RICK WARE RACING
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Date: Aug. 23, 2025
Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 160 laps, broken into three stages (35 laps/60 laps/65 laps)

Race Winner: Ryan Blaney of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 35th, Finished 20th / Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (36th with 185 points)

RWR Notes:

● Ware earned his second top-20 of the season and his fifth top-20 in nine career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona.

● Ware led four times for 23 laps, the second-highest total of the race.

Race Notes:

● Ryan Blaney won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 to score his 15th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his second of the season and his second at Daytona. His margin over second-place Daniel Suárez was .031 of a second.

● This was Ford’s 746th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its fifth of the season. Josh Berry won for the Blue Oval March 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Austin Cindric won April 27 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, Joey Logano won May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and Blaney won June 1 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

● This was Ford’s 43rd NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona. Ford won its first race at Daytona on Feb. 24, 1963 with Tiny Lund.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 39 laps.

● Twenty-five of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● William Byron won the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship to lead the playoff standings.

Sound Bites:

“It was definitely not the result we wanted, but I think we showed the guys today that we’re gonna keep showing up at these races and keep trying to do our best to win. We’re gonna get one someday soon here. It’s gonna come sooner rather than later, so just super glad to get the No. 51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang up front. Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines kept us fast all day.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Cook Out Southern 500 on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The first race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 6 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Buescher 6th; Preece 14th; Keselowski 18th

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (August 23, 2025) – All three Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing cars entered Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in a must-win scenario, with the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on the line. In a high-stakes, high-intensity race, the RFK Racing team showed speed, smart strategy, and resilience, though ultimately came up just short of securing a postseason berth.

17 Chris Buescher

Chris Buescher led the charge for RFK Racing, battling his way to a hard-earned sixth-place finish in Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400. While the result ultimately fell short of a playoff-clinching victory, Buescher and the No. 17 team delivered a resilient and strategic performance in one of the most intense races of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

The night got off to a challenging start as Buescher encountered a brake issue during the pace laps. A timely caution on lap 11 gave the team an opportunity to address the problem, allowing Buescher to settle in and navigate a chaotic opening stage. With multiple cautions and tight pack racing, he focused on fuel strategy and played it smart, coming home 24th at the conclusion of Stage One.

Thanks to a quick pit stop by the No. 17 team, Buescher restarted inside the top 10 to begin Stage Two. He wasted no time moving forward, drafting with a strong group of Fords and maintaining solid track position. After another well-timed caution, crew chief Scott Graves called for fuel-only service, positioning the team for a longer run. Buescher executed the plan to perfection, finishing 14th in the stage while continuing to save fuel.

The final stage saw Buescher restart from second and link up with Joey Logano, running in the lead pack for much of the closing laps. A late-race caution with 12 laps to go set the stage for a dramatic finish. On the restart, Buescher powered the inside line and challenged for the lead, controlling the draft with just a handful of laps remaining. A bold four-wide move disrupted his momentum in the final laps, but he held strong to bring home a sixth-place finish—RFK’s best result of the night.

“Our Fifth Third Mustang was so good. It handled great and pushed so well. We certainly had a shot and had the speed again, so want to be excited about that, and I am, but man, it’s just another one of those we had the ability to win this race, had the speed, had the handling, and no champagne to celebrate.”

60 Ryan Preece

Ryan Preece delivered a strong and disciplined performance in his No. 60 Kroger/Little Bites/Capri Sun Ford, steadily advancing from his 31st-place starting position to secure top-10 finishes in the first two stages. He made swift progress early in Stage One by utilizing the high line and drafting effectively, reaching the top 15 within five laps. Following a caution-filled segment — including a red flag incident he narrowly avoided — Preece maintained composure, pitted strategically, and restarted in a favorable position. He closed out the stage in eighth, reporting the car felt “a little loose” but overall was handling well.

Stage Two saw Preece continue to execute a smart race strategy. After topping off on fuel during the stage break, he initially fell back but quickly surged forward, aided by a strong push from teammate Chris Buescher. He climbed as high as second before a caution shuffled the field once again. Despite restarting outside the top 10, he worked his way forward and finished the stage in eighth for the second time, showing consistency and strong positioning throughout.

