Live updates: Coke Zero Sugar 400 win goes to Austin Dillon; he led under red and

checkers

Welcome back to Daytona International Speedway, which is still drying out after a
long Saturday of showers and thunderstorms that postponed the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
NASCAR plans to take a race-day mulligan this morning, beginning at 10 a.m.
Firecracker 250, anyone? Huh? Hang with me. We've gotten pretty good at reading the
weatherman's tea leaves around here, and right now we're looking good (or at least
"OK") until about noon. Come back here for continued updates as the command to fire
engines draws closer. Place your bets: NASCAR betting odds for Darlington: Chase
Elliott no; Kevin Harvick yes as playoffs open Saturday's recap: What happened in
the build-up to the rainout of the Coke Zero Sugar 400? Xfinity recap: NASCAR
Xfinity Series Wawa 250 wrecks its way to early-morning finish On the call: Jeff
Burton high and dry in NBC booth, but still feels the nerves A Twitter List by
jtullypbp 4:20 p.m.: CHECKERS! Austin Dillon wins, makes the playoffs; Truex
eliminated Austin Dillon shoved Austin Cindric out of the lead with a few laps
remaining and led the rest of the way, to capture the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and earn
a berth in the Cup Series playoff, which begins next week. Go here for some more.
And more. Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth, Ryan Blaney finished 15th, but Blaney's
points cushion held up and he gets the 16th playoff spot, the only one available to
a non-winner from 2022. Don't bet against him eventually winning and becoming a
playoff factor, by the way. So long from Daytona, until next time. 4:05 p.m.:
Green, green, green! Back to racing with 16 laps to go. 3:55 p.m.: Cars restarted,
rolling under yellow We were told 4:10, but it looks like they might go green a bit
sooner. What's left of the field just rolled off the grid and are following the
pace car. Should go green soon. Can we stay green? Hmmmm The red flag, by the way,
lasted three hours and 20 minutes. 3:30 p.m.: Drivers heading back to cars soon A
couple of hours ago, nobody saw this coming, but it's true. Word is, drivers are
heading back to their cars in the next 20 minutes or so. Story continues The skies
have cleared, the jet dryers have been jet-dryin', and those final 21 laps look
like they're gonna be a "go" very soon. As of now, 4:10 is looking like the time
they'll fire the engines. Stay tuned. 2:35 p.m.: Yep, still in holding pattern
Nothing to report yet at Daytona, where the red flag is still officially flying. An
hour ago, many of us assumed NASCAR was simply waiting until closer to 2 p.m. to
call it, because their sports-car series, IMSA, had a televised 2 p.m. race
starting at Virginia International Raceway. Drama from the rain delay would create
a nice runway to the IMSA event. But 2 p.m. came and went. Oh well. Ryan Blaney
will wait all day, of course. And night, if necessary. He's on the playoff outside
looking in as it stands now. 1:53 p.m.: How did Dillon get through that? Here's
another shot of the Big One that immediately preceded rain and the red flag. Look
at Austin Dillon and imagine trying to snake through that mess. Austin Dillon (No.
3) picks his way through the mess and toward the lead after the major crash in
Turns 1 and 2. 1 p.m: Still raining, still waiting, still praying (if you're Austin
Dillon) The cars are parked and covered. The jet dryers are slowly circling the
track. The drivers are tucked away in the "green room," waiting on what seems like
the inevitable. But you never know. Best case scenario, it stops, the rain clouds
disappear, and they take an hour or so to dry the track and resume. Austin Dillon's
No. 3 Chevy (bottom right) skated through this final crash and was leading when the
rain stopped the racing soon thereafter. 12:35 p.m.: Heavy rain, red flag, and
Austin Dillon is OK with all that The cars have pulled down the pit lane as heavy
rain settles in over the Speedway. Austin Dillon, who skated through the carnage of
the most recent mammoth wreck, found himself in the lead and doesn't care how he
got there. He'd suddenly be a playoff driver if the rain stays and the race is
ended early. Now, 21 laps remain, but it doesn't look good on the radar. Except for
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team. A (Really) Big One then
rain, with Austin Dillon leading A massive crash through Turns 1 and 2 seemingly
took out the entire front half of the field, except for Austin Dillon, who skated
through alone. And now the rains have come, 42 laps shy of the 160 prescribed for
the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Dillon might've just made the playoffs, depending on the
rain's persistence. The Big One! Lap 125 multi-car crash ignites on the front-
stretch Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon and Austin Dillon were among the
drivers caught up in a hard crash in front of the main grandstands. Joey Logano
