DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Those eager to identify the last two drivers to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series playoff — including the 15 eligible drivers themselves — will have to wait another day.
Persistent rain forced postponement of Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway until 10 a.m. Sunday. The race will be broadcast on CNBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Kyle Larson will lead the field to green in the final regular-season race, an event that will set the 16-driver playoff field.
Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., both winless this season, currently hold the final two playoff berths on points — with Blaney holding a 25-point edge over Truex — but any one of 13 winless drivers below Truex in the standings could steal a playoff spot by winning.
Larson described the difference between racing during the day versus night at Daytona.
“This place, the handling will be more of a factor for sure during the day than at night,” the reigning Cup champion said. “I mean just the whole track is slicker, but I feel like Turn 4 gets really tight.
“So I don’t know, and I don’t remember us being on track earlier this year with the sun out. In (sister track) Talladega, handling is not a big deal there. The cars drove really good there gripped up. So, yeah, I am sure it will play a factor, as it always does.”
–By NASCAR Wire Service, Special to Field Level Media
