Reigning NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney clinches Stage 2 win at Daytona 500

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney emerged victorious in an all-green second stage of the Daytona 500.

The Team Penske driver's triumph came as he deftly maneuvered past teammate Austin Cindric on the final lap, seizing the lead and clinching a crucial stage win. Blaney's path to victory was not without its challenges as he encountered frustrations earlier when he found himself unable to pit alongside fellow Ford drivers due to being caught in the outside draft.

Despite the setback, Blaney persisted, eventually making his pit stop alongside the Chevrolet contingent on lap 115. However, thanks to impressive pace and strategic prowess, Ryan Blaney and his pack emerged unscathed, maintaining their position at the forefront of the field.

The lone caution of the race occurred early on lap 5, resulting from an incident that saw Austin Dillon, Kaz Grala, Carson Hocevar, and Harrison Burton sidelined.

Here is the list of the top 10 drivers at the end of Stage 2:

1. Ryan Blaney

2. Austin Cindric

3. Daniel Suárez

4. Kyle Busch

5. Tyler Reddick

6. William Byron

7. Bubba Wallace

8. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

9. AJ Allmendinger

10. Chris Buescher

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Chase Elliott wins Daytona 500 Stage 1

In the first stage, Chase Elliott secured the win, edging out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson at the line. A contact from Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain helped the 28-year-old get past his teammate.

In a display of Hendrick Motorsports domination, four out of the top 5 belonged to the same outfit. With Chastain at third, the Trackhouse Racing driver was followed by Alex Bowman and William Byron respectively.

Meanwhile, Chevrolet drivers emerged as the dominant performers in the first stage, securing the top six spots on the leaderboard.

Below is the list of the top 10 Stage 1 drivers' finishing order:

1. Chase Elliott

2. Kyle Larson

3. Ross Chastain

4. Alex Bowman

5. William Byron

6. Kyle Busch

7. Denny Hamlin

8. Bubba Wallace

9. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Daniel Suarez