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26m ago

Ryan Blaney’s Daytona Win Locks Playoffs, Elevates Him to Prime Contender

The victory set the 16-driver field by preserving Alex Bowman’s final berth ahead of the Darlington opener.

Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, crosses the start finish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 23, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson, front, and William Byron, center, enter the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with the most points.
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#12: Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang and #48: Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally Chevrolet

Overview

  • Blaney clinched the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in a four-wide finish after charging from 13th to the lead over the final two laps at Daytona on Aug. 23.
  • He enters the postseason seeded fourth with six straight top-10s, trailing Denny Hamlin by three points and co-leaders Kyle Larson and William Byron by six.
  • Hendrick Motorsports qualified all four drivers, with Bowman advancing on points despite a Lap 27 crash that ended his night.
  • NASCAR confirmed 14 race winners are locked into the playoffs, with Tyler Reddick and Bowman filling the final two spots on points; the playoffs begin Aug. 31 at Darlington.
  • Legacy Motor Club lost control of the race when John Hunter Nemechek was penalized for removing pit equipment after a fuel-can mishap, dropping him to the tail before finishing 17th as teammate Erik Jones took fifth.