The NASCAR Cup Series regular season is down to its final race after an exciting finish at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Harrison Burton, driving for Wood Brothers Racing in his last season with the team, claimed his first NASCAR Cup victory by overtaking Kyle Busch during an overtime restart. With this win, Burton secured a spot in the playoffs, leaving only the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington on September 1 to close out the regular season.
Burton, behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford, marked the 13th different winner of the 2024 season.
Winners from the Coke Zero Sugar 400 included:
Christopher Bell, who was part of a massive crash on Lap 61, managed to bounce back and finish in third place, marking his eighth top-five finish this season.
Harrison Burton gained recognition not only for his victory but also for an emotional end to his tenure with Wood Brothers Racing. Having learned in July that he would be replaced by Josh Berry in 2025, Burton’s remarkable win was the 100th for Wood Brothers Racing.
Parker Retzlaff played a crucial role, providing Burton with a significant push, allowing him to take the lead. The 21-year-old Xfinity Series driver finished seventh after making his second Cup Series start with Beard Motorsports.
On the losing side:
Josh Berry was involved in a crash while in contention, hitting the wall and flipping his car with just two laps remaining. He had been running second when the incident occurred but insisted the crash wasn’t as severe as it looked.
Kyle Busch came close to ending his 45-race winless streak, taking the lead in overtime but ultimately lost out to Burton. Despite avoiding both major wrecks earlier in the race, he was unable to regain the lead as Burton blocked him at the finish line.
Corey LaJoie faced criticism after causing one of the significant wrecks of the night. His push on Noah Gragson led to a 17-car pileup that ended the race for several top drivers including Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.
The action-packed race at Daytona has set the stage for the upcoming finale of the regular season.