROJECT 91 inspires people from other series to give the Cup Series and NASCAR overall a try, because there were a number of drivers that I saw that were immediately intrigued by the Iceman’s performance at the Glen.
Current IndyCar driver Marcus Ericsson tweeted out interest during the race I believe, and another F1 world champion, Jenson Button, quoted his tweet with a rock, paper, scissors challenge for that seat in the #91. Adam Stern tweeted Wednesday that over 20 drivers from F1, IndyCar and the FIA’s World Endurance Championship have asked about doing a one-off in the 91, so Justin Marks’ gamble with PROJECT 91 definitely seems to have paid off with more international stars clamoring to get a ride in that #91 Camaro.
Sharpe : I think this stems actually all the way back when Montoya raced in the CUP series. Shoot, even Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon I think had an influence on drivers from other racing series deciding to try NASCAR out.
I will agree with Torres on that PROJECT 91 was well executed overall, giving both F1 and NASCAR fans an incredible glimpse into what it takes for a driver to make the transition. I would love to see this happen more often as the sport’s popularity has grown.
Torres : PROJECT 91 is one of the better open invitation promotions I’ve seen in racing. That’s all thanks in both Trackhouse getting a former world champion and doing it right where people take it seriously.
There have been times when a certain concept was all talk instead of seeing a quality product. Raikkonen had a good showing until a racing incident ended his afternoon. But what we’ve learned is that he’s down to give it another go and a few other racers like the concept.
I’m hopeful we’ll see guys across different disciplines, active or recently retired racers, to get this project talking for years to come. Crossover promotion never hurts and we all end up as winners witnessing racers stepping out of their comfort zone.
Imagine guys like Indy 500 champion Marcus Ericsson, another world champion in Jenson Button, or even six-time champ Scott Dixon give NASCAR a go. Options are endless and that’s what happens when such a concept like Justin Marks did succeeds and is taken seriously.
Two laps are in the books around Daytona in a race to make the Playoffs! Now, let’s rewind to last Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen, Race 25 of 36 of the NASCAR Cup Series season!
Yours truly was a position away from a pivotal victory.
However, the regular season championship goes to a familiar individual.
Next, here’s tonight’s top 10 starters for tonight’s Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona!
Row 1
Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott (Photo: Blake Ulino | The Podium Finish)
Row 2
Joey Logano and Daniel Suárez (Photo: Blake Ulino)
Row 3
Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick (Photo: Blake Ulino)
Row 4
Kevin Harvick and Christopher Buescher (Photo: Blake Ulino)
Row 5
Michael McDowell and Alex Bowman (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Lastly, here’s our picks for tonight’s Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona.
It’s anyone’s guess for tonight’s Coke Zero Sugar Free 400 at Daytona. (Photo: Luis Torres, Dylan Nadwodny and Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
Torres : New boast of confidence, a strong Speedweek in February, and accepting a new identity, Christopher Buescher is the one of very few drivers that are outside the playoffs that’ll shine at Daytona. Pending on when we’ll get the 400-mile race going due to a very concerning weather pattern that could impact the schedule, once the race gets going, Buescher will be a threat all race long.
He’ll bring the chaos and knock Ryan Blaney out of the 16th and final playoff spot, bringing RFK Racing back to significant relevance. Above everything else, the six-year drought finally comes to an end.
Lambeth : With 23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch forfeiting his Playoff spot to focus on recovering from a concussion, 23XI can still make the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with Bubba Wallace. The driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD is one of the top superspeedway racers in NASCAR, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he pulls into victory lane at the World Center of Racing!
Sisoler : Daytona is always a massive wild card, and with it being the final race of the regular season for someone to possibly win and get a playoff spot right at the death, I’m expecting chaos to ramp up as the laps wind down.
Just because it tosses a wrench into who people think is gonna make the playoffs, and cause I kinda like chaos in my playoffs, I am gonna put my money on a wild card. I think Justin Haley is gonna vault the Kaulig No. 31 into the Cup playoffs with an upset win at the track where he won this race for Spire a few years ago.
Sharpe : That Jones Boy. Erik Jones is incredible at superspeedways and the folks over at RPM/GMS have done an incredible at building great s-speedway cars. Crossing my fingers for the Michigan native.
Tiongson : If there’s a good way to secure a Playoff spot, it’s winning at Daytona. Look for Ryan Blaney to capture the victory on Saturday night.
Shoppe : Joey Logano has quietly turned things around lately. It will take an aggressive speedway racer to win tonight, someone not afraid to make the tough blocks and take runs others wouldn’t.
When it comes to Daytona, you can only go with a random gut feeling and mine is with the No. 22.
We’re ready for some racing. How about you? What do you think are the biggest storylines heading into the race? Who are your favorites to win? Tweet us now @ThePodiumFinish and tell us now!
Thanks as always to the TPF team for their amazing efforts this week! While we progress toward a new kind of normal, please do your part to curb the impacts of the pandemic by washing your hands and getting your COVID-19 vaccine or booster.
The opinions and thoughts expressed in Podium Preview are solely of the authors. They do not reflect any organizations affiliated with the participants and author outside of TPF. This weekly feature is strictly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, they are not indicative of TPF, the organization and its staff.
