NASCAR race at Daytona live updates: Austin Dillon wins Cup race, shuffles playoff lineup

LIVE UPDATES HAVE CONCLUDED FOR THIS RACE.

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Let’s try this again, shall we?

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway was originally planned to begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, but inclement weather postponed it to today.

You can catch it on CNBC, the NBC Sports App, Peacock, MRN or SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kyle Larson’s on the pole. Fifteen drivers are vying for two elusive playoff spots. Let’s do this.

Live updates will be posted in the section below and will be published frequently during the race. Refresh this page for the latest news. Full results will be posted after the race.

Unofficial race results

Live updates: Daytona International Speedway

Stage 3

Checkered flag: Austin Dillon has won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona! Ryan Blaney, on points, will get into the playoffs. Martin Truex Jr. is out as Dillon is a new winner who is eligible. Bonkers finish!

Lap 158: Cindric falls off and Dillon to the front. Martin Truex Jr. is now in trouble. Ryan Blaney has passed Truex in points!

Lap 155: Five to go! Cindric leads. Cole Custer hits the wall and limps into the pits, but no yellow flag. We race on.

Lap 152: Martin Truex Jr. is falling back a bit as some help arrived from a few other drivers for the lead pack. Cindric still leads, Dillon in second. Noah Gragson now in third and Tyler Reddick in fourth. Truex lost two spots, and with the lapped cars now in his rearview, Blaney is within TWO points as they run.

Lap 150: Ten to go! Martin Truex is among a four-car lead breakaway, led by Austin Cindric. Others in the group are Dillon and Cassill.

Lap 147: Austin Cindric leads, and in doing so, gives both Truex and Blaney hope for the playoffs. Cindric is a previous winner.

Lap 144: Green flag waves... Here we go, 16 to run!

Lap 142: Cameras show Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin watching as their driver, Bubba Wallace, joins the fray as the first car one lap down... in 11th position. Here are the cars on the lead lap: A. Dillon, Cindric, Ware, Truex, Cassill, McLeod, Busch, Reddick, Ragan, Gragson. One lap down: Wallace, Jones, T. Dillon.

Lap 141: Kyle Busch is among the cars getting a lengthy look in his pit box. Ty Dillon is in, and his engine is off as they try to figure his car out. Harrison Burton getting extensive left front work.

Lap 140: YELLOW! The cars are rolling at Daytona! The drivers had been parked just shy of the start/finish line, and as they roll from their red flag stop, they will cross into 20 to go. Cars must do a full lap before coming back to pit road for any needed service. This may lead to some cars realizing their damage is greater (or less) than they thought. Stay tuned for that. Officially, we were under red flag for 3 hours, 19 minutes, 57 seconds.

Under red flag: Let’s reset a couple of things here for everyone. First of all, and this should go without saying but ... the race is NOT over. Drivers are reporting to their cars, and NASCAR is shooting for a 4:10 green flag. The OTHER major piece here... While Martin Truex Jr. currently leads Ryan Blaney by 14 points, a lot of that cushion is going to disappear as Blaney runs some laps while those involved in the late crash are parked. Those position points, after Blaney completes six more laps, will be key to what ultimately happens. Kevin Harvick, currently listed in second, will not be there as soon as they roll. His car has already been towed away, and during the lengthy rain delay he told NBC Sports he was “probably going to be at home” for the finish of this one.

Under red flag: Drivers have been informed to report to their teams no later than 3:50 p.m. A 4:10 p.m. green flag is what NASCAR is aiming for. Keep it here for what the lineup will be on the impending restart.

Under red flag: The latest is still the same. Officials have fired up track-drying equipment again as they make their best effort to return to racing. The biggest concern now will be sorting out the lineup if racing resumes: Some drivers believe the yellow and subsequent red flags should have flown far sooner. Kevin Harvick believes he should be listed as the leader based on when the yellow lights began flashing. Austin Dillon is just fine with the current result. Ryan Blaney, a Top 3 points getter, would love some more racing — it would grant him a chance to re-run his way into the playoffs (or at least pray for a repeat winner).

Under red flag: Lightning hold is now the bigger issue as track drying efforts continue. The grandstands have been cleared.

Under red flag: NASCAR’s Scott Miller confirms that Austin Dillon is in fact considered the race leader at this point.

Under red flag: Justin Haley pointed in his comments on the race broadcast that the race should have been red-flagged prior to the final wreck. He said it was raining “for a good lap.” Asked if he could compare it to a few sprinkles earlier in the race, he said, “We didn’t wreck then, did we?” Went so far as to call the conditions/scenario “unacceptable.”

