How Ryan Blaney shut the door on underdog dreams at Daytona

As the sun set below the horizon on August 23, 2025, the intensity of the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona reached immense heights, where Ryan Blaney somehow managed to clinch the race victory during the very last lap of the race.

Nearly 20 drivers were scrambling for their postseason qualification, each chasing that one golden key: a win. But when the checkered flag fell, it was Blaney, already safely in the playoffs, emerging victorious, dashing the hopes of multiple underdogs in breathtaking fashion.

In the electric eight-lap sprint to the finish, Erik Jones and Justin Haley traded the lead like heavyweight fighters in the ring. Kyle Larson muscled his way up with five laps to go. Cole Custer found himself in prime position at the white flag, powered by a shove from Blaney, and seemed on the verge of glory. Justin Haley fought through backstretch pressure while Custer tried to hold his ground, but then Blaney sliced through.

"Haley blocked the top, which he should have, and then he blocked Cole all the way down, and now I’m like, ‘well, I’m leading the top now,’ and Daniel gave me a good push and was able to kind of play the middle top lane to sneak it out," Ryan Blaney said via Jayski

The finish was extremely close, with Daniel Suarez just .031 seconds behind Blaney, and the top four separated by a margin of .049 seconds, the tightest top four in Cup history.

For Cole Custer, Daniel Suárez, and Justin Haley, each had their Cinderella moment vanish in the blink of an eye. These drivers went into the race as underdogs, hoping for a breakthrough. Alex Bowman, who crashed early, ended up clinching the final playoff spot, thanks to Blaney's win.

Ryan Blaney praises the grid for racing sensibly during the regular season finale at Daytona

Ryan Blaney clinched his second victory in the Cup Series this season with his recent win at Daytona. During the tense regular-season finale, the race somehow ran without any major wreck or overtime delay, even during the intense closing laps of the race, apart from the one that happened early on in the race involving multiple cars, like Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Kyle Busch.

Blaney appreciated the clean and sensible racing, talking to the media post the race on Sunday.

"I thought they raced me, they raced really smart and well, and didn’t throw their cars in any foolish situations. I thought everyone did a great job of just having a great race, but also keeping it clean as well. So, I think props to everybody.” Ryan Blaney said via the Sports Rush

Multiple drivers had the chance to clinch victory during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 race and seal their playoff spot, but none of them could match the speed of Blaney's No.12 Ford in the end. The drivers now prepare themselves for the NASCAR playoffs starting from next weekend at Darlington.