“Win and in” still works even in the Chase era.
Ryan Preece scored the first NASCAR Cup Series points victory of his career, triumping in overtime with a last-lap pass at Daytona International Speedway while also wrapping up the 16th and final spot in the Chase.
The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver won in his 249th Cup start by snatching the lead from Zane Smith, who spun from first off contact with Tyler Reddick. The incident was part of a 14-car crash as the race ended under yellow.
Preece’s No. 60 Ford led only five laps but was on the right side of the track-record fifth consecutive Cup race at Daytona to end with a last-lap pass.
Overtime decides Cup Series regular-season finale
Watch the overtime finish to the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
“I’m just speechless right now,” Preece told Marty Snider on NBC. “But those guys, that 60 group, we’re fighters. When you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. So thank you to RFK, Jack Roush, the Fenway Group. Brad Keselowski. Last year, there were a lot of keyboard warriors saying I was nothing. Well, we just kicked their butts tonight.
“It’s a testament of how prepared these race cars are, man. I’m a racer. I know what it takes to build speed. So every man and woman at RFK, thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I could go to the moon tonight.”
Daniel Suarez finished second, followed by Tyler Reddick, Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing driver made the Chase with his first career victory in the Cup Series.
Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Josh Berry and Cole Custer rounded out the top 10.
Bubba Wallace and Cindric joined Preece in clinching the final three spots in the Chase, the 10-race championship run that will begin Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway.
The 16-driver field was set entirely by points, replacing the elimination playoffs of 2014-25 that had a “win and in” format that tied championship-eligible berths to victories.
Here are the 16 drivers who will compete for a championship over the final 10 races of the season.
Even though he didn’t automatically make the Chase with his victory, Preece still needed every point he earned to become the 25th first-time winner at Daytona and the fifth in the past nine summer races on the 2.5-mile oval.
Shane van Gisbergen, who had a 31-point lead on Preece entering the race, was knocked out with a 28th-place finish despite winning the first stage.
Preece made up the deficit by earning points twice during the race with an eighth in Stage 1 and a second in Stage 2. He outscored van Gisbergen by 48 points in the race, making the Chase with a 17-point cushion.
Hocevar goes for wild ride late in Stage 3
Carson Hocevar loses the handle and snaps up the race track, collecting Erik Jones, Ty Gibbs, and significant damage after a nasty hit.
“Congrats to (Preece),” van Gisbergen said. “One night night doesn’t sum up our year. I guess we haven’t been good enough. It’s been cool to be close, but yeah, shame we’re not in it. … I’m proud that I’ve been able to match my teammates on the ovals. I think I’ve stepped up this year, but you want to be in that Chase. Didn’t make it. “
Preece also won The Clash exhibition race at Bowman-Gray Stadium in February. The 35-year-old became the fourth first-time winner this year after a trio of 23-year-olds (Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim) visited victory lane in the first half of the season.
He suffered one of the wildest wrecks in Daytona history three years ago, racing at Darlington the next week with two black eyes. After another violent wreck in the 2025 Daytona 500, he said he was “lucky to walk away.”
“This is redemption,” Preece said. “I’m just glad that Daytona decided to love me the way I loved it.”
RFK cars, Larson go for a slide to end Stage 1
Trouble at the front of the field sees Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, and Kyle Larson go for a slide coming to the end of Stage 1, with Shane van Gisbergen taking a decisive green-and-white checkered at Daytona.