Lap 139: Red flag is out. Cars will be parked. Under red flag with 21 laps officially to go (just shy of completing Lap 139), Austin Dillon is the leader and would win if the race is called. Kevin Harvick is in second, Landon Cassill in third, Cody Ware in fourth and Austin Cindric in fifth. The bigger implications here are in the playoff chase. Dillon has not won this season and is eligible for the playoffs, so a win would mean he is in. Then, it would come down to either Ryan Blaney or Martin Truex Jr. for the 16th and final position. As they run, Truex has a 12-point lead on Blaney.

Lap 139: Every single one of the Top 10 cars went into the wreck. It looked like the first three cars all slipped with no grip in the turn, which caused the pileup. Involved cars include Gilliland, Stenhouse, Almirola, Jones, Dillon, Reddick, Hamlin, Burton, Suarez, Hemric, Buescher.

Lap 138: Austin Dillon may get the win here. The rain has started to fall hard on the grandstand, and Dillon has the official lead. Kevin Harvick is somehow in second after being mediocre most of the day. Cody Ware listed in third, Landon Cassill in fourth and Austin Cindric in fifth.

Lap 137: Another caution! Another wreck! The whole front end of the field is collected. Austin Dillon is the only car to clear from the Top 20, and he will lead. What a massive mess. More details to follow.

Lap 136: Daniel Suarez now to the front, and he brings Aric Almirola with him. Haley drops to third, with Kyle Busch pushing him there. Denny Hamlin, Daniel Hemric and Ty Dillon all pushing at the front. Haley falling fast on old tires.

Lap 132: Weather approaching the track. Haley is in the lead, and there are just SIX points separating Truex and Blaney, with Truex in front for now. Haley would be in if he won, and Truex would edge Blaney. All eyes to the skies.

Lap 131: Less than a full lap of green flag racing, and Erik Jones collects Joey Logano.

Lap 129: There are currently 23 cars listed on the lead lap, and a handful of them are win-and-you’re-in. Amazingly, even after being spun, Martin Truex Jr. is on the lead lap, running 17th. Ryan Blaney is running six laps down, after his own wreck, but he is still running, big for points as he and Truex hope for a repeat winner.

Lap 128: Interesting here that Justin Haley stayed out on the track while all other Top 10 drivers have pitted. Haley’s last stop was on Lap 96. Almost everyone giving chase has 31 fewer laps on their tires. Erik Jones runs second, Joey Logano 3rd, Aric Almirola 4th and Kyle Busch in 5th.

Lap 127: Eight drivers officially involved here, six of them were those needing to win to get in the playoffs, and most collected from a move in the second position.

Lap 125: Caution is out! Another yellow as another big wreck near the front of the field. Collected here are Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe. Cole Custer also involved, as is Alex Bowman and Ricky Stenhouse. More to follow.

Lap 124: Alex Bowman maintains a lead here with Stebhouse Jr. on his tail. There have been 34 lead changes and 15 different leaders, so this will almost assuredly change. The question is, how are Truex and Blaney positioned?

Lap 113: The weather reportedly a concern for many teams, who may not believe they have 49 laps to go. That’s causing some consternation at the front and some drivers being a bit more aggressive than normal. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., among those who need to win to get into the playoffs, is hanging in the Top 5. As is Bubba Wallace. Reddick maintains the lead. Logano and Bowman also lurking.

Lap 108: Back to green-flag racing. Logano and Reddick lead the field at the front.

Lap 104: Still under caution. Joey Logano remains the lead car. After the wreck shuffled things in the Top 10, Tyler Reddick (who caused the wreck) sits in second. Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Cindric round out the Top 5... for now. Chastain, Lajoie, Reddick, Buescher, Truex all in some way involved in the crash.

Lap 102: CAUTION! Martin Truex Jr. involved in this one, and now he and Ryan Blaney have both been collected in crashes that had nothing to do with them originally. There is significant cosmetic damage to Truex’s car. McDowell among those with significant damage, as well.

Lap 100: Green green green. Stage 3 is under way, and McDowell leads the field to the flag. He’s quickly passed by Joey Logano.

Lap 99: Rain looms to the North and East of the track, reports of it raining at the beach. So far it’s dry at the track, but if there is a washout, the race IS official, and some teams may try to play a strategy to be ahead at a stoppage to try and secure a win.

Lap 97: Michael McDowell gets a huge bump on pit road, taking fuel only to jump 16 spots into third position. Kyle Busch is penalized for speeding on pit road and will have to pass through for his penalty, hurting his position on the track. Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher and BJ McLeod stayed out under the competition yellow.

Stage 2

Lap 96: Kyle Busch masterfully holds off a few late pushes down the final stretch from Denny Hamlin and others — and he earns the Stage 2 win. Behind him: Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Todd Gilliland, Tyler Reddick, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon.

Lap 85: Tyler Reddick, despite having a shaky car, is leading the pack. Reddick is bouncing back and forth, cutting off Chase Elliott on the inside draft line and then Kyle Busch on the outside line.

