Additional Coverage:
- 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 results: Ryan Blaney wins with last-lap pass at Daytona in thrilling four-wide finish (cbssports.com)
Daytona Delivers Dramatic Finish as Blaney Steals Victory
Daytona Beach, FL—Ryan Blaney snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in a breathtaking Coke Zero Sugar 400 finish, edging out Daniel Suarez, Justin Haley, and Cole Custer in a four-wide photo finish. The margin of victory?
A mere 0.031 seconds. This win marks Blaney’s second of the 2025 season and his second Daytona summer race win, adding to his 2021 triumph.
The race’s final laps were a whirlwind of action. Blaney, running 13th with two laps remaining, capitalized on a late-race scramble.
A multi-car incident involving Ryan Preece shuffled the field, giving Blaney and Cole Custer a burst of momentum on the high line. Blaney expertly pushed Custer into the lead before seizing his own opportunity on the final lap.
As Custer and Haley battled on the backstretch, Blaney, with a timely push from Suarez, surged past both. Masterful blocking allowed him to hold off the charging pack and cross the finish line first.
The thrilling finish had major playoff implications. Blaney’s win cemented the playoff grid, securing the final two spots for Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman, despite both drivers facing significant challenges. Reddick sustained front-end damage early in the race, while Bowman was caught in a major multi-car incident that ended his day prematurely.
The race itself was full of unexpected turns, with drivers across the standings, from regular season champion William Byron to 36th-place Cody Ware, leading laps at various points. Ware, in fact, led a career-high 23 laps.
Blaney’s win sets the stage for an exciting playoff battle. Kyle Larson and William Byron are tied atop the playoff standings, 26 points above the cut line. The Round of 16 begins next week with the Southern 500 at Darlington, followed by races at World Wide Technology Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Top 10 Finishers:
- Ryan Blaney
- Daniel Suarez
- Justin Haley
- Cole Custer
- Erik Jones
- Kyle Larson
- Chris Buescher
- Ty Gibbs
- Josh Berry
- Chase Elliott