Ryan Blaney started on the pole for Saturday evening’s NASCAR 2025 regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Blaney kept his fast No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang out front most of the first stage, dodging massive 11-car wreck on Lap 28 triggered by Bubba Wallace.
Among those collected and eliminated in the huge melee on the Daytona tri-oval were NASCAR Playoff hopeful Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Austin Cindric, Wallace and Riley Herbst. After a lengthy red flag for track clean-up, Kyle Larson took the stage win getting around Blaney on the final lap of the stage.
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Ross Chastain took the relatively calm second stage win setting up the dramatic final stage Daytona dash in the 2025 season final heading to the first round of the 2025 NASCAR playoffs at Darlington next weekend.
Much of the final stage was dominated by three-time NASCAR champion Joey Logano. Logano’s fast No. 22 Team Penske Ford single handedly held off the field until he spun off the nose of Eric Jones. Logano managed to save his machine, but lost a lap getting restarted.
With Logano a lap down, a thrilling 8-lap shootout ensued with numerous drivers taking the lead in a furious battle at the head of the ever-changing pack.
Pole sitter Blaney, who started near the rear of the pack after topping off with fuel, methodically worked his way through the wild scramble at the front of the pack. Blaney, who was 13th with only two laps to go, made an incredible charge through the field.
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On the last lap, Blaney went to the outside and surged to the front coming off the final corner. In a dramatic 4-car charge to the checkered flag, Blaney passed race leader Cole Custer and blocked the charge of Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley to win a thrilling Daytona victory by a half-car length.
After a massive victory burnout on the Daytona starting line, an elated Blaney emerged from winning No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang saying, “What a wild couple of last laps! We just couldn’t really get there until the last second. I was with Cole (Custer). I kind of asked him, if you go to top, l’m going with you. When Haley and Custer got racing, I was able to clear on the top and just barely hold on for the win. It’s cool to win here again.”
Suarez finished second followed by Haley in third. Custer and Eric Jones rounded out the top five.
Ironically, Blaney’s victory in the Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400 elevated Alex Bowman, who had been wrecked out in the massive stage one accident, into the 16-driver field competing 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The 10-race chase to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title begins next weekend at Darlington Raceway.