holds the lead and now the teams have one eye on their fuel gauge and another on
the weather radar. This is the type of day when a big longshot can find himself in
the lead at the right time and walk away with the trophy after rain shortens the
race. Speaking of which, Justin Haley now leads after Logano pits. 'Trouble in Turn
2!' | Uh-oh,  Truex part of big crash on Lap 102 Lots of wrecking immediately
behind leader Joey Logano. Among those involved, heavily, was Martin Truex Jr. in
his No. 19 Toyota. Truex is a lock for the playoffs UNLESS a 2022 non-winner wins
this race. He limped his car to the pits and will hope to bandage it and stay
Things got hot in the pits Sunday, just ahead of Martin Truex's Toyota. 11:35 a.m.:
Kyle Busch leads through end of Stage 2 at Daytona Stage 2 has ended and we're
through 95 laps of the 160-lap Coke Zero Sugar 400. Kyle Busch led to the stripe,
followed by Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace. Of the
2022 non-winners looking to crash the playoffs, Todd Gilliland was leading the way,
in sixth place overall. 11:30 a.m.: If nothing else, we're official at Daytona!
We've sped past the halfway mark, which was Lap 80 of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at
Daytona. Regardless of whether or not the weather holds out through the Lap 160
finish, it's an official race. Nearing the end of Stage 2, with Tyler Reddick
looking strong while mixing it up with a bunch of the usual favorites. Caution on
Lap 31 at Daytona; Ryan Blaney damaged; Joey Logano wins Stage 1 It wasn't a Big
One, but it might have huge playoff implications. Ryan Blaney, holding on to a
playoff spot based on his points standing, was one of a few drivers wrecked in a
Lap 31 incident. Erik Jones had been trading the lead with Chase Elliott for a few
laps but lost speed in Turn 2, creating a chain reaction behind him that damaged
the cars of Blaney, Brad Keselowski and Christopher Bell. Blaney got back on track
but was a couple of laps down. If he ends the day behind Martin Truex Jr. on
points, he needs a 2022 repeat winner or else he's out of the playoffs. Shortly
after going back to green, the first stage ended after Lap 35 with Joey Logano up
front, followed by Elliott, Harrison Burton, Kyle Busch and Truex. Chase Elliott
and Kyle Larson led the field to the green flag. Before long, Larson was out of the
picture. Kyle Larson is out of the Coke Zero 400 Kyle Larson's Sunday at Daytona
hopes were dashed because of engine problems. 10:05 a.m.: Green flag at Daytona |
Hubba-hubba They're up to speed and turning official laps in the Coke Zero Sugar
400. Chase Elliott leads the field off the green. More details as warranted. 10
a.m.: We're rollin' at Daytona Engines have cranked, pre-race pace laps under way.
9:45 a.m.: Closing in on the starting command at Daytona Most folks are taking
their time getting back to their grandstand seats, and that always sets up on odd
situation. Driver introductions started at 9:20 and played out as if there's a full
house: Loud and proud, lots of pomp and circumstance. When the crowd is sparse, it
takes on the feel of a rehearsal. When the engines crank and the green falls, any
feel of "rehearsal" will be through the safety net and out the driver's-side
window. 9:20 a.m. | What happens to my Coke Zero Sugar 400 ticket if I can't go
Sunday? NASCAR officials last night sent out an email reminder that ticketholders
to races have the advantage of the "Weather Protection Plan" for regular grandstand
tickets. In the event of a rescheduled race, like Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400,
that was rain postponed even before the green flag dropped, fans may exchange
regular grandstand tickets that were not used on the new data for a future NASCAR
race, according to the release by Russel Branham of NASCAR communications. More
information is available at Daytona International Speedway's website. 8:50 a.m. |
If rain falls again, when would Coke Zero Sugar 400 become an official race? With
the Coke Zero Sugar 400 scheduled to crank to life at 10 a.m., a little math tells
us we should easily blow past the halfway mark — thereby making it an official race
— before any potential rain arrives, assuming the forecast holds. This race
generally lasts about three hours, give or take, depending on the number of 
cautions. So, careful out there, fellas, there's an angry cloud from the west
eyeballing Daytona Beach. If we get two full hours before potential trouble
arrives, we're gonna have us an official playoff field determined today, one way or
another. Which takes us back to that earlier reference to the Firecracker 250,
which the name of Daytona's summertime race from the 1959 inaugural until 1963,
when it was lengthened to 400 miles. Also, back then, the race began late morning,
so our whole "Back to the Future" vibe is strong. This article originally appeared
on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Live updates from Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR
race, results at Daytona

