Ryan Preece just pulled off an insane overtime victory at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, seizing the 16th and final playoff berth for the NASCAR Cup Series postseason! Talk about making a statement in the final regular-season race, right?
Daytona Trauma Erased in One Epic Finish
Seriously, Daytona has been a house of horrors for Preece. He’s flipped cars there twice, once last year during the Daytona 500 and then again in 2023 at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. That’s some serious trauma at NASCAR’s iconic home track. But Saturday night, driving the No. 60 Kroger/OIKOS Ford, Preece didn’t just survive the mayhem, he owned it. On the final lap, leader Zane Smith got bumped and spun into other cars, and Preece navigated his car perfectly to the front, taking the checkered flag under caution. What a turnaround, dodging everything that used to get him.
“We’re Fighters” and Ready for the Chase
This win wasn’t just a race victory, it was a playoff ticket. Preece leap-frogged Shane van Gisbergen in the standings to snatch that final spot. You gotta love his fire, too. Preece told the Associated Press, “This is redemption. Those guys, that 60 [car], we’re fighters. When you put our back against the wall, we swing hard.” This victory is his first ever in a Cup points race, which makes it even crazier for the 35-year-old who has been racing on the NASCAR Cup Series since 2015. His Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team now has two cars in the playoffs, with Chris Buescher securing the other spot.
So, what’s next? The 16-driver playoff series kicks off this Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Preece now joins Middletown native and former Cup champion Joey Logano in the chase for the championship. After facing down his demons at Daytona, can Preece carry this momentum and surprise everyone in the postseason? You know he’s going to swing hard.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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