Blaney takes the victory at Daytona International Speedway, Reddick clinches a playoff spot, and Larson wins the regular-season championship.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –  The Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway unfolded as billed with dramatic action all Saturday night that included 45 lead changes, a 14-minute Red Flag period, and a wild final lap of overtime to decide the championship playoff picture.

Blaney Takes the Victory at Daytona

Ultimately, Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney managed it all and took his second NASCAR Cup Series victory in as many weeks as a huge multi-car accident happened behind him in the last corners of the track on the final lap.

Blaney’s No. 12 Team Penske Ford led only seven of the 165 laps, but the 27-year-old North Carolinian took the lead from fellow Ford driver Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher for the two laps of overtime to claim his third win of the season and seventh of his career.

“How about that,” Blaney said. “That was a lot of fun. Gosh, we just barely missed that wreck. Got to line up on the front row and got a good push by the 7 (Corey LaJoie). You never know how the end of these things is going to play out. Down the back, you don’t know what lane is getting a bigger run. I guess someone got tangled up over there, hopefully, everyone is okay.”

LaJoie was one of the drivers who was collected in that nine-car crash in the third turn on the final lap. He was one of four drivers – including Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez – running among the top ten on the final restart and needing a victory to qualify for the Playoffs. Instead, all four of them were unfortunately involved in the final incident that eliminated much of the front-running pack.

Reddick Clinches a Playoff Spot

Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick earned the 16th and final playoff position with a fifth-place finish in a close and suspenseful battle with his own teammate Austin Dillon.

Larson Wins the Regular-Season Championship

Kyle Larson, who has a series-best five wins on the season, clinched his first NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship with a 21st-place finish. Both he and Denny Hamlin were in the last lap wreck. Hamlin, who has led the points standings for all but three of the previous 25 race weekends, finished 14th.

The 2021 Playoff Drivers

Blaney’s Daytona wins caps an impressive summer run that is good enough to move him into second place in the Playoff standings – 28 behind Larson – heading into next week’s Playoff opener at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch are ranked third and fourth in the Playoff re-set, followed by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, Hamlin and William Byron. Joey Logano, who led a race-best 37 laps Saturday but finished 24th, is seeded ninth, followed by his Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Christopher Bell, this year’s Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, Reddick, and Kevin Harvick.

“Got good momentum,” Blaney said smiling. “Nice to make it three in a row. We’ll see.”

The Best of the Rest

Bubba Wallace, who led eight laps late in the race, finished second – his best result of the 2021 season. Ryan Newman, Ryan Preece, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top-five; a season-best for Newman and Preece as well.

Haley was sixth, followed by Alex Bowman, who won the Xfinity Series race earlier in the afternoon. Chase Elliott, B.J. McLeod, and Josh Bilicki rounded out the top ten. It was McLeod’s first top-ten finish in 76 NASCAR Cup Series starts.

The Playoffs Begin at Darlington

The ten-race elimination-style NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs begin with next Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (6 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Kevin Harvick is the defending race winner. Martin Truex Jr. won at Darlington this spring.

  1. (6)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 165.

  2. (20)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 165.

  3. (23)  Ryan Newman, Ford, 165.

  4. (24)  Ryan Preece, Chevrolet, 165.

  5. (17)  Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 165.

  6. (28)  Justin Haley(i), Chevrolet, 165.

  7. (15)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 165.

  8. (5)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 165.

  9. (30)  BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 165.

  10. (36)  Josh Bilicki, Ford, 165.

  11. (21)  Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 165.

  12. (8)  Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 165.

  13. (3)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 165.

  14. (19)  Aric Almirola, Ford, 165.

  15. (11)  Kevin Harvick, Ford, 165.

  16. (33)  Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

  17. (27)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

  18. (29)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

  19. (26)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

  20. (1)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Accident, 164.

  21. (16)  Chase Briscoe #, Ford, Accident, 164.

  22. (12)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 164.

  23. (22)  Joey Logano, Ford, 164.

  24. (25)  Cole Custer, Ford, 164.

  25. (9)  Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 164.

  26. (32)  Anthony Alfredo #, Ford, 163.

  27. (40)  David Starr(i), Ford, 163.

  28. (31)  Cody Ware(i), Chevrolet, 163.

  29. (7)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 163.

  30. (34)  Garrett Smithley(i), Chevrolet, 163.

  31. (37)  Joey Gase(i), Ford, 162.

  32. (14)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 157.

  33. (10)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, Accident, 156.

  34. (4)  Kyle Busch, Toyota, Accident, 156.

  35. (38)  Kaz Grala(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 156.

  36. (39)  Landon Cassill(i), Toyota, Accident, 146.

  37. (2)  William Byron, Chevrolet, Accident, 146.

  38. (35)  Quin Houff, Chevrolet, 136.

  39. (18)  Michael McDowell, Ford, Engine, 23.

  40. (13)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 165.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400 Stats

Average Speed of Race Winner:  142.201 mph.

Time of Race:  Two Hrs, 54 Mins, Three Secs. The Margin of Victory:  Under Caution Seconds.

Caution Flags:  Eight for 31 laps.

Lead Changes:  45 among 15 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   K. Larson 0; W. Byron 1-6; K. Harvick 7-8; W. Byron 9;D. Hamlin 10-13; W. Byron 14-15;D. Hamlin 16; W. Byron 17; A. Dillon 18-19; C. Elliott 20-41; J. Logano 42-43; C. Elliott 44-52;R. Newman 53; C. Elliott 54-55;M. Truex Jr. 56; C. LaJoie 57; M. Truex Jr. 58-69; C. Bell 70-76; J. Logano 77-94; R. Blaney 95-96; J. Logano 97-101; A. Dillon 102; R. Newman 103; W. Byron 104-105;D. Hamlin 106-107; K. Harvick 108; C. Elliott 109; K. Harvick 110; J. Logano 111; R. Chastain 112-113; R. Blaney 114-116; R. Chastain 117-123; B. Wallace 124; R. Chastain 125-126; B. Wallace 127-128; R. Chastain 129; B. Wallace 130; R. Chastain 131-132; B. Wallace 133-136; K. Busch 137-141; C. Bell 142; J. Logano 143-153; C. Buescher 154; C. Elliott 155-156;C. Buescher 157-163; R. Blaney 164-165.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Joey Logano five times for 37 laps; Chase Elliott five times for 36 laps; Ross Chastain five times for 14 laps; Martin Truex Jr. two times for 13 laps; William Byron five times for 12 laps; Christopher Bell two times for eight laps; Bubba Wallace four times for eight laps; Chris Buescher two times for eight laps; Denny Hamlin three times for seven laps; Ryan Blaney three times for seven laps; Kyle Busch one time for five laps; Kevin Harvick three times for four laps; Austin Dillon two times for three laps; Ryan Newman two times for two laps; Corey LaJoie one time for one lap.

Stage 1 Top-Ten: 9,11,18,42,19,3,7,22,37,20

Stage 2 Top-Ten: 22,3,24,8,5,12,47,18,23,20