Tech Savvy: Coke helping farmers use data to improve yields

Sep. 3—Kahlan Coke has gone from helping raise chickens to guiding farmers about
how to use the latest agricultural technology. Coke, 24, is an integrated solutions
consultant for Wright Implement who grew up on her family's farm in West
Louisville. "At a young age, I was helping with the chicken houses and setting
tobacco by walking behind the tobacco setter," she said. "That's really where I got
started until I got older and could actually ride the setter myself." Coke said
those responsibilities gave her a greater appreciation for what it takes to raise
crops and livestock. "Having that background in ag, I didn't know what it was like
to grow up in town," she said. "So it was just natural to come home on the weekends
and work on the farm; it was just so enjoyable to be outside with nature, and I
feel like it established that work ethic in me from a young age." Coke further
immersed herself into agriculture by joining the FFA program at Apollo High School,
where she graduated from in 2017. "I really feel like I owe FFA a lot for who I am
today, along with the ag community," Coke said. "Mainly because doing things like
speech competitions really got me out of my comfort zone." And by the time she was
a senior at AHS, Coke knew she wanted to major in agriculture in college. She
earned her bachelor's degree in ag business from Western Kentucky University. Coke
said she didn't have a job after graduating from WKU and initially applied for an
open receptionist position at Wright Implement. She credited Bruce Westerfield, a
Wright Implement colleague, with bringing the integrated solutions consultant
position to her attention. "Being a smaller family farm, we did not have the newest
technologies growing up, but we did have some," said Coke, who began working as a
Wright Implement consultant in July 2021. Coke now helps farmers manage crop data
such as how to compare their seeding data to their harvest yields. Story continues
"It's showing them the value of how different varieties are performing and what
they can do with their practices to do better," she said. "It's more than selling
them a machine; it's working with them on this technology and showing them how
technology can improve their overall business." To retrieve the data, newer John
Deere tractors come equipped with an onboard modem called the JDLink system, which
is the connection via cell towers that enables automatic data flow between
connected machines and the owner's John Deere Operations Center account. Coke said
older tractors can be retrofitted with the system. And it's not uncommon, she said,
for her to bring her laptop into the fields and ride with the farmers while they're
planting or harvesting. "They're still go-go-go, but at the same time I'm helping
them run that data," she said. And although she's just starting out, Coke said she
couldn't imagine doing anything else. "One of the big things that led to an ag
career is that I wanted to give back to a community that has made me who I am
today," Coke said. Don Wilkins, dwilkins@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7299

