Sports
Ryan Preece Captures Checkered Flag in Dramatic Coke Zero Sugar 400 Victory at Daytona
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Ryan Preece captured the checkered flag under the lights at Daytona International Speedway, surviving a chaotic overtime finish Saturday night to win the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 and race his way into the NASCAR Cup Series Chase.
The victory was the first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series win of Preece’s career, coming in his 249th start and in the final race of the regular season.
Driving the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Preece overcame early damage, a 31-point deficit in the postseason standings and a tense fuel-mileage battle before emerging from the final-lap chaos at the “World Center of Racing.”
The race went six laps beyond its scheduled 160-lap distance, with Preece leading when NASCAR displayed the caution during a multi-car crash on the final lap. Post-race inspection later confirmed Preece as the winner.
2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News
Preece Survives Wild Overtime Finish
Daytona delivered another dramatic finish as the field charged through overtime with the final Chase position hanging in the balance.
Preece battled near the front with Zane Smith and Tyler Reddick as the race approached its conclusion. After getting a strong run, Preece moved ahead before contact involving Smith and Reddick helped trigger a multi-car crash behind him.
NASCAR displayed the caution with Preece leading, securing the biggest victory of his Cup Series career.
Daniel Suárez escaped the late chaos to finish second, followed by Reddick, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Austin Cindric finished sixth, with Austin Dillon seventh, Alex Bowman eighth, Josh Berry ninth and Cole Custer completing the top 10.
2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News
First Career Cup Series Victory
The Daytona triumph marked a breakthrough for the 35-year-old Preece.
He had gone 248 Cup Series starts without a points-paying victory before delivering when his season depended on it.
Preece led three times for five laps Saturday night, but the most important were the final ones.
The victory was also a major moment for RFK Racing, with Preece overcoming adversity early in the race before putting the No. 60 Ford in Victory Lane.
“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece said after the victory.
He credited his team for continuing to fight despite the pressure surrounding the regular-season finale.
Early Crash Fails to Stop Preece
Preece’s path to Victory Lane nearly ended during the opening stage.
A three-car incident involving Preece, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher sent Preece sliding through the infield grass and damaged the left-front portion of his Ford.
His team made repairs, and Preece remained in contention.
Preece then charged back through the field and finished second in Stage 2 behind Ryan Blaney, putting himself back into position to challenge for the final Chase berth.
Fuel Strategy Sets Up Daytona Showdown
Fuel mileage became critical during the final 65-lap stage.
Preece and his team elected to stretch their fuel rather than make another late stop, keeping the No. 60 Ford near the front as other contenders faced difficult strategy decisions.
A late crash involving Carson Hocevar on Lap 155 forced the race into overtime and intensified concerns over whether the remaining fuel would last.
Preece made it last — and then took advantage of the opportunity when the race restarted.
2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona. Arthur Dell Morgan / Florida National News
Daytona Victory Sends Preece Into The Chase
The win did more than deliver Preece his first Cup Series trophy.
It secured the 16th and final position in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase, completing a dramatic turnaround in the regular-season finale.
Preece entered Daytona 31 points behind Shane van Gisbergen for the final postseason position.
Van Gisbergen won Stage 1 and initially strengthened his advantage, but the battle changed dramatically as the race progressed.
Preece ultimately earned 67 points at Daytona compared with 19 for van Gisbergen, allowing Preece to claim the final Chase berth by 17 points.
Van Gisbergen finished 28th after being caught in the final-lap chaos.
Coke Zero Sugar 400 Top 10
- Ryan Preece
- Daniel Suárez
- Tyler Reddick
- Michael McDowell
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Austin Cindric
- Austin Dillon
- Alex Bowman
- Josh Berry
- Cole Custer
Redemption at Daytona
The victory carried additional meaning for Preece because of his difficult history at Daytona.
Three years earlier, Preece endured a violent rollover crash during the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400. He also experienced trouble in subsequent Daytona races.
Saturday night produced a much different ending: a trip to Victory Lane and a place in NASCAR’s championship chase.
“This is redemption,” Preece said.
For Preece and the No. 60 RFK Racing team, the regular-season finale became a career-defining night — first Cup Series victory, a Daytona trophy and the final ticket into The Chase.
