Coke Zero Sugar 400 Preview Article (2x)

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Coke Zero Sugar 400 Preview and Best Bet

NASCAR Cup Series: Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 7 p.m. ET (NBC) at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida

Race Info

NASCAR's Cup Series resumes on Saturday with the Coke Zero Sugar 400. This race will be the regular season finale, the final event before the playoffs begin.

For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 160 laps.

As we've seen in almost every race this season, there will be three stages for this event.

Stage 1 will require drivers to complete 50 laps. Stage 2 also consists in 50 laps. Stage 3 requires 60 more laps.

As has been the case every week, an entry list has been published for this event. The entry list is already full: there are 40 drivers/teams listed out of 40 possible drivers/teams. So, barring any unforeseen events, we will already know who will compete in this race.

Conventionally, the starting lineup gets posted for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race on Wednesday morning.

Because drivers are historically already quite familiar with this track, there will neither be qualifying nor a practice session for this race.

Instead, a predetermined formula will establish who will start in what position.

Track Info

One cool thing about this race is that it takes place on prestigious Daytona International Speedway, which is, of course, also the home of the legendary Daytona 500.

This track is shaped as a tri-oval that routinely encourages very high speeds.

Speed is encouraged by, among other things, uniquely high banking.

The turns are banked at an absurd 31 degrees. The tri-oval is banked at 18 degrees and the back straightaway is banked at two degrees.

Banking allows drivers to collect more momentum and so reach greater speeds.

Specifically, each lap is 2.5 miles long on an asphalt surface.

So in completing 160 laps, drivers will have completed 400 miles.

Drivers To Avoid

Because this is the regular season finale, certain drivers have more to compete for while others have less to compete for.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, there are 16 playoff spots. 15 have already been determined.

Not all 15 drivers, though, are worth overlooking for Saturday's race simply because they have already clinched a playoff spot.

The two exceptions are Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin. Both are in the playoffs, but both will be motivated to win the Regular Season Championship by accruing more points.

So forget, then, about Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, as well as other big names like Kevin Harvick. They don't have anything or as much to gain from performing well in Saturday's race.

My Guy

Motivation is an insufficient reason, by itself, to bet on a driver.

There are a lot of different drivers who could clinch that 16th playoff spot by winning Saturday's race. They will all be especially motivated to do just that.

But we can't bet on all of those drivers, nor would it make sense to do so.

Austin Dillon is on the cusp of 16th place. But he is too hit-or-miss at this track based on his history here.

Larson is so easy to back this year. But this is not the venue to back him in because he has a comparatively awful history here.

He has finished stronger than 10th three times in 14 tries in Daytona and has zero top-five finishes.

Instead, my guy is Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin has won three times at this track with one of those wins coming in 2020 and another in 2019.

He's consistently solid here as he's finished top-five in four of his last five tries at Daytona.

He'll look to build off of his fifth-place finish last week in order to become Regular Season Champion.

For the above reasons, invest in Hamlin.

Best Bet: Hamlin over Larson at -135 with Bovada
 
Coke Zero Sugar 400 Preview and Best Bet

NASCAR Cup Series: Coke Zero Sugar 400
Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 7 p.m. ET (NBC) at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida

Race Info

NASCAR's Cup Series continues on Saturday with the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

For this racing event, drivers must complete a total of 160 laps.

As has been the case for just about every race this season, there will be three stages for this event.

Stages 1 and 2 both consist in 50 laps. Stage 3 will require of drivers 60 more laps.

An entry list has been published for this event, as has been the case every week. The entry list is already full: there are 40 drivers/teams listed, thus filling all 40 possible spots for drivers/teams. So, unless something unforeseen takes place, we already know who will compete in this race.

Every week, the starting lineup gets posted for the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race on Wednesday morning.

Because drivers have developed familiarity with this track historically, there will not be any qualifying round or practice session.

Instead, a predetermined formula will set the order of the starting lineup.

Track Info

One reason why this race is even more worthwhile to view is that it takes place in prestigious Daytona International Speedway.

This track has a lot of history as it also hosts the Daytona 500, which is one of NASCAR's most famous events.

In terms of track structure, this track is shaped as a tri-oval that counts as a superspeedway.

The high speeds that this track is universally known for are facilitated by several structural features, one of which is the high banking.

Higher banking means that drivers have greater opportunity to collect stronger momentum in order to reach higher speeds.

The turns are each banked at an absurdly high 31 degrees. The tri-oval is banked at 18 degrees while the back straightaway is banked at two degrees.