In the final stage, Preece remained a fixture in the lead pack, again working closely with Buescher and executing a fuel-saving strategy following a late caution. Running as high as fourth with 12 laps to go, he positioned himself to contend for the win, battling Justin Haley at the front. However, without drafting help in the closing laps, he was shuffled out of line and fell back, resulting in a 14th-place finish.

6 Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski started strong from 10th in his Consumer Cellular Ford, quickly moving up to fourth in the opening laps by drafting off Denny Hamlin. He switched drafting partners to run the bottom line with Daniel Suarez, consistently restarting near the front after several cautions. Although he avoided a multi-car accident and a red flag, a pit stop on lap 32 dropped him to 22nd late in the stage, and he finished Stage One in 11th.

In Stage Two, Keselowski’s team executed avoided a critical pit-road penalty thanks to the crew working together to prevent a fuel can from leaving the pit box. Restarting second, he ran the bottom line behind leader Cody Ware but was told to focus on fuel conservation for their strategy. After a caution and another pit stop, Keselowski restarted 18th but struggled to maintain the lead draft, falling back to finish 23rd in the stage.

In the final stage, Keselowski continued prioritizing fuel saving after topping off on lap 111, restarting 10th and running mid-pack. Although his team gave him the green light to push with 34 laps remaining, he was forced to the bottom lane with limited drafting partners, causing him to lose positions. A late caution brought him back to pit road for fresh tires and fuel, restarting 19th. He then worked the inside line and used a determined performance late to work his way up to an 18th-place finish.

Up Next:
Darlington Raceway (Darlington, SC) – Sunday, August 31, 2025, on USA at 6 p.m. ET

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 38th season in 2025, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion Brad Keselowski and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988, and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass 300 wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content, and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Team Leave Daytona International Speedway NASCAR Playoffs Bound

Finish: 24th
Start: 7th
Points: 15th

“It was fun to head into a Daytona race locked into the NASCAR Playoffs and with a little bit less pressure on us. I hate that we couldn’t work with the No. 8 team more and help push Kyle Busch to a spot in the Playoffs. We had a chance tonight, but the race didn’t play out in our favor. We had a tough decision when the caution flag came out with 11 laps to go. We could gamble and stay out, or pit and have plenty of fuel and fresh tires on the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet if there were multiple restarts. We opted for the tires because traditionally there’s a good chance at a big wreck in the closing laps of these races. The wreck never came and we didn’t have enough laps to regain our position. We put ourselves in a bad spot, but we’ll clean that stuff up. We’ve got 10 weeks of NASCAR Playoff racing coming up.” -Austin Dillon

Strong Run for Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Team Stalled by On-Track Incident at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 33rd
Start: 14th
Points: 20th

“The No. 8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet was fast and we were confident in our Richard Childress Racing machine. We got wrecked late in the first stage and ended up in the garage. The whole team gave it their all and got us back on track so we were able to finish the race. I’m proud of our team and the work they did to keep us running, and now we’ll focus on Darlington.” -Kyle Busch

Fast Chevrolet for Austin Hill and the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet Team Before Wreck at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 30th
Start: 36th
Points: N/A

“Bummed out for our United Rentals team. Getting caught up in a wreck that early in the race is very disappointing, but so much is out of your control during superspeedway racing. We were in the outside lane and just had nowhere to go. With qualifying being rained out, we started 36th but made moves as soon as the green flag waved. Driving to 14th in five laps showed the speed our Chevrolet had. Hate that we couldn’t compete because I felt really good about our chances to get a top-10. The No. 33 team kept digging all night, trying to make the most of it. We’ll try again in a few weeks at Bristol.” -Austin Hill

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
AUGUST 23, 2025

Seven Team Chevy Drivers Set to Compete for 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship

