2016 Coke Zero 400

Background

The race was held at Daytona International Speedway, a race track located in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, the track is the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, USCC, SCCA, and Motocross. It features multiple layouts including the primary 2.5 miles (4.0 km) high speed tri-oval, a 3.56 miles (5.73 km) sports car course, a 2.95 miles (4.75 km) motorcycle course, and a .25 miles (0.40 km) karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's 180-acre (73 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (12 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The track was built in 1959 by NASCAR founder William "Bill" France, Sr. to host racing held at the former Daytona Beach Road Course. His banked design permitted higher speeds and gave fans a better view of the cars. Lights were installed around the track in 1998 and today, it is the third-largest single lit outdoor sports facility. The speedway has been renovated three times, with the infield renovated in 2004 and the track repaved twice — in 1978 and in 2010.

On January 22, 2013, the track unveiled artist depictions of a renovated speedway. On July 5 of that year, ground was broken for a project that would remove the backstretch seating and completely redevelop the frontstretch seating. The renovation to the speedway is being worked on by Rossetti Architects. The project, named "Daytona Rising", was completed in January 2016, and it costed US $400 million, placing emphasis on improving fan experience with five expanded and redesigned fan entrances (called "injectors") as well as wider and more comfortable seating with more restrooms and concession stands. After the renovations, the track's grandstands include 101,000 permanent seats with the ability to increase permanent seating to 125,000.^[10][11] The project was completed before the start of Speedweeks 2016.

Qualifying results

First half

Under clear Florida evening skies, Greg Biffle led the field to the green flag at 8:14. The honor of leading the first lap, however, went to Carl Edwards. Brad Keselowski passed Edwards on the outside line to take the lead on the ninth lap. Riding along, the field raced two and three wide through the entire pack. The first caution of the race flew on lap 21 for a stalled car on the frontstretch. The car was the No. 38 of Landon Cassill and he was reporting engine failure. Because this came out the same lap as a scheduled competition caution, the teams were allowed to refuel. David Ragan opted to stay out when the leaders pitted and assumed the lead. He pitted the next time through and Keselowski cycled back to the lead. Jimmie Johnson was tagged for too many crew members over the wall and Casey Mears was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon. Both restarted the race from the tail end of the field.

The race restarted on lap 26. Biffle drag-raced Keselowski to the start/finish line to take the lead on lap 30. Keselowski took it back on lap 31. The field settled into a single-file train running the high side of the track. That only lasted a few laps, however, as the bottom line – led by Joey Logano – began to close in on Keselowski. A number of cars, including race leader Keselowski, began pitting on lap 65. This handed the lead to Denny Hamlin, who pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Mears. He pitted on lap 68 and Kevin Harvick assumed the lead. He pitted the next lap and handed the lead to Clint Bowyer. He pitted the next lap and the lead cycled to Kyle Busch. Danica Patrick was tagged for driving through too many pit boxes on pit road and was forced to serve a pass through penalty.

Second half

Denny Hamlin passed teammate Busch on the top and took the lead on lap 77. Keselowski passed to his outside to take back the lead on lap 83. The second caution of the race flew on lap 90 for a multi-car wreck in turn 1.^[22] It started when Jamie McMurray bounced off Kyle Larson, got hooked into the wall by Johnson and collected up to 22 cars.^[23] McMurray said he didn't "know what happened. I think somebody got into my left rear, and I don't know if I cut a tire down. After I felt that happen, I just didn't have any control. ... It's unfortunate. It's part of [restrictor] plate racing."^[24] Johnson said that there was "light contact" and that "the momentum carried me into the back of [McMurray] and turned him sideways. It was a matter of inches, and once it started, it collected everybody."^[25] "Just a bunch of cars crashing -- pretty much that was it," said Matt Kenseth. "I was just trying to make my way back toward the front a little bit there. We had a bad pit-stop exchange and came out way, way behind everybody. Carl was up toward the front and we were running with him before the pit stop. I probably should have just hung in the back, hindsight, but who knows when they're going to wreck, you never know if they're going to wreck. Just trying to get back toward the front and there was a wreck somewhere a few rows up in front of me and just nowhere really to go."^[26] Michael Annett, Biffle, Bowyer, Chris Buescher, Matt DiBenedetto, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, David Gilliland, Harvick, Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kenseth, Larson, McMurray, Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, Patrick, Ragan, Regan Smith, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney all were involved.^[27][28] Buescher would go on to finish 40th.^[29] Logano exited pit road first.

The race restarted on lap 102. A power move to the outside by Keselowski got him by his teammate for the lead at lap 106. Debris brought out the third caution of the race with 30 laps to go. Busch exited pit road first.

The race restarted with 26 laps to go. After racing side-by-side for five laps, Keselowski powered by him on the outside on the backstretch to take back the lead with 21 laps to go. Busch drove underneath him exiting turn 4 to retake the lead with 19 laps to go. Keselowski drove underneath him in turn 2 to retake the lead with 16 laps to go.^[30] The fourth caution of the race flew with 12 laps to go for a single-car wreck in turn 1 involving Tony Stewart.^[31] “Casey Mears was watching and gave me plenty of room to get up there,” Stewart said. “So I figured it was better if I got to the top. Then three or four laps later I got loose into (Turn) 1, so I hadn't been loose all day there. When I did, I over-corrected and got into the fence.”^[32]

The race restarted with six laps to go. The fifth caution of the race flew with five laps to go after Edwards was turned into the wall by Ryan Blaney and collected Bobby Labonte.^[33]

The race restarted with two laps to go. Keselowski held off the Busch brothers and teammate Logano to score the victory just as Kurt Busch got turned into the tri-oval grass by Logano.^[34]

Post-race

Race results

Race summary

• Lead changes: 26 among different drivers
• Cautions/Laps: 5 for 28
• Red flags: 0
• Time of race: 2 hours, 48 minutes and 38 seconds
• Average speed: 150.342 miles per hour (241.952 km/h)

Television

NBC Sports covered the race on the television side. Rick Allen, Jeff Burton and Steve Letarte had the call in the booth for the race. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Marty Snider and Kelli Stavast reported from pit lane during the race.

Radio

MRN had the radio call for the race which was also simulcasted on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.