Race Information
- Round: NASCAR Cup Series race No. 26 of 36
- Track Location: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Race Name: Coke Zero 400
- Broadcast: Saturday, August 26th at 7:00 PM ET live on NBC (TV), MRN (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
- Team Entrants:
No. 42 | Josh Berry & Luke Lambert – Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
No. 43 | Erik Jones & Dave Elenz – Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Josh Berry, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Daytona International Speedway Stats
-NXS: Starts: 4; Best Start: 5th (2022), Best Finish: 16th (2022); Laps Led: 24
NCS Career Stats (2021-2023)
-Starts: 11; Best Start: 17th (Phoenix, 2023); Best Finish: 2nd (Richmond, 2023); Top 5’s: 1; Top 10s: 3
-About Sunseeker Resort: Opening in 2023, Florida’s newest luxury resort located in Charlotte Harbor is the first resort property of Sunseeker Resorts, a wholly owned subsidiary of Allegiant Travel Company. Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor occupies over 22 waterfront acres with 785 guest rooms, including 189 Signature Sunsuites™. Set upon the Peace River and Florida Gulf Coast, this premier resort offers 20 original food and beverage concepts; including seven stand-alone restaurants, eleven bars and lounges, two poolside offerings and a 25,000-square-foot multi-dining experience. Additional hotel amenities include a waterfront promenade, two unique rooftop and waterfront pool experiences, 60,000-square-feet of combined convention space, full-service spa and salon, a 7,100-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center with four group exercise studios with specialty instructor lead classes, three retail and market shops, and an 18-hole championship level golf club exclusive to hotel guests only. The resort is conveniently located within a short drive of Punta Gorda, Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Tampa airports. For more information, visit www.sunseekerresorts.com. Follow us on Instagram: @sunseekerresorts and like us on Facebook: @sunseekerresorts.
First Timer: Josh Berry will make his first start at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday night. He has 11 total starts in the NCS so far in his career, eight of which came this season when he filled in at Hendrick Motorsports in the Nos. 9 and 48 Chevrolets. Berry also drove the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 6.
Lambert at Daytona: Crew Chief Luke Lambert has called 19 NCS races at Daytona with five different drivers resulting in two top-five and six top-10 finishes. He has four NXS starts with two different drivers resulting in two top-five and three top-10 finishes, including one start on the front row at the superspeedway.
Quoting Josh Berry: “Making my first Cup Series start at Daytona is definitely a dream come true. It’s what every racer dreams of and I get to do that this weekend. Not long ago I thought I was going to be a career short track racer, so to know that I get to make my first start at Daytona in a Cup car just shows that you should never give up.”
What are your expectations for the race?
“It’s going to be a learning curve to start the race, especially without practice. These cars draft differently than the Xfinity cars do and we’ve seen drivers be able to tandem a little bit to gain momentum and move forward. If we can just keep it clean and be there at the end, that is our plan.”
What has this week been like preparing for this event?
“It’s definitely been a little easier preparing for Daytona knowing ahead of time that I would be in the No. 42. Being able to sit in the car beforehand, get everything where I need it, is key. I have been able to lean on Dale Jr, Erik (Jones) and everyone over at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to figure out what to expect this weekend, so I feel as ready as can be to get to Daytona.”
Will you learn anything from the Xfinity Series race on Friday night that can translate over to Saturday’s Cup Series event?
“There’s not too much that will translate over from the Xfinity car to the Cup car but I’ll be able to feel how the track transitions at different times of the evening and how the cars react to the weather. The line changes a little bit depending on the sun and when it sets, so it’ll be nice to see what lane is preferred on Friday before hopping in the Cup car on Saturday.”
Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Daytona International Speedway Stats
-NCS: Starts: 13; Best Start: 8th; Best Finish: 1st (2018); Top-5s: 2; Top-10s: 3; Wins: 1; Laps Led: 61
-NXS: Starts: 6; Best Start: 3rd; Best Finish: 8th; Top-10s: 2
-NCTS: Starts: 1; Best Start: 7th; Best Finish: 2nd; Top-5’s: 1; Top-10s: 1
2023 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats
-Starts: 24; Best Start: 8th; Best Finish: 6th; Top-10’s: 5; Laps Led: 17; Points position: 28th
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One for the Memory Books: One of Jones’ most memorable quotes came from Daytona when he won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in 2018. In a race with significant wrecks and even more profound emotions, Jones crossed the finish line just ahead of Martin Truex Jr. to capture the checkered flag. During his post-race interview, Jones turned to the crowd and exclaimed, ‘How about that race, boys and girls?’ as they cheered him on loudly.
Just Seconds to Spare: After being collected in one of the wrecks of the night, Jones and his team fought adversity and the damaged vehicle policy (DVP) clock, using 5:15 of the total six minutes allowed after sustaining right rear damage, putting the driver and team down one lap to the leaders. Once back out on the track, Jones avoided another major wreck, where he got his lap back and soon was back into contention. The final result saw Jones securing his first career NASCAR Cup Series win.
Another Daytona Win: Jones not only clinched victory in the 2018 Coke Zero 400, but he also took the checkered in the season-opener Busch Light Clash at Daytona in 2020. In the 18-car exhibition race, Jones was among six cars that reached the checkered flag, as most of the pack had been collected in previous wrecks; one of these wrecks inflicted notable damage to the hood of Jones’ car. Despite the impairment, the pit crew tended to the damage, keeping Jones in contention and ultimately securing the win with a push from his then-teammate, Denny Hamlin.
SUPERspeedway Racing: Throughout the 2023 season, Jones has secured five top-10 finishes, with three of these achievements at superspeedways measuring two or more miles. Notably, Jones achieved top-10 finishes at Pocono, Talladega, and his home track of Michigan this season.
Last Time Around: In last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Jones started eleventh and maintained an average running position of 16.08. Jones sat in the front row during multiple restarts, leading for 22 laps. However, only the top-10 drivers finished on the lead lap. Jones was collected in a wreck, falling victim to the expiration of the DVP clock, but managed to secure a respectable 17th-place finish.
Dave at Daytona: Elenz boasts a total record of 14 starts in the Xfinity Series and three starts in the Cup Series. During his time in the Xfinity Series, Elenz guided six drivers to five top-five, and nine top-10 finishes, while coaching four drivers to victory lane. Under Elenz, his drivers have commanded the lead for a total of 97 laps and achieved an average finish of 11.6. Three of Elenz’s Xfinity Series victories were secured within a span of five races.
True Petty Blue: Daytona stands as one of the most storied tracks in motor racing, and Richard Petty has helped build the sport’s legacy. Across an unparalleled 74 starts, Petty has an extraordinary record of 10 victories, 28 top-five and 37 top-10 finishes with 1,278 laps led. Daytona is the stomping ground of where Petty solidified his nickname as “The King,” reaching a significant milestone by clinching his 200th and final career win at the track in 1984, a special moment that happened in the presence of former President Ronald Reagan.
Quoting Erik Jones: “Daytona is always exciting, especially with it being the last race of the year leading into the playoffs, it’s always a pretty wild race. I was able to win that summer race a few years ago for my first cup win and I really hope to add on there and grab a win to get ourselves into the playoffs. I am excited to get there always, and I enjoy superspeedway racing, I feel like we have been really close and just need to close one of these speedway races out, so hopefully this is the one.”
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.
In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.
Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.
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