• Team Chevy’s Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley turned in a valiant effort for one last chance at a playoff berth – ultimately taking the checkered flag of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in a four-wide photo finish in the second and third positions, respectively.
• The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series 26-race regular season saw Chevrolet collect a manufacturer-leading 12 wins – recorded by six drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations. With Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman securing the 16th and final position in the series’ playoff field, the Bowtie brigade will pace its manufacturer competitors in both driver and organization representation heading into the championship title hunt.
• Back where the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season began, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team started their fight for a playoff spot with a front-row starting position for the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Playoff pressure produced aggressive racing from the drop of the green flag with the opening stage coming to a close with a multi-car pileup that collected a handful of drivers in a ‘must-win’ position that saw their title hopes come to a close including Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
• Despite being sidelined in the Stage One melee, Alex Bowman and the No. 48 Chevrolet team capitalized on a 60-point cushion heading into the regular season finale to claim the 16th and final spot in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
• Already sealing their title run fate with a win, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain cashed in on stage points – driving their Chevrolet-powered machines to a sweep of the stage wins.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER

2nd – Daniel Suarez
3rd – Justin Haley
6th – Kyle Larson
10th – Chase Elliott

Chevrolet’s season statistics with 26 NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 12
Poles: 10
Top-Fives: 52
Top 10s: 111
Stage Wins: 22

UP NEXT: The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 will get underway with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, August 31, at 6 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 15th

“We had a really good No. 1 SafetyCulture Chevrolet tonight. I didn’t ask for an adjustment all night, and I wouldn’t ask for anything different for another 400 miles. That’s really, really cool to do that. The speedway package is a tight box, and we’ve migrated to a really good spot on the No. 1 team. I think from across the board, listening to Shane (van Gisbergen), he had some issues that I’ve had year’s past, so hopefully we’ll get the No. 88 Chevrolet headed in our direction.”

How important is it to have two Trackhouse Racing drivers in the playoffs?

“It’s super important. I want three, though. I’m proud of the effort by Daniel (Suarez) and the No. 99 team. He kept his cool tonight. I tried to push him at times; it didn’t work out and he made it up there on his own there at the end and gave himself a shot. It would be better with three, but we’re definitely proud of the effort tonight. We still have three cars going to compete for wins.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 24th

“It was fun to head into a Daytona race locked into the NASCAR Playoffs and with a little bit less pressure on us. I hate that we couldn’t work with the No. 8 team more and help push Kyle Busch to a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs. We had a chance tonight, but the race didn’t play out to our favor. We had a tough decision when the caution flag came out with 11 laps to go. We could gamble and stay out, or pit and have plenty of fuel and fresh tires on the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet if there were multiple restarts. We opted for the tires because traditionally there’s a good chance at a big wreck in the closing laps of these races. The wreck never came and we didn’t have enough laps to regain our position. We put ourselves in a bad spot, but we’ll clean that stuff up. We’ve got 10 weeks of NASCAR Playoff racing coming up.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 6th

Describe what unfolded from your perspective. You were in the mix at the end at Daytona International Speedway…

“Yeah, we’ve been in the mix a lot, I just haven’t gotten to finish a lot of them. It was a lot of fun tonight. We got a stage win. I made some mistakes there at the end of the second stage, but we had a shot there at the end. It just gets super intense. I’m glad the No. 48 (Alex Bowman) got locked-into the playoffs.”

We have Darlington coming up. How do you get refocused now and start running for the championship?

“Yeah, it’s good to get a couple good runs in the last couple of weeks and go to one of our better tracks (at Darlington Raceway) next weekend; keep the momentum going and get the playoffs started off right.”

Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 3rd

“When the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) put the No. 60 (Ryan Preece) three-wide, the pack lost momentum, and I got too far out. By the time I realized it, I tried to check up, but then everyone came around me and I was just trying to find a lane. It was pretty tough, and obviously I don’t think the No. 5 wanted to push a new car to the win, so he was doing everything he could to win and that is respectable.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 33rd

“The No. 8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet was fast and we were confident in our Richard Childress Racing Machine. We got wrecked late in the first stage and ended up in the garage. The whole team gave it their all and got us back on track so we were able to finish the race. I’m proud of our team and the work they did to keep us running, and now we’ll focus on Darlington.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 10th

How did tonight go for you, and what are you looking forward to next weekend at Darlington Raceway to kickoff the playoffs?

