Sports
Ryan Blaney Wins Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Shatters Playoff Hopes for NASCAR Rivals
DAYTONA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Florida National News captured the intense action Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway as Ryan Blaney stole the spotlight, powering to victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and dashing the Playoff hopes of several NASCAR contenders. His win secured Alex Bowman the 16th and final spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, while eliminating rivals who needed a victory to advance.
Blaney’s Thrilling Finish
Starting from 12th with three laps to go, Blaney surged forward in dramatic fashion. He crossed the finish line just 0.031 seconds ahead of Daniel Suarez in a breathtaking three-wide battle. Justin Haley finished third, only 0.036 seconds behind, while Cole Custer—who led with two laps remaining—slipped to fourth. The nail-biting margin delivered Blaney his second victory of the season, second at Daytona, and 15th career Cup win.
The win also vaulted Blaney into second place in the regular-season standings, adding 10 valuable Playoff points. His victory marked the first for a Ford driver since his Nashville triumph in June. “What a wild last couple laps, honestly,” Blaney said. “Cole made a good move to the top, and we had great pushes behind us. Once the 7 (Haley) and 41 (Custer) got side-by-side, it cleared the way for me to just barely hold on.”
Coke Zero Sugar 400 Winner. Photo by Roman Garay / Florida National News
Playoff Picture Shifts
The outcome kept Bowman’s postseason alive after a rollercoaster night. A win by Suarez, Haley, or Custer would have knocked Bowman out, but Blaney’s victory preserved Bowman’s 16th-place berth on points. Bowman’s hopes nearly vanished early: he was collected in a 12-car pileup on Lap 27 after a chain reaction crash involving Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch. Though he was sidelined, Bowman benefited from no new winner emerging, sealing his playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Tyler Reddick, despite early contact and damage, secured his Playoff place. Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. saw their postseason dreams end with wrecks that left them in the garage.
Race Highlights and Final Results
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 featured 44 lead changes among 19 drivers, including long runs out front by Blaney and teammate Joey Logano, who led 27 laps before spinning late. Erik Jones claimed fifth, followed by Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Josh Berry, and Chase Elliott in the top 10. Ross Chastain captured Stage 2 before finishing 15th.
With the Daytona drama complete, the 16-driver Playoff field is officially set: William Byron (Regular Season Champion), Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Blaney headline the Hendrick-Penske battle. The 10-race Playoffs kick off August 31 at Darlington Raceway in the Cook Out Southern 500.
Top 5 Finishers
Ryan Blaney (Ford)
Daniel Suarez (Chevrolet)
Justin Haley (Chevrolet)
Cole Custer (Ford)
Erik Jones (Toyota)
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J Willie David, III | Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Davison scores 26 points, Branham adds 23 and Osceola records 23 steals to open its season with a victory at Silver Spurs Arena.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic opened their season with a record-setting defensive performance, collecting 23 steals and forcing 35 turnovers in a 97-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Silver Spurs Arena.
JD Davison scored a game-high 26 points and Malaki Branham added 23 as Osceola established a franchise record for steals and matched its record for opponent turnovers. Osceola Magic
Defense drives the comeback
Oklahoma City led 31-22 after the first quarter and 44-43 at halftime. Osceola pulled even at 70 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Blue 27-19 over the final period.
The victory gave Osceola a 1-0 start and dropped Oklahoma City to 0-2. Zhaire Smith led the Blue with 19 points, while Christoph Tilly contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. gleague.nba.com
Osceola’s defensive pressure helped offset Oklahoma City’s early advantage. The Blue finished just 5 of 29 from 3-point range, shooting 17.2%.
Six Magic players recorded multiple steals, led by Johnell Davis’ career-high six — one short of the franchise record. Davison collected four, Jarron Cumberland had three, and Ace Baldwin Jr., Branham and Mike Sharavjamts each added two.
Malaki Branham leans into his drive while keeping his dribble low as an Oklahoma City Blue defender guards him during the Osceola Magic’s season opener. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.
Davison and Branham lead the offense
Davison and Branham combined for 49 points, accounting for more than half of Osceola’s scoring.
Au’Diese Toney contributed 14 points in his return to Osceola, including a late 3-pointer that helped secure the victory.
Davis provided another boost off the bench with 11 points and a career-best-tying four assists, complementing his disruptive defensive performance.
Sharavjamts makes professional debut
Sharavjamts posted a team-best plus-12 rating in 24 minutes during his professional debut. Osceola outscored Oklahoma City by 12 points while he was on the floor. Osceola Magic
What’s next for the Osceola Magic?
Following a scheduled road matchup with the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Osceola returns to Silver Spurs Arena to host the Mexico City Capitanes on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Member News
The Magic’s challenge will be to sustain the defensive pressure that helped them overcome an early nine-point deficit in the opener.
NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.
Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.
“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.
LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.
The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.
A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.
Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls
Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.
A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry
The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.
Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:
“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”
— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.
South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
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