Ryan Preece Wins at Daytona to Clinch NASCAR Cup Series Chase Spot

A Wild Daytona Night and a Race-Winning Comeback

Driving the No. 60 entry for RFK Racing, Preece triumphed under caution after navigating a turbulent evening that included a major spin through the grass in Turn 1, according to reports. Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, Preece stated I’m just speechless right now, while adding that when you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. The chaotic superspeedway action was evident from the start. On the final lap of Stage 1, Chris Buescher was collected in a multi-car incident initiated when Kyle Larson made contact, sending Buescher into the outside wall and nearly airborne in the infield grass. Despite being caught up in the initial melee, Preece managed to straighten his car out and rapidly rejoin the front-runners.

Daytona Race Results and Chase Grid Implications

When the checkered flag fell under caution, Preece crossed ahead of Daniel Suarez and Tyler Reddick to lock up his playoff berth, eliminating Shane van Gisbergen from Chase contention in what was described as a stunning upset. Unofficially, the top five at Daytona featured Preece, Suarez, Reddick, Michael McDowell, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., followed by Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Josh Berry, Cole Custer, and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top ten. Stage racing at Daytona provided intense battles throughout the field. Pole-sitter Ross Chastain led the initial laps before Van Gisbergen claimed victory in Stage 1—marking his first-ever oval stage win—while Ryan Blaney captured the checkered flag in Stage 2 with Preece closely in tow.

Building Toward Victory at RFK Racing

The breakthrough win marks a monumental career milestone for Preece, who previously raced for Stewart-Haas Racing before joining RFK Racing. During his tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024, Preece recorded a career-high number of top-10 and top-15 finishes across various track types. With his Daytona triumph, Preece now transitions from fighting on the playoff bubble to competing directly for the championship in the 2026 Chase grid. Preece praised the preparation of his team after the race, noting, It’s a testament of how prepared these race cars are, man. I’m a racer. I know what it takes to build speed. So every man and woman at RFK, thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I could go to the moon tonight.