“Yeah, we got Alex (Bowman) in, so that’s good. I think Ryan (Blaney) jumped us in points and so did Kyle (Larson), so unfortunately, we lost a couple of playoff points there. But nonetheless, it was still good to get a handful and some change (of points). We’ll go to Darlington and try to build on the race we had there in the spring.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 19th

How was the communication with Rudy (Fugle, crew chief) back at home in Charlotte?

“Thank you to everyone back at the shop. I thought Brandon (McSwain) did a really good job stepping in tonight. We’ve worked together for probably a decade, really, since the JR Motorsports days. He did a good job, and I’m sure all the work that Rudy (Fugle) was doing back at the shop helped Brandon, as well.

Just really proud of the effort by this No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet team. We had some gremlins there at the beginning of the race. We just had some weird stuff going on. Really nothing was wrong with the car, we just got in that early crash and thought we might have had some damage. But overall, our Chevy was good enough to compete for the win. I just wish I could take a couple decisions back in the final stage, and really, that caution hurt us because we were kind of mired in the back and it was hard to pass. I thought our weekend was smooth, all things considered. Just excited to get to Darlington. It’s one of our best racetracks, and I’m sure we’ll be fast there.”

Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 30th

“Bummed out for our United Rentals team. Getting caught up in a wreck that early in the race is very disappointing, but so much is out of your control during superspeedway racing. We were in the outside lane and just had nowhere to go. With qualifying being rained out, we started 36th but made moves as soon as the green flag waved. Driving to 14th in five laps showed the speed our Chevrolet had. Hate that we couldn’t compete because I felt really good about our chances to get a top-10. The No. 33 team kept digging all night, trying to make the most of it. We’ll try again in a few weeks at Bristol.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One.

Finished: 35th

Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet team’s race in Stage one:

“I couldn’t really see anything. I got hit from about every direction after it happened. The No. 5 (Kyle Larson) got to the outside of the No. 22 (Joey Logano), which then in-turn, I think it put that row four-wide. I’m not sure what happened between the No. 22 and the No. 23 (Bubba Wallace). It was just really aggressive racing there. Our plan was to put our No. 47 Jack Link’s Duos Chevrolet towards the front and be at the front as much as possible. We got there, and I was in the position that I wanted to be in. I felt like we were going to get into turn one in probably fifth or sixth-place there and try to finish the stage out, but it didn’t happen.”

Do you feel like you had a car that could win?

“Our No. 47 Jack Link’s Duos felt really good. I was really stable. I felt like I had a little bit more speed, which was something I was excited about. I felt like I put my Chevy in a lot of good spots, and we went from the back to the front like we normally do.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage One.

Finished: 36th

Is there anything you could have done to avoid that wreck?

“Being in front of it is really about all I could do, unfortunately. From where we were, there just really wasn’t any way to get around it. All of the hits just sort of compounded too much to be able to fix it. I hate it for the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team. We’ve done a lot of good things lately. Tonight is going to be stressful to watch, but we’ll see what happens. Hope for no new winners, but if somebody wins, they deserve it. It’s unfortunate that we haven’t won yet this year. We’ve been so strong, especially lately. I would say from Michigan on, it’s been something fun to be a part of.

It was all very out of our control. I hate that we tanked so bad the first run. The bottom lane just fell apart behind us. We had to overcome that, but we had gotten back to the back side of the top-10. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out.”

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 16th

How much were you able to learn being able to complete the whole race tonight?

“It was awesome. We set out and achieved what we wanted to do. I wasn’t quite a good enough pusher to help the No. 99 (Daniel Suarez). I would just get tight and bound up, and I couldn’t stay attached. But when we were out front, it was good. It was good to lead some laps and control some lanes. I learned a lot. We just have to keep building. It’s another solid result for this No. 88 Red Bull Chevrolet team.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 2nd

You had a fast Chevrolet here today. What else did you need there at the end?

“We just needed one more spot. The No. 99 Coca-Cola Chevrolet team did a great job. We just probably needed to be in position a little bit earlier, but our Chevy was strong. We just lost a little bit of control in the final stage and that set us behind a little bit. The No. 12 (Ryan Blaney, race winner) was back there with us at one point. Overall, we had a good car all night, but it was just a little bit too late.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Five Camry Drivers Advance to 10-Race Cup Series Playoffs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 23, 2025) – Erik Jones led Toyota with a fifth-place result in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.

