Saturday night was exactly what NASCAR envisioned when it moved the annual summertime race at the Daytona International Speedway to the final race of the regular season: A wide-open, highly competitive race to set the field for the NASCAR playoffs in thrilling fashion.
After taking the lead from Chris Buescher on an overtime restart, Ryan Blaney was able to hold off the pack to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, earning his third win of the season and his second in a row. The race ended under caution, as a massive accident entering Turn 3 on the final lap was triggered when an errant bump draft from Kurt Busch turned Daniel Suarez into Kevin Harvick, causing a field-clearing melee.
With no new winner, Tyler Reddick was able to secure the 16th and final spot in the NASCAR playoffs, making it through the accident on the last lap while Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon got collected.
1. #12 - Ryan Blaney
2. #23 - Bubba Wallace
3. #6 - Ryan Newman
4. #37 - Ryan Preece
5. #8 - Tyler Reddick
6. #77 - Justin Haley
7. #48 - Alex Bowman
8. #9 - Chase Elliott
9. #78 - B.J. McLeod
10. #52 - Josh Bilicki
A clear favorite to take the checkered flag failed to emerge throughout the night, as many drivers found the front of the field -- including a number of drivers who needed to win in order to make the playoffs, such as Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Corey LaJoie, Buescher and more. After avoiding a big crash that was triggered by Chase Elliott blocking Matt DiBenedetto trying to protect the lead, Buescher was in the lead on the final restart only for Blaney to take the top spot thanks to a push from the inside line.
For Blaney, getting the lead and then having to play defense was familiar territory, as the race to the finish mirrored what he experienced at Michigan last weekend. Blaney was able to hold the lead after runs by LaJoie and Kevin Harvick were foiled, and the final crash allowed him to drive off to the checkered flag.
As the race for the win unfolded, the race for the final spot in the playoffs on points took several dramatic turns late in the race for both Reddick and Dillon. First, Dillon received a pit road speeding penalty while pitting under caution, and then he began to experience electrical issues that forced his team to change the battery on his car. Meanwhile, Reddick suffered major nose damage driving through a crash on the backstretch, forcing his team to make major repairs and clean up oil that was causing smoke to billow from the back of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
Surviving the carnage allowed Reddick to make the playoffs, giving him a chance to race for a Cup Series championship in his second full-time season.
"My emotions were shot as soon as we took the green on the last green-white-checkered. I couldn't believe we finished seventh," Reddick told NBC Sports. "The getting through that last crash coming to the line, it was a lot. I'm not gonna lie.
"Going to Homestead and running for Xfinity Series championships were a lot of fun. Really exciting, really nerve-wracking. But what a rollercoaster it is to be on the bubble going into Daytona and run into the back of somebody and have all the issues we did at the end there. Almost felt helpless there, but we didn't give up and we fought through it."
Saturday night's race also determined the outcome of the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship, as Kyle Larson was able to take that title and the additional 15 playoff points it carries. Larson will begin the playoffs with a 28-point lead over Blaney and Martin Truex Jr.
Unofficially, this is the Top 10 based on who made it back to the start/finish line:
1. #12 - Ryan Blaney
2. #17 - Chris Buescher
3. #23 - Bubba Wallace
4. #6 - Ryan Newman
5. #37 - Ryan Preece
6. #77 - Justin Haley
7. #8 - Tyler Reddick
8. #48 - Alex Bowman
9. #9 - Chase Elliott
10. #78 - BJ McLeod
Kevin Harvick and Daniel Suarez get turned entering Turn 3 to spark a massive accident. That all happens behind Ryan Blaney, who drives home to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Tyler Reddick will take the 16th and final spot on the NASCAR Playoffs grid.
Buescher fighting back on the inside. White flag.
Ryan Blaney pushed well clear of Chris Buescher by Corey LaJoie. Blaney, LaJoie, Harvick.
Restart in NASCAR Overtime. Two laps for all the marbles, and to set the NASCAR Playoffs grid.
Chris Buescher has not won a race in five years. His only Cup win came as a rookie in 2016, when he was leading under a cycle of green flag stops when dense fog rolled in and ended a race at Pocono due to lack of visibility.
Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick have not won this season. Corey LaJoie, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Bubba Wallace have never won.
Austin Dillon's electrical gremlins are apparently still an issue despite the battery swap. There's going to be two laps - at least - to determine the Playoff fate of both him and Tyler Reddick.
Top 10 heading into Overtime:
1. #17 - Chris Buescher
2. #12 - Ryan Blaney
3. #7 - Corey LaJoie
4. #3 - Austin Dillon
5. #4 - Kevin Harvick
6. #42 - Ross Chastain
7. #5 - Kyle Larson
8. #99 - Daniel Suarez
9. #23 - Bubba Wwallace
10. #1 - Kurt Busch
If Chris Buescher is able to hold on and win, he would earn the 16th and final spot in the Playoffs.
Chris Buescher has taken the lead as a result of that fracas.
Involved in that crash were Chase Elliott, Matt DiBenedetto, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Preece, Cole Custer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, Kaz Grala, and more.
The Big One. Matt DiBenedetto got a huge push from Denny Hamlin, but Chase Elliott blocked him twice and sent both cars into the wall and a bunch behind them.
Joey Logano bottoms out with a tire failure, but saves it and is able to make it to pit road. Matt DiBenedetto pulls the crossover move on Chase Elliott for the lead.
