Ryan Preece captured the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, earning the 16th and final playoff berth in overtime following a dramatic finish. Preece, who had experienced two significant crashes at the track in recent years, moved to the front when leader Zane Smith was bumped and collided with other vehicles on the final lap. The victory came down to a green-white-checkered finish, with Preece narrowly defeating Shane van Gisbergen to claim the last available spot in the Chase for the championship. The win also secured a second playoff berth for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, as Chris Buescher had already qualified.
Preece’s triumph completed a competitive night for the final playoff positions. Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric locked up two of the three available spots, with Wallace securing his berth through a seventh-place finish in the opening stage and Cindric advancing with a sixth-place result. Van Gisbergen, who won twice during the regular season, finished 27th after pitting during the final caution for fresh tires and fell short of making the postseason field under NASCAR’s new format that emphasizes season-long consistency over individual race victories.
Daniel Suarez completed the top finishers with a second-place result, followed by Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The 10-race Chase for the championship is scheduled to begin next at Darlington Raceway. Additionally, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson unveiled the paint scheme for his final Cup Series start, set for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21, 2027, featuring a design incorporating his primary sponsors from his record-setting career.
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