Lap 80: Halfway! That means that the race is now “official” — results would be recorded if it rains and the race cannot resume.

Lap 78: The Toyotas enter pit road and only get gas. The rest of the field pretty much enters pit road a lap later, setting up what should be an exciting Stage 2 conclusion.

Lap 67: And the chaos that is Daytona continues! Harrison Burton, Ross Chastain and Justin Haley among the drivers who have been introduced to the front of the pack on Sunday. Joey Logano still racing a solid race. The No. 22 car seems to be running the most consistent race so far today.

Lap 60: Ryan Blaney goes down two laps. The damage his car suffered in the Stage 1 wreck is rearing its ugly head.

Lap 54: Chris (Christopher?) Buescher has made moves in Stage 2. The 17 car is in fourth, third in the lead draft line. Erik Jones and William Byron lead the pack.

Lap 41: And we’re under green again. Bubba Wallace leads the outside line. Three-wide after Turn 1. Erik Jones and Corey LaJoie toward the front, too.

Lap 36: Brad Keselowski, caught up in the Stage 1 wreck, is reportedly done for the day. That effectively ends the playoff hopes for the relatively new owner and veteran driver.

Stage 1

Lap 35: Joey Logano takes the lead on the restart and holds on to earn the Stage 1 win. Huge playoff point for the No. 22 car. Other cars in top-10 (in order): Chase Elliott, Harrison Burton, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Michael McDowell.

Lap 31: Wreck! Denny Hamlin appears to get loose and spins out after some contact from Erik Jones, and a bunch of cars are caught up in the Stage 1 wreck. Among those drivers: Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Hamlin. Caution has come out. Is Blaney’s car salvageable? (The No. 12 team has answered in the affirmative.)

Lap 27: Kyle Larson is done for the day. His win at Watkins Glen last week is even more valuable as he and a handful of other drivers fight for second place in points. The pack is about to lap Austin Cindric, too.

Lap 21: Erik Jones and Denny Hamlin are making moves on the outside line. Jones in the No. 43 car is one of the handful of drivers who need a win to make the playoffs. Chase Elliott (P2) and Joey Logano (P4) still lead the inside line.

Lap 15: Kyle Larson has to enter pit road. The No. 5 car appears to have some sort of mechanical issue. Austin Cindric, the Daytona 500 winner, has lost the draft; he’s hauling to ensure that he doesn’t get lapped. Eighteen laps until the conclusion of Stage 1.

Lap 10: Rain is sprinkling around Turns 1 and 2. Hasn’t slowed down Sunday’s race. Worth keeping an eye on, particularly how it affects visibility.

Lap 7: Kyle Larson still leading the outside line, but that’s nine cars behind the leader, Chase Elliott, who’s leading the inside. Kyle Busch has intentionally fallen to the back. Three-wide in the back of the pack!

Lap 4: Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Christopher Bell and Kevin Harvick all in the lead draft line on the inside. Kyle Larson, who started on the pole, leads the second line. Larson is in P5 at the moment.

Green flag, 10:06 a.m.: And away we go!

10:03 a.m.: Cars are rolling around the hallowed ground of Daytona International Speedway. Track looks decently dry. The day race in the middle of the summer makes Daytona a different race — potentially more slick — than if it had started late last night.

9:53 a.m.: Engines about to be fired. Rain is in the area but appears to be slackening.

9:25 a.m.: The pre-race timing — which, as you know, is all subject to change — is as follows this morning: Invocation is set for 9:46 a.m., the national anthem is set for 9:47 a.m., command is set for 9:53 a.m., and the green flag should drop around 10:05 a.m.

9:19 a.m.: Per NASCAR, no cars are dropping to the rear yet. Some other details: Pit road speed is 55 mph; caution vehicle speed is 70 mph; fuel window is 44 laps.

9:05 a.m.: NASCAR’s regular-season finale, barring inclement weather (again), will begin within the hour. That means it’ll start during F1’s return-from-summer-break race, which is being shown on ESPN2. Big day for racing!

Who earned the pole at Daytona?

Daytona Cup qualifying got washed out by rain, so that means the starting lineup was set by the rule book. Kyle Larson is in P1. His teammate, Chase Elliott, is in P2. It’ll be interesting to see how the two begin considering their physical finish at Watkins Glen.

When does Sunday’s NASCAR race at Daytona start?

• Race: Coke Zero Sugar 400
• Distance: 400 miles (160 laps)
• Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 35, Stage 2 ends on Lap 95 and Stage 3 ends on Lap 160
• Where: Daytona International Speedway
• When: 10 a.m., Sunday
• Watch: NBC, NBC Sports App, Peacock
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR
• Purse: $8,312,719

This story was originally published August 28, 2022 at 9:07 AM.

Alex Zietlow

The Charlotte Observer

Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow’s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He’s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22. Support my work with a digital subscription