Chastain Secures Pole Position for NASCAR Season Finale at Daytona

Ross Chastain will lead the field to the green flag for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, capturing the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Chastain posted a lap time of 48.808 seconds during the second round of qualifying, edging out Chris Buescher by roughly half a tenth of a second.

The starting lineup sets the stage for a critical battle for the final spots in the Chase playoff bracket. Austin Cindric, who will roll off eighth, and Shane van Gisbergen, starting sixth, are currently holding the last two playoff positions. They face pressure from Ryan Preece, who qualified fourth but must make up a significant points deficit—31 points behind van Gisbergen and 44 points behind Cindric—to secure a postseason berth.

The grid features strong representation from top organizations, with Trackhouse Racing placing Chastain on the front row alongside RFK Racing’s Buescher. Further back, notable names include Joey Logano and Austin Cindric of Team Penske, as well as Kyle Larson and William Byron from Hendrick Motorsports. The race is scheduled for Saturday evening, featuring 160 laps on the 2.5-mile oval.

Broadcasting the event adds viewership value to media partners like Comcast Corporation. As the race unfolds, market observers will look at how engagement metrics impact the broader media and sports landscape. Comcast shares were recently trading at $27.06, reflecting a daily increase of 2.58%.

What to watch

• The on-track performance of Ryan Preece as he attempts to close a 31-point gap to Shane van Gisbergen.
• Final playoff points accumulation following the conclusion of the 160-lap event.

Source: original release