DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The lights will be bright and the stakes even higher at Daytona International Speedway Saturday night as the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the final race of the 2026 regular season.
The green flag is set against a dramatic backdrop. With just one race remaining before NASCAR’s 10-race championship Chase begins, Spire Motorsports has already secured a milestone of its own: for the first time since the organization’s inception in 2018, it will compete for a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Daniel Suárez and Carson Hocevar both clinched spots in the 16-driver Chase field following Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
For Suárez, Saturday night brings another opportunity to make history in a season that has already delivered a major victory.
“I’m really proud of this team,” Suárez said. “Making the Chase for the first time ever is a huge accomplishment for the No. 7 team, and it’s something everyone here should be really proud of. We’ve worked so hard all year to put ourselves in this position, and to finally accomplish that goal means a lot to all of us.”
Suárez will pilot the No. 7 Coke Zero Sugar Chevrolet ZL1 at a track he considers one of his favorites — and where he came agonizingly close to victory one year ago.
In the 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400, Suárez charged from 19th in the running order to contend with the leaders in the closing laps, leading six laps before finishing second by just 0.031 seconds.
He returned to Daytona in February for the Daytona 500, where he started 15th and finished 13th despite competing in a backup car. He also collected stage points with fifth- and 10th-place finishes in the first two stages.
Now, the 34-year-old arrives with another storyline: a chance to sweep NASCAR’s 2026 Coca-Cola entitlement races.
Suárez captured his third career Cup Series victory — and first with Spire Motorsports — in May’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A Daytona victory Saturday would complete the sweep.
“Daytona is one of my favorite tracks, and having Coke on the car makes Saturday night even more special, especially after winning the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year,” Suárez said. “That was such a special moment for me and this team, and obviously I’d love to add another trophy to the garage.”
Daytona also holds an important place in Spire Motorsports history. The organization earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory there on July 7, 2019, when Justin Haley won the rain-shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Across 31 previous Cup Series starts at Daytona, Spire Motorsports has recorded one victory, four top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes.
Suárez brings plenty of Daytona experience of his own. In 18 Cup Series starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, he has one top-five finish, two top-10s and eight top-20 finishes while leading 44 laps.
Crew chief Ryan Sparks has also found success at Daytona, recording two top-five and five top-10 finishes across 12 races at the track, including a third-place finish in the 2025 Coke Zero Sugar 400 with Justin Haley.
While Suárez and his team can enjoy knowing their Chase ticket has already been punched, there is still plenty to race for Saturday night.
“We can celebrate making the Chase,” Suárez said, “but we’re still going to Daytona to race hard and hopefully have another big night.”
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is the 26th of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The race will be televised live on NBC Saturday, Aug. 29, beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT, with radio coverage available through the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