With the regular season coming to a close, five Toyota drivers secured their spot in the 10-race NCS Playoffs, which begins next Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace all earned Playoff spots with wins during the regular season while Tyler Reddick clinched a Playoff berth on points in Saturday night’s race.

Jones and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB teammate John Hunter Nemechek both led the field during the 400-mile event with Nemechek going on to finish 17th. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was also in the mix and earned a top 10 finish with an eighth-place result.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Daytona International Speedway
Race 26 of 36 – 400 miles, 160 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Ryan Blaney*
2nd, Daniel Suarez*
3rd, Justin Haley*
4th, Cole Custer*
5th, ERIK JONES
8th, TY GIBBS
13th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
17th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
21st, TYLER REDDICK
23rd, CHASE BRISCOE
25th, DENNY HAMLIN
37th, BUBBA WALLACE
40th, RILEY HERBST
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 5th

What could you have done differently to have a different outcome tonight?

“We were really good with the 7 (Justin Haley) and switched there on the restart and started working with the 5 (Kyle Larson). He was shoving really aggressive, and I got pretty out of shape and that was kind of it. I don’t know. I hate that it ended the way that it did. We put ourselves in a good spot and everything was going right to kind of the plan, and we just got out of shape. Glad it’s in one piece and we finished, but unfortunately fifth tonight doesn’t do much for us.”

Were you happy with your Toyota Camry tonight?

“We were good. I thought we had a lot of speed and drivability, pushed well and be pushed well but everybody gets shoving hard and the 5 (Kyle Larson) was shoving us super hard probably getting shoved from behind and just got me really out of shape. I’m glad we could hang onto it and at least finish, but just disappointed. Put ourselves in a great spot and executed well all day right to our plan and it just didn’t work out.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

What is your expectation heading into the Playoffs?

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been looking forward to the Playoffs for a long time and just ready to put the pressure on and go to the Southern 500. It’s one of my favorite races of the year and I’m excited.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 21st

How much damage did your car have after the early incident?

“It was pretty destroyed. That was all my doing there at the start of the race. They bailed me out of it. It just seems like all year long we’ve been having to bail each other out of mistakes and bad choices.”

How do you feel going forward into the Playoffs and will the team need to reset?

“Yeah, but we have no Playoff points so it’s a negative reset. I don’t know. We’ll certainly need to be on top of it every round. We’re capable of it, we just haven’t done it.”

Which race are you looking most forward to in the Playoffs?

“Darlington has always been a really good race track for us and for myself as a driver. I feel like pretty much every time we’ve been there, we’ve been able to lead laps and contend and in the top-five. I think it will be very important to go in there and perform at the level we’ve been able to in the past.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 23rd

How was your race tonight?

“Obviously, not the finish that we wanted. We were upfront and in the mix at times. Just I feel like I didn’t do a great job of making decisions and got myself hung up a couple times. I need to go back and look at that and try to learn from it. I’m looking forward to going back racing next week at Darlington where you’re slipping and sliding around. Obviously, got to start our Playoffs on the right foot. I’m looking forward to it and see what we can do with this Bass Pro Shops Toyota.”

Are you looking forward to the Playoffs?

“Yeah, for sure. Outside of the last two weeks results, I feel like we’ve been one of the strongest cars week in and week out. Just got to go and execute the Playoffs. I know our speed will be there. It’s just a matter of putting it all together. If we do that, I think we’re as capable as anybody. We’ve got an uphill battle obviously with our points position, but I feel confident.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 25th

How frustrating of a night was it for you?

“Just couldn’t get the car fixed and it seemed like it got worse every time we tried to fix it. Not a good day for our King’s Hawaiian team. Now, we go and we reset and we race hard.”

Are you confident heading into the Playoffs with four wins this season?

“When we don’t crash, we’re up towards the front. Just here at Daytona for whatever reason, just have not seen the checkered in about 10 years – ever since the Next Gen car. Just unfortunate, wrong place wrong time but you’ll have that.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Columbia Sportswear Company Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 37th

Did you have any indication that you were three-wide there?

