NASCAR postpones Coke Zero Sugar 400 to Sunday due to rain
NASCAR will have to wait another day to officially set its playoff field.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400, the final race of NASCAR's regular season, was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to persistent rain at Daytona International Speedway.
The race was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, but a lightning storm postponed much of the day's preparations. The rain briefly dissipated before the scheduled start time, but returned and looked likely to persist for the rest of the evening.
When is the rescheduled Coke Zero Sugar 400?
The race will now begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday. That will likely put it in conflict with Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix across the Atlantic Ocean, as that race is scheduled for noon ET.
What channel is the Coke Zero Sugar 400?
The race was initially slated to air on NBC on Saturday night, but the new time slot will move it to CNBC. NBC is scheduled to air the final round of the PGA Tour's Tour Championship around the same time.
NEWS: Tonight’s #CokeZeroSugar400 at @DAYTONA has been postponed to Sunday due to rain.
Join us tomorrow at 10 AM ET on CNBC, @MRNRadio and @SiriusXMNASCAR. pic.twitter.com/gNhyNRCoQ2— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 28, 2022
The race will also be available on radio on NASCAR's Sirius XM channel and the Motor Racing Network.
NASCAR playoff grid: Which drivers need a Coke Zero Sugar 400 win?
The postponement looms large with two Cup Series playoff spots up for grabs due to Kurt Busch, currently 15th in the standings but sidelined with a concussion, deciding to withdraw his request for a playoff waiver.
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney and Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. currently hold the last two spots on the current playoff grid, but neither driver has won a race this season. If any other of the 13 other drivers in the top 30 — a group that includes Austin Dillon, Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Bubba Wallace and Michael McDowell — win on Sunday morning, they punch their ticket to the playoffs.
