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By MARK LONG
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — For all of the potential outcomes that would have occurred at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Saturday night time, the NASCAR Cup Collection regular-season finale was considerably predictable.
Ryan Blaney ended up in victory lane for the second straight week. Kyle Larson, probably the most dominant driver all 12 months, took residence the regular-season trophy. Tyler Reddick ended up with the sixteenth and remaining playoff spot. And the race resulted in extra time with a fiery crash that concerned almost half the sector.
“It’s Daytona. For me, it was no totally different than every other race right here,” stated 2017 sequence champion Martin Truex Jr., who completed thirtieth. “I’m glad we’re achieved; I’m glad we’re out of right here.”
He was hardly alone. Drivers ripped the revamped aerodynamics bundle and bemoaned the standard aggressive driving that prompted three wrecks within the remaining 20 laps.
Reddick bought caught up within the first one however rebounded to complete sixth. He wanted solely to beat Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon and hope for a repeat winner to earn his first playoff berth.
Reddick and Dillon have been each in rivalry to make a determined, last-gasp push for the win within the two-lap extra time dash to the end. However Blaney, who was second on the restart, cleared site visitors thanks partly to a bump from Corey LaJoie and was effectively forward of the pack when a crash ended the race.
Daniel Suarez, one in all 10 drivers within the entrance pack attempting to win the race to earn the automated playoff berth, turned Kevin Harvick to set off the multi-car melee. Suarez appeared to be pushed into Harvick from behind by Kurt Busch.
Blaney, the winner in Michigan final week, heads into subsequent week’s playoff opener at Darlington Raceway with three victories this season in his Workforce Penske Ford.
“Yeah, we’ve bought good momentum,” Blaney stated. “We’d wish to make it three in a row, we’ll see.”
The regular-season finale had pretty low stakes since 15 of the 16 playoff slots have been claimed beforehand. It meant solely a first-time race winner might edge Reddick or Dillon for the ultimate spot.
Neither had a clean night time: Reddick’s automotive suffered crash injury in an earlier incident and Dillon was first flagged for dashing on pit highway and in addition battled voltage points in his Chevrolet.
“I don’t know the right way to smile at this level. It was loads tonight,” Reddick stated. “I’m excited to be previous it.”
Dillon had nonetheless rallied to fourth on the ultimate restart however was collected within the race-ending crash.
“We gave all of it we might and fought till the tip,” Dillon stated. “We’ll end laborious this 12 months and construct on subsequent 12 months.”
The one different competitors at Daytona was for the regular-season title, which went to Larson, a five-time winner this season. The race for the regular-season championship and its playoff factors was between Larson and Denny Hamlin, who entered Daytona trailing Larson by 28 factors.
Hamlin held the regular-season lead for 22 weeks till Larson claimed it two races in the past at Indianapolis. Larson overcame a 166-point deficit to Hamlin to earn the title.
“What an superior 12 months he’s had,” stated staff proprietor Rick Hendrick, who gave Larson a job this season after he missed most of 2020 whereas suspended for utilizing a racial slur.
Chris Buescher completed second, one spot in need of incomes the automated berth into the playoffs he was in search of. However it was a 1-2 end for Ford.
“To overlook that playoff spot by one spot, that’s a troublesome ending to a day,” Buescher stated. “I’m certain I’ll play it again and discover one thing else totally different.”
Bubba Wallace was a season-best third however annoyed he had no assist from any Toyotas on the finish of the race. Hamlin, his staff proprietor at 23XI Racing, was the closest Toyota driver to Wallace on the end — method again in 14th.
“I’m a bit of annoyed, I’m the one who will get referred to as out for not working with teammates and I’m the one which will get left hanging,” Wallace stated. “There’s a purpose why Ford’s in victory lane, trigger they at all times work collectively.”
MCDOWELL’S MISS
Michael McDowell completed first and final in two superspeedway races at Daytona this season.
The shock Daytona 500 winner blew an engine beneath warning Saturday and was achieved after 23 laps. McDowell clinched a spot within the playoffs along with his Daytona 500 victory so the early exit didn’t have an effect on his playoff probabilities.
However McDowell has no momentum after ending twentieth or worse for the seventh consecutive race.
OVERDUE OVERTURE
NASCAR offered Wendell Scott’s household a customized trophy commemorating his historic 1963 victory earlier than the race. Scott is the one Black driver to win a race at NASCAR’s high stage.
Scott handed Richard Petty with 25 laps remaining at Speedway Park in Jacksonville on Dec. 1, 1963. However Buck Baker, who really completed second, was declared the winner of the Jacksonville 200 and obtained the trophy in victory lane.
Race officers found hours later that Scott was the precise winner and had lapped your entire area twice. However he was not credited with the victory for an additional two years, and his household has lengthy pushed for a correct celebration.
NASCAR obliged on the eve of what would have been Scott’s a centesimal birthday.
OLYMPIC FLAIR
Olympic bronze medalist Noah Lyles served because the race’s grand marshal and demanded extra from the group.
Lyles, the 200-meter favourite who settled for third in Tokyo, requested followers for a louder response after his first try drew a lackluster effort. “That’s what I’m speaking about,” he stated earlier than giving the command for drivers to start out their engines.
Lyles was sporting his medal earlier than the race and mingling with driver Bubba Wallace on the grid. Wallace bought an up-close have a look at the medal. Lyles made headlines in Japan for his emotional breakdown following the 200-meter remaining.
UP NEXT
The playoffs start subsequent Sunday at Darlington Raceway, which not too long ago repaved a bit in Flip 2 that would change the way in which the monitor races. Kevin Harvick is the defending race winner and Martin Truex Jr. gained on the South Carolina monitor in Might.
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