“I need to see a replay. Everything was happening pretty quick there. The hit from the 5 (Kyle Larson) shoved me down there and it was like I got shoved up by the 22 (Joey Logano) and the 12 (Ryan Blaney) moved up. He was trying to just move up and take the lane. But, oh well. I hate it. 20th or 22nd to the lead in a short amount of time. A huge shoutout to my crew on the 23 Columbia Toyota Camry. I hate it for Columbia. They came down here and I couldn’t get them a good result, so I hate that. I’ll take the blame for it, unfortunately. Just a crap deal. Everything was going too good too early to be all true, so something was bound to happen. I hate that for everyone involved in it but hopefully we can get the 45 (Tyler Reddick) in. All in all, we’re locked in, and we’ll get focused for Darlington.”

What did you see after seeing the replay?

“I still need to go back and watch it. Just kind of all came together in a blink of an eye and so I’ll take the blame for it. Unfortunately, a bunch of cars got tore up. I hate that our Toyota Camry got destroyed. The Columbia car looked so good and was fast. Got up to the lead fairly quick so I thought we were playing all of our cards right. But just in the blink of an eye, which is what happens here at Daytona, it can be all taken away from you. It is what it is. We’ll rerack, take Sunday off and go focus on Darlington.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, August 23, 2025

BLANEY AND HIS NO. 12 FORD MUSTANG DARK HORSE WIN A DAYTONA THRILLER

• Ryan Blaney won his second race of 2025 and the 15th Cup race of his career today.
• This marks Blaney’s second career Cup win at Daytona International Speedway.
• It’s also his fifth career win on superspeedways as he has three victories at Talladega.
• Blaney, along with Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry qualified for the playoffs.
• Today’s win is Ford’s 746th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition
• It also marks Team Penske’s 105th series win with Ford.

Ford Unofficial Finishing Results:

1st – Ryan Blaney
4th – Cole Custer
7th – Chris Buescher
9th – Josh Berry
11th – Todd Gilliland
14th – Ryan Preece
18th – Brad Keselowski
20th – Cody Ware
27th – Joey Logano
29th – Casey Mears
31st – Zane Smith
38th – Noah Gragson
39th – Austin Cindric

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW: WHAT ABOUT THE LAST FEW LAPS OF THAT RACE? “Yeah, we just started rolling. I was with the 41 if he wanted to go three-wide top I wanted to let him know that under caution, and I was kind of waiting for him to go and knew we were probably gonna have people go with us if we went up top, it was just a matter of who would bite first. I figured if two of us went up there, you’d have followers and help. We finally went and it kind of checked on the tri-oval and Cole jumped up and we were able to keep a bunch of momentum going and have good pushes from Suarez, things like that, and then I just kind of kept creeping on the top. When the 7 blocked the 41 and the next thing I know I’m leading the lane and now I’m clear to the middle and I can play two lanes. I didn’t quite know what lane to block, the middle or top at the end. I was like, ‘Just try middle. I think we’ve got enough momentum.’ Enough to hold them off. It was a crazy last few laps, that’s for sure. I’m gonna be excited to go back and watch it on TV.”

HOW SPECIAL IS IT TO WIN AGAIN HERE AT DAYTONA? “It’s nice to be back. This is such a cool Victory Lane, looking up and seeing the World Center of Racing. It’s something I’ll never forget when we won here in ‘21. It’s just a cool place to be, so it’s really special. When you can win at Daytona, Talladega, you never know what’s gonna happen at these places and you just try to do the best job you can and we did that tonight and was in a spot to win and was able to hang on.”

