Coke Zero 400 kicks off in Daytona

It’s the Fourth of July weekend which means that it is time for the Coke Zero 400 weekend. The first race at the the Daytona International Speedway kicks off on Friday with the Subway Firecracker 250 Powered By Coca-Cola. The Subway 250 is 100 laps, equivalent to 250 miles.

Good morning! It's #SubwayFirecracker250 race day! pic.twitter.com/rhiteoJgY4

— Daytona International Speedway (@DAYTONA) July 1, 2016

Then on Saturday night, the big event of the Coke Zero 400 will go down.  The race is 160 laps, equivalent to 400 miles and it is an important one for drivers. A win in the Coke Zero 400 gives drivers an automatic birth in the 10-race chase for the Sprint Cup.  With a victory in the Coke Zero 400, drivers can secure a berth in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which is the championship system in NASCAR.

2016 Daytona 500 Champion Denny Hemlin looks to pull off the win in the Daytona Double by winning both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in the same year.

Another big name is Tony Stewart. Stewart will compete in his last full time NASCAR season and will make his final Sprint Cup series start in Daytona. Stewart has 19 wins at this speedway and is second on the all time wins list.

The defending champion of the Coke Zero 400 is Dale Earnhardt Jr. He will try to go back to back and join champions Fireball Roberts (1962-63), A.J. Foyt (1964-65), Cale Yarborough (1967-68), David Pearson (1972-74) and Tony Stewart (2005-06), who have done so. Earnhardt Jr. is excited for the races and knows that a good working car is key. 

While we wait for the weather to pass, check out what makes @DaleJr so good at Daytona?

The 🔑?

Being aggressive. https://t.co/xkGhfqrz5w

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 30, 2016

The 58th Annual Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events continue Friday and the big race will be on Saturday night at 7:45 p.m.