As for lap length, each lap requires drivers to accrue 2.5 miles on Daytona's asphalt surface.

So in completing 160 laps, drivers will have completed 400 miles.

Drivers To Avoid

Before all else, we have to understand that this is the regular season finale

Some drivers will be looking forward to the playoffs. Others won't enjoy the same luxury.

These other drivers have greater incentive to compete hard on Saturday.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, there are 16 playoff spots. 15 have already been determined.

Several different drivers could clinch that final playoff spot by winning Saturday's race. Of course, they will all be particularly motivated to do just that.

But nobody has the bankroll to invest in all drivers. It does not make sense to bet on too many drivers to win when only one driver can win. The risk minimalized far outweighs the potential reward.

Austin Dillon is one motivated candidate as he currently finds himself on the cusp of 16th place. But, based on his history of finishes here, he is too hit-or-miss at this track. There are more reliable drivers out there.

I don't really like any of these lesser-named drivers. Plus, not all 15 drivers are worth forgetting about for Saturday's race just because they have already clinched a playoff spot.

There are two exceptions based on point standings: Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin. Both are already firmly in the playoffs. However, second-place Hamlin exists in striking distance of Larson.

With Hamlin breathing down Larson's neck, both will be motivated to win the Regular Season Championship by accruing more points.

Do forget about Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, as well as other bigger names like Joey Logano.

At the very least, it's accurate to say that they don't have as much to gain from trying hard or doing well in Saturday's race.

My Guy

By itself, motivation is not enough of a reason to invest in a driver.

Larson has admittedly been so easy to back this year -- he isn't atop the standings for nothing.

But Daytona is not the venue to trust him in given the fact that he has a comparatively awful history here.

He has finished stronger than 10th three times in 14 tries in Daytona and has zero top-five finishes. His career average finishing position here is 15.36.

My favorite guy is Denny Hamlin.

In his career, Hamlin has won three times at this track. His great success has also been recent as one of those wins came in 2020 and another in 2019.

He's consistently a threat to win here: he's finished top-five in four of his last five races at Daytona.

He'll look to build off of last week's effort -- a fifth-place finish in Michigan -- in order to become Regular Season Champion.

For the above reasons, invest in Hamlin.

Best Bet: Hamlin Top 3 Finish at +200 with Bovada
 
Volatility is the word for Daytona. The only race all year, there's only one driver under double digits to win. (Larson +750)

Was hoping for better than -130 on Hamlin vs Larson considering Hamilton is +1000 vs +750 on Larson. But I still think it's a good play.

Need lots of luck here to stay out of the numerous wrecks. But it's a fun race. You can actually play guys at huge numbers and feel like you have a chance.

McDowell, Stenhouse, Haley are just some of the bombers that have won here. Hell, Bubba has even finished 2nd at Daytona
 
. Truex notched finishes of 20th or worse in 10 of his last 11 trips to the big ovals and is 0-for-65 in superspeedway races in his career.

Looking to fade. I don’t have matchups posted yet
 
Really light bets since Daytona is like throwing darts.

I did bet Jeb Burton +1200 to win last night. Due to rain last night they will finish that race this afternoon. Jeb looked ok last night, like a 5 to 10 place car.

I bet Bubba to win tonight at +2600

I am only looking at matchups at +money

Some of the better-looking bets are some longshots to finish in the top 10 or 20 at +money, like Corey Lajoie, Justin Haley, Kaz Grala, Landon Cassill, etc.
 
Splitting small plays between:

Grala Top 10 +230, Top 20 -135
Lajoie Top 10 +280, Top 20 -125
Haley Top 10 +300, Top 20 -120

These types of upper, low-end drivers finished:

Daytona 500 (2021) - 2 in Top 10 and 4 in Top 20
Coke Zero 400 (2020) - 1 in Top 10 and 3 in Top 20
Daytona 500 (2020) - 3 in Top 10 and 6 in Top 20
 
Larson, McDowell, and Alfredo to the rear for failed inspections. It really will not matter though.
 
Splitting small plays between:

Grala Top 10 +230, Top 20 -135
Lajoie Top 10 +280, Top 20 -125
Haley Top 10 +300, Top 20 -120

These types of upper, low-end drivers finished:

Daytona 500 (2021) - 2 in Top 10 and 4 in Top 20
Coke Zero 400 (2020) - 1 in Top 10 and 3 in Top 20
Daytona 500 (2020) - 3 in Top 10 and 6 in Top 20
If there is no big wreck or any large wrecks due to the lower horsepower package, then these bets will not do well.
 
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