Listen Now! Stakes are as high as ever at NASCAR's regular season ender in Daytona
From 1959 until 2019, it was held on or around the Fourth of July.
From 1959 until 1988, it contained the moniker “Firecracker.”
From 1959 until 1997, it was held in the morning to avoid the summer heat.
Despite being delayed until October in 1998 because of wildfires, it took place under the lights for the first time, a place it has remained since.
And since 2020, it’s been the final race of the regular season prior to the 10-race playoff.
It’s now known as the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and it will be held this weekend for the 65th time since its inception.
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Yes, there’s a lot of history behind this race. And this Saturday, Aug. 26, another driver will have their name etched in the record books when they take the checkered flag.
Last year’s winner was Austin Dillon, and there hasn’t been a repeat winner since Tony Stewart won back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.
There’s a lot riding on this year’s race. There’s several drivers vying for the final playoff spot.
So, who’s favored to win this year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400? And who has the inside track at making the playoffs?
To help break down the race and answer all the pressing questions, I welcome back Ken Willis and Ryan Pritt of the Daytona Beach News Journal as the latest guests on “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast,” powered by the USA TODAY Network.
Ken has been covering this race since the early 1980s while Ryan, a life-long NASCAR fan, will be watching this for the first time as the Sports Editor of the Daytona Beach News Journal.
They will join me to talk about who they see as the favorites to win this race.
"I keep coming back to Ty Gibbs, who has yet to win a Cup race," Ken says during the podcast. "I just have this feeling he's gonna win eventually."
They’ll break down the current playoff chase.
"I've been high on William Byron and he came through (Sunday), winning his fifth race of the year. That's the most of anyone by two," Ryan says.
They’ll talk about some of the proud history of this race and if they’d prefer seeing it back around the Fourth of July, or as a potential playoff race rather than a regular-season ender.
We’ll also do a fan favorite — a Coke Zero Sugar 400 trivia contest between Ken and Ryan. So far through two podcasts this year, they are knotted at one win each, so this will be the rubber match for 2023.
Tune in for all this and so much more.
If you love NASCAR, you’ll have to check out this podcast.
Join the legions of listeners who have downloaded us and find out why we give you the best sports breakdowns in the state.
We can be downloaded wherever you listen to podcasts, or simply type in “The *State* of Florida Sports Podcast” into your favorite search engine. We also can be found on any of the 17 USA TODAY-Network Florida websites.
If you like it, you can check out previous shows, which feature current and former professional athletes and coaches, as well as our stable of journalists who cover beats and write columns, all of whom have a tie to the Sunshine State.
Contact Walters at twalters@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASCAR experts break down Coke Zero Sugar 400 on podcast