75% of Coke Florida’s Manufacturing Facilities Are GreenCircle Certified

TAMPA, Fla., August 29, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC

(Coke Florida) announces that its Broward Manufacturing Facility has obtained
GreenCircle’s Zero Waste to Landfill certification. Coke Florida is the local
Florida bottler with exclusive sales and distribution in 47 counties across the
state. It operates manufacturing facilities in Tampa, Orlando, Broward (Hollywood),
and Jacksonville. The Broward certification moves the company to having 75% of its
manufacturing facilities holding a GreenCircle certification. The Tampa
manufacturing facility was the first location certified in 2019 followed by the
Orlando manufacturing facility in 2021 Coke Florida has demonstrated its commitment
to a sustainable future by reinforcing the efforts to reduce, reuse, recover, and
renew by making its packaging more sustainable, working to minimize water use, and
reduce its carbon footprint. "Coke Florida’s commitment to reducing waste is not
new," shared Erin Black, Vice President, Sustainability, Risk Management and
Facilities for Coke Florida. "In fact, the large majority of the waste produced at
Broward was already being recycled. GreenCircle’s comprehensive evaluation process
provides transparency that validates our commitment to a World Without Waste."
GreenCircle Certified, LLC was established to ensure specificity in third-party
certification after encountering many unsubstantiated claims in the marketplace.
GreenCircle's rigorous evaluation process provides independent verification that
claims of sustainable aspects of products and operations are valid. "We have been
certifying Coke Florida since 2019 and we commend their ongoing commitment to
transparency and continuous improvement," stated Michelle Bonanno, Director of
Operations at GreenCircle. "Coke Florida’s Broward Manufacturing facility is one of
three Coke Florida facilities that have achieved this milestone, in just three
years, making them a leader in their industry." Story continues GreenCircle’s Zero
Waste to Landfill certification evaluates all waste leaving the site, which
includes packaging and manufacturing waste generated before a product reaches
shelves. Coke Florida has also been committed to reducing pre-consumer waste. This
waste stream can make a much greater impact, in both volumes and varieties, than
most consumers realize. About Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC Coca-Cola Beverages
Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) is a family-owned Coca-Cola bottler. Coke Florida has
an exclusive sales and distribution territory that covers over 21 million consumers
across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of
Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Coke Florida markets, sells, manufactures,
distributes, and merchandises over 600 products of The Coca-Cola Company and other
partner companies. The company is the third largest privately held and the sixth
largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Coke Florida was founded in 2015
and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company is a Minority Business
Enterprise (MBE) certified company, the largest Black-owned business in Florida,
and one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States. In 2022, Coke
Florida was named a US Best Managed Company by Deloitte-Private and The Wall Street
Journal joining an elite group of private companies holding this designation. To
learn more, visit www.cocacolaflorida.com. About GreenCircle Certified GreenCircle
Certified was established in 2009 after our founders encountered many
unsubstantiated claims in the marketplace. GreenCircle is an internationally
recognized third-party certification entity whose thorough evaluation process
provides independent verification that sustainability claims related to an
organization's products and operations are honest, valid, and verified. GreenCircle
is ISO 17065 compliant, following industry requirements for bodies certifying
products, processes, and services. GreenCircle is recognized by the U.S. Federal
Government as a recommended Ecolabel for all federal purchasing, by the Association
of Plastic Recyclers (APR), and the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) as
a valid third-party certification entity. GreenCircle is also a certified WBENC
Woman-Owned business. In today's discerning market, third-party certification is a
valuable asset in establishing brand integrity and developing consumer confidence.
Learn more at http://www.greencirclecertified.com. View source version on
businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220829005397/en/
Contacts J. Katrinda McQueenVice-President, CommunicationsCoca-Cola Beverages
Florida, LLC813-557-9088Communications@cocacolaflorida.com Michelle BonannoDirector
of OperationsGreenCircle CertifiedMichelle@GreenCircleCertified.com