NASCAR: What to watch for in the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400

After a wild finish last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will travel to the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. After a wild finish at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday, it’s now time to test the Cup Series drivers on their superspeedway skills. The race is another race in which a driver on the outside of the playoff cut line could slip into the playoffs with an upset win.

Last weekend provided NASCAR with a “shot in the arm” having Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the booth and a finish that was out of this world. After a battle with Kyle Larson, it was Kyle Busch crossing the finish line first at Chicagoland.

The two drivers traded paint on the final lap in one of the best finishes that the series has had in a while. There was also some teammate frustration when Kevin Harvick raced Kurt Busch a little too hard for Busch’s liking at the end of stage two as well.

Race #18 of the season is the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. It’s anybody’s game on Saturday evening when the Cup Series drivers race under the lights. Here is what to watch for on Saturday evening when the green flag flies.

What to watch for

A level playing field

It is not a secret in NASCAR that the driver with the best equipment wins the race more often than not. At Daytona and Talladega however, it’s all about skill and working the draft in your favor.

This is why we tend to see different names up front in restrictor plate races. For example, this year’s Daytona 500 winner, Austin Dillon, has only finished in the top 10 once since winning that race back in mid-February. This weekend will give some other drivers such as Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Aric Almirola, Bubba Wallace and several others who rarely see the front the opportunity to drive up front.

Revenge for Chicagoland?

Although Daytona is not the best spot to repay someone for a previous issue, you never know what could happen when drivers get together. The likelihood of Kurt Busch ever paying Kevin Harvick back for his hard racing is very slim.

However, if Kyle Larson gets close to Kyle Busch late in the race on Saturday, would he hold off on putting him into the wall? Larson is still searching for his first win of the season while Kyle Busch has already won five. Busch cost Larson the win on the final lap at Chicagoland and I could see Larson wanting to get a little revenge on Saturday.

Last-lap fireworks

Some of the best moments in sports come from the last minutes of play. In baseball, a player can hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game. A basketball player can hit a buzzer beater to win the game.

In NASCAR, some of the best action usually comes with little time remaining. This is especially true in superspeedway races, as they tend to provide fans with late passes for the win and winning margins of mere inches.

The Daytona 500 in February gave us a great finish when Austin Dillon tagged and spun out Aric Almirola on the final lap to secure the win. I would expect to see a great final lap under the lights of Daytona on Saturday. There is no telling what could happen when the white flag flies!

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What will you be watching for this weekend in the Coke Zero Sugar 400? Tune in on Saturday night as the NASCAR Cup Series takes on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway.