Ryan Preece wins at Daytona to take the final playoff spot in NASCAR’s Cup Series
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Known for two violent wrecks at Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece experienced a much different ride at NASCAR’s hometown track Saturday night: a…
Daytona Beach, Florida (AP) — Ryan Preece, known for two violent crashes at Daytona International Speedway, secured victory in NASCAR's Cup Series regular-season finale on Saturday night, claiming the final playoff spot for his Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team. The race concluded in overtime, with Preece passing Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final berth in the postseason finale.
Preece capitalized on a green-white-checkered finish when leader Zane Smith got bumped, spun, and collided with other vehicles on the last lap. Preece crossed the checkered flag under caution, edging out van Gisbergen for the championship spot. The win solidified a "redemption" for Preece, who had previously crashed cars during the 2023 and 2025 Daytona races.
Preece's victory allowed Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing to secure two of the final 16-driver Chase for the championship spots. Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace also advanced, while Austin Cindric locked up the remaining two available playoff positions.
Van Gisbergen, despite winning twice during the regular season, finished 27th after pitting during the final caution and losing four tires. He expressed disappointment at missing the playoffs under NASCAR's new format, which places greater emphasis on season-long results.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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