YOU’VE GOT FIVE STRAIGHT TOP 10 FINISHES. TALK ABOUT YOUR MOMENTUM GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “I think this team is really doing a good job of hitting our stride when we need to. I’ve been proud of our efforts all year, it’s just been can we smooth some things out and have some stuff go our way. It seems to be smoothing out and this team is just performing and finishing where we should. That’s what I’ve been happy with, so it’s great to win this one and good momentum for next week.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THE STRETCH? “I don’t know. This race car was really good. The team did a fantastic job. The FIfth Third Bank Ford Mustang was fast and handled fantastic. We got up there and was side-by-side there with the 22. We only got there for about two laps and I thought that was gonna be a really good spot and let us be able to duke it out. I think he got hit a little bit there, so we lost our track position on that caution and got behind some cars and got a little bit boxed in. That’s a shame because we just want more and our car was so good. We had a shot to win that thing and it’s great to be there, but we just want to win.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU WERE IN POSITION AND THEN SOMETHING WENT WRONG WITH THE 43 BEHIND YOU. “Yeah, we were in the right place. It’s happened many, many times where we’ve been in the right place here at Daytona and we don’t have anything to show for it. Our team is so good at it. Our cars are fast. Our execution was really good today. Coleman (Pressley, spotter) did great. It’s just our car was a little free and then where the push came as the track flattens out there it spins the leader right out. It is what it is.” DESPITE THAT DO YOU FEEL GOOD GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “There are good tracks lined up. There’s good momentum. Obviously, Ryan getting a win, that’s good momentum as well for the team. This team has done a good job the last seven or eight weeks. A lot of weird things have happened, but we’ve done a good job controlling what we can, so that’s what you’ve got to do in the playoffs.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Kroger/Little Bites/Capri Sun Ford Mustang Dark Horse – YOU WERE RIGHT THERE. “Man, I felt like we were gonna win that race. You want to talk about having the best scenario play out for how we wanted it to, I was just leaving the 7 there. The 17 was doing a great job just letting him stay there and there’s nothing you can do. The problem is you know the 9 and the 5 were worried about their teammate that would have been bumped out, so it was a tough situation. I thought we were gonna win that one because we did everything right today and it just didn’t work out.”

CODY WARE, No. 51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was definitely not the result we wanted, but I think we showed the guys today that we’re gonna keep showing up at these races and keep trying to do our best to win. We’re gonna get one some day soon here. It’s gonna come sooner rather than later, so just super glad to get the Arby’s 51 Jamocha Shake up front. Ford Performance and our Roush Yates Engines was fast all day. I learned a lot running up front and I think we’re gonna get one here once we can dial it in and get some track position and just happy with the speed we had all day.” WHAT ABOUT THE FINAL STAGE TRYING TO SAVE AND THEN GO. “Track position was just too important. Even at these races now you’ve got to be up front to stay up front. I tried to maneuver around a little bit, but unfortunately on that final restart that third line formed while we were already kind of married to the bottom, so we couldn’t get our way up there. Still, I think we had our best race of the year and our result doesn’t show that.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Maytag Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I saw a lot of cars wrecking and I hit one of them after I thought we got through the wreck. It’s just a shame for our Maytag/Menards Ford Mustang. I tried to make the third lane work, maybe a little too early, I lost some track position and felt like the intensity was picking up super early in the race there and I got collected and now I’m talking to you.” WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS GOING INTO DARLINGTON? “I think it should be a really interesting playoffs. I don’t feel like there’s a single team or driver that necessarily comes in with a standout advantage, so I look at that as a great opportunity. I’m excited for what we have in store for the playoffs.”

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 4 Zep Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We’re only on lap 27, 28 and there are guys trying to make it four-wide at the front of the pack. I was just collateral damage at that point. It’s definitely a bummer, but I’m still super proud of our team. We started almost towards the back, 32nd I think, and we were up in the top 10 20 laps in, so it’s not from a lack of effort. I just really appreciate everybody at Front Row Motorsports. We’re looking on to Darlington. It’s more in our control and look to have a strong run there.” WHAT DID YOU SEE? “I saw them wrecking towards the bottom and they shot up the racetrack into us. I mean, it’s every race this year it seems like, or most of them. We’ll go on to Darlington and try again. We’ve just been collateral damage all year long and just the wrong place at the right time pretty much every race. If I ride around in last, I mean we started 32nd and drove up into the top 10 20 laps in, so I don’t know. You just hang out and Monday morning quarterback it and hang out in the back and save fuel, but as a race car driver and for our team, I want to try and lead every lap and get up there and be smart while I do it and I felt like I was doing a decent job at that, but just getting caught up in the wrecks. They’re always right where we are this year.”