Winners and losers from an unbelievable NASCAR Cup race at Daytona

There have been 44 lead modifications between 19 totally different drivers at Daytona, and on the checkered flag, the whole prime 5 have been coated by lower than one tenth of a second. It was an unimaginable race, culminating with a four-wide picture end.  

Someway, there have been no new winners regardless of drivers going through a must-win scenario ending second by means of sixth. Ryan Blaney prevailed by simply 0.031s and earned his second win of the 12 months, making certain there have been no modifications within the remaining two playoff spots.

Check out the most important winners and losers from Daytona:

WINNER: Ryan Blaney’s new greatest pal Alex Bowman

Whereas Blaney captured the checkered flag, Bowman was the true winner at Daytona. After wrecking out on Lap 27, the Hendrick Motorsports driver may solely look on and hope one of many must-win drivers did not prevail in the long run. Nicely, his nightmare was turning into a actuality because the entrance of the sector was crammed with these must-win drivers within the closing laps. Bowman’s Hendrick teammates did what they may, shuffling drivers out of line, however in the long run, it wasn’t as much as them.

On the ultimate lap, it was Blaney who surged forward and claimed victory, ending simply forward of 5 must-win drivers!

It is no shock that in post-race interviews, Bowman mentioned he owes Blaney “seven million beers.”

LOSER: Jones and Preece are undone by preexisting loyalties 

Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Membership Toyota

Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photographs

Erik Jones and Ryan Preece positioned themselves completely to win at Daytona, however the circumstances across the remaining playoff spot led to their undoing. Kyle Larson was on a mission to forestall any new driver from profitable, shoving Jones out of the best way.

Preece, who had simply moved up in entrance of Jones earlier than the No. 43 obtained moved, now had Larson straight behind him. Unsurprisingly, he too obtained shuffled again, leaving him pissed off with what may have been.  

WINNER: The sector for preserving it clear and giving us a four-wide end

NASCAR Cup picture end with Ryan Blaney profitable

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs

Regardless of so many determined drivers on the entrance of the pack, everybody saved it clear in probably the most thrilling {and professional} finishes we have seen lately at Daytona. Nobody ran over one another, and whereas the blocks have been large, they weren’t reckless. And due to that, we obtained to witness the most effective Daytona finishes of the Subsequent Gen period.

LOSER: Joey Logano spins from the lead

Joey Logano spins from the lead, Crew Penske Ford

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

Logano someway escaped being on the epicenter of the race’s greatest wreck on Lap 27, and went on to steer a lot of the ultimate stage. Nonetheless, his shot on the win ended with simply over ten laps to go, spinning from the lead.

The race remained inexperienced, however No. 22 then took an fascinating path, driving out into the grass and inflicting a warning as a substitute of constant down pit highway.

WINNER: Kyle Busch can not seem to catch a break

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs

Busch has now missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons, and at Daytona, he did not even get an opportunity to combat for it. He was swept up within the Lap 27 pileup, and the two-time Cup champion has only one end increased than twentieth within the final 5 races.

To make it sting a bit extra, Busch will even have to look at as his teammate and Richmond winner Austin Dillon takes half within the playoffs.

LOSER: A fairytale misplaced for all these Blaney denied

Watch: Justin Haley: ‘Hurts’ to come back up simply quick at Daytona

0.031s for Suarez, 0.036s for Haley, 0.049s for Custer, 0.091s for Jones, and 0.106s for Buescher — that is how shut every of these drivers have been to profitable on Saturday evening.

All of them have been in a must-win scenario, however as a substitute completed second by means of sixth. For Suarez, it may have been an enormous second on the identical day Trackhouse confirmed Connor Zilisch as his alternative.

Then there’s Haley, whose personal future is in query. Custer and Jones would have been unimaginable upsets, and Buescher misses the playoffs but once more regardless of being prime ten in factors.

WINNER: Cody Ware robust evening, and his efforts to explode the playoffs

Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing Ford

Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photographs

Coming into Daytona, folks checked out Ware as probably the most excessive instance of the ‘win and also you’re in’ system. He’s lifeless final in factors amongst full-time drivers, has no prime tens this 12 months, and a shock victory for him would have been met with a number of controversy as he takes the ultimate playoff spot. That did not occur in the long run as Ware completed twentieth, however he definitely made some folks sweat.

Ware led 23 laps, and to place that achievement in perspective, he has led simply 11 laps in his earlier 131 profession begins mixed! 

LOSER: The three-car groups with no playoff presence

Chris Buescher, RFK Racing Ford; Cole Custer, Haas Manufacturing unit Crew

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

It hurts to overlook the playoffs, however it hurts much more when you will have three full-time automobiles within the NASCAR Cup Sequence, RFK Racing, Spire Motorsports, and Entrance Row Motorsports all went 0-3 of their effort to interrupt into the playoffs. It is much more painful for RFK, who had two drivers pretty excessive up in factors, however no wins to assist safe them a spot. 

WINNER: SVG leads some laps, secures ROTY

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs

Shane van Gisbergen continues to get extra snug at ovals, and he even led some laps at Daytona. He went on to complete sixteenth, and with Riley Herbst failing to make the playoffs, SVG formally locked up Rookie of the 12 months honors. He would be the first foreign-born driver to win ROTY since Juan Pablo Montoya did it in 2007, and with 16 factors over the cutline after the playoff reset, he has an actual likelihood to advance deep into the postseason.

LOSER: Chase Elliott loses three worthwhile bonus factors

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photographs

Elliott had a strong run at Daytona, however it wasn’t sufficient to guard his place because the runner-up within the common season standings. Elliott fell to fourth, and that issues: NASCAR awards bonus factors for the top-ten factors finishers within the common season.

That change in place value Elliott three bonus factors, which may turn into essential later within the championship combat to come back.