Ryan Blaney emerged victorious in a chaotic, action-packed night at Daytona International Speedway, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race by just 0.031 seconds in one of the closest finishes of the season.
The Team Penske driver, who started from the pole, capped off a thrilling final-lap battle that saw multiple lead changes and dramatic crashes as the field thundered toward the checkered flag. Blaney, who led 27 laps on the night, charged off Turn 4 and edged out the competition at the finish line, surviving the melee behind him that collected Chris Buescher and Cole Custer after the stripe.
The race was defined by intensity from the drop of the green flag. Blaney, Joey Logano, and Denny Hamlin set the early tone, with Blaney controlling the opening six laps. The field quickly shuffled, however, as Daniel Suárez, Ross Chastain, and William Byron mixed into the fray before a multi-car crash on Lap 27 sent Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and several others into trouble. In total, the event saw 44 lead changes among 19 different drivers and eight cautions for 39 laps.
Stage racing produced even more drama, with Kyle Larson winning Stage 1 after battling Blaney and Chastain, while Ross Chastain claimed Stage 2 by outdueling Christopher Bell and Logano. Strategy played a major role as well, with pit cycles constantly shuffling the order and forcing teams to adapt late into the evening.
Down the stretch, it was anyone’s race. Ryan Preece, Justin Haley, Larson, and Erik Jones all traded blows inside the final 10 laps. With four laps remaining, Preece clung to a slim lead in the No. 60 Ford, but Haley and Custer surged forward, setting up the frantic three-wide battle that opened the door for Blaney. Coming to the line, Haley tried to block Custer’s run, but Blaney swept past both with perfect timing to seal the win.
The victory delivered 52 points to Blaney and added another superspeedway triumph to his résumé. His consistency all night—spending 113 laps inside the top 10—proved pivotal as others faltered.
The win at Daytona not only secures Blaney’s place in the playoffs but also underscores his knack for rising in high-pressure superspeedway scenarios. With the postseason approaching, momentum is firmly in Team Penske’s corner.
The NASCAR Cup Series now shifts to Darlington Raceway on August 30, where the Southern 500 will test drivers on one of the most challenging tracks on the circuit.
Daytona International Speedway Cup Series Results
August 23, 2025
|
POSITION
|
START
|
LED
|
BEHIND
|
PTS
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
R. Blaney #12
|
1
|
27
|
Winner
|
52
|
|
2 |
D. Suárez #99
|
12
|
6
|
0.031
|
35
|
|
3 |
J. Haley #7
|
37
|
2
|
0.036
|
40
|
|
4 |
C. Custer #41
|
29
|
7
|
0.049
|
33
|
|
5 |
E. Jones #43
|
26
|
10
|
0.091
|
32
|
|
6 |
K. Larson #5
|
3
|
3
|
0.105
|
42
|
|
7 |
C. Buescher #17
|
24
|
0
|
0.106
|
30
|
|
8 |
T. Gibbs #54
|
18
|
0
|
0.160
|
31
|
|
9 |
J. Berry #21
|
11
|
0
|
0.178
|
28
|
|
10 |
C. Elliott #9
|
30
|
0
|
0.201
|
27
|
|
11 |
T. Gilliland #34
|
28
|
0
|
0.238
|
30
|
|
12 |
M. McDowell #71
|
20
|
3
|
0.256
|
32
|
|
13 |
C. Bell #20
|
15
|
4
|
0.286
|
34
|
|
14 |
R. Preece #60
|
31
|
3
|
0.305
|
29
|
|
15 |
R. Chastain #1
|
19
|