The NASCAR Cup Series Chase begins Sept. 6 with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Florida National News) – The Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) beat the Indianapolis Colts (2-6) 42-7 at EverBank Stadium today. Today’s victory tied the second-longest home winning streak in stadium history, with seven straight wins. The Jaguars also tied the record held by two other teams by winning seven straight games at home scoring 34 or more points in each game. The Denver Broncos had seven such victories from Dec. 23, 2012 to Oct. 27, 2013, while the Los Angeles Chargers had a similar streak from Nov. 27, 1960 to Nov. 5, 1961. This was also the Jaguars 12th straight victory at home against the Colts, dating back to Dec. 13, 2015.
The Jaguars also introduced their Nike NFL “Rivalries” alternate uniform, nicknamed “Bold City,” with a teal helmet and leopard-print accents. The helmet includes the 904 area code on the front bumper and “DUUUVAL” on the back bumper. The inside of the back collar says “Bold City,” while the outside says “Since ‘95” (the Jaguars’ inaugural season). Hidden within the spots on the pants are the names of Jacksonville neighborhoods.
Jaguars’ RB Bhayshul Tuten scores twice in new “Bold City” uniform. Photo credit: Arthur “Dell” Morgan, Florida National News
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Thomas Jr., followed by K Cam Little’s extra point to put the first points on the scoreboard. The score remained 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Jaguars DE Bryan Thomas Jr. recovered a fumble by Colts RB Jonathan Taylor, but the Jags lost DT DaVon Hamilton to a knee injury on that play, and he had to be taken off the field in a golf cart. But Jacksonville’s drive ended four plays later with a 31 yard touchdown pass by Trevor Lawrence to TE Nate Boerkircher, with Little adding the XP. On the Jags’ next drive, RB Bhayshul Tuten ran 39 yards for a touchdown, followed by another Little extra point. Late in the quarter, Jaguars S Rayuan Lane III intercepted a QB Daniel Jones pass intended for TE Tyler Warren and returned it 92 yards for a touchdown, and after Little’s XP, the Jaguars were up 28-0 at halftime.
DT DaVon Hamilton had to be taken off the field in a golf cart after a knee injury. Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News
RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for a 28 yard touchdown, with another Little extra point for the first points of the third quarter, extending the Jaguars lead to 35-0. But the Colts did manage to score their first points of the game as Daniel Jones threw to WR Josh Downs for a 6 yard touchdown pass, with an extra point by K Spencer Shrader. But Lawrence threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Bhayshul Tuten, and Little’s XP put the Jaguars ahead 42-7 at the end of the third quarter, which remained the score at the end of the game.
Trevor Lawrence finished with 210 passing yards and 3 TDs. Bhayshul Tuten led the Jaguars’ rushing with 104 yards and 1 TD. Tuten was also the leading receiver with 55 yards and 1 TD. To hear Bhayshul Tuten discuss the factors that led to his success in today’s game, click here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1WgGP3j5FA/?mibextid=wwXIfr
The Jaguars will be on the road for the next three games. They face the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, November 5th at 8:15 p.m., the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, November 15th at 1:00 p.m., and the New York Giants on Sunday, November 22nd at 1:00 p.m. The Jags return to The ‘Bank on Sunday, November 29th at 1:00 p.m., when they host the Titans in an AFC South matchup. Be sure to follow www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.
Shooting struggles and a costly third quarter leave Orlando winless through two games under first-year coach Sean Sweeney
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — A new coaching era has opened with consecutive losses for the Orlando Magic, who fell 115-93 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Kia Center.
Orlando dropped to 0-2 under first-year head coach Sean Sweeney as shooting struggles again slowed its offense. The Magic also struggled with turnovers and missed free throws, repeating problems from their season-opening loss to Atlanta. Yahoo Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards handles the ball as Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero contests the play at Kia Center in Orlando on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. Minnesota defeated Orlando 115-93. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News.
Third-quarter struggles prove costly
Minnesota led 57-45 at halftime before taking control in the third quarter. The Timberwolves closed the period with a 17-3 run, building an 86-60 advantage heading into the fourth. Orlando could not recover from the 26-point deficit. reuters.com
Carter leads Orlando
Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 20 points and nine rebounds to lead the Magic. Franz Wagner scored 18 points before fouling out, while Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs added 14 apiece.
Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels each scored 15 points for Minnesota, which improved to 2-0. Rudy Gobert contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. Reuters
Perimeter shooting remains a concern
Orlando made just eight of its 39 attempts from 3-point range, shooting 20.5%. Minnesota connected on 37.8% of its attempts from beyond the arc. reuters.com
Two games offer a limited measure of Sweeney’s tenure, but the early results identify an immediate challenge: improving offensive execution and preventing difficult stretches from becoming decisive runs.
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