Ryan Preece won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in overtime, beating Daniel Suárez and Tyler Reddick while securing his NASCAR Chase berth.
Preece delivers in Daytona overtime
Ryan Preece captured the 2026 Coke Zero Sugar 400 in overtime at Daytona International Speedway, turning NASCAR Cup Series round 26 into a Chase-clinching win for RFK Racing.
Daniel Suárez placed second for Spire Motorsports, and Tyler Reddick finished third for 23XI Racing. Three different organizations filled the podium in Daytona Beach.
Late crash decides the race
The deciding moment came on the final lap. Contact involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney set off a multi-car crash behind Preece.
Several drivers were caught in the wreck. Smith took multiple hits during the incident, while Dye's car went airborne. Preece avoided the chaos and was confirmed as the overtime winner.
Survival shapes the podium
Track position and survival dictated the finish.
Preece had worked his way to the front before the last-lap crash froze the result. Suárez came through in second place for Spire, while Reddick claimed the final podium spot for 23XI after drafting and late-race attrition shaped the finish.
Carson Hocevar made a late bid for the win, but it didn't deliver the outcome he wanted. Blaney blamed Stenhouse for triggering the final-lap wreck, although Denny Hamlin later defended Stenhouse's part in the incident.
Victory changes the title picture
The win had immediate championship implications. Daytona marked the regular-season finale, and Preece's victory put him among the 16 drivers advancing to NASCAR's 2026 Chase.
Preece now moves into the 10-race title run, which starts at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. The Chase will decide who raises the Bill France Cup at Homestead-Miami Speedway in mid-November.
Darlington comes next
Preece and RFK Racing head to Darlington with their championship campaign intact, while the full 16-driver field shifts its attention from Daytona's drafting battle to the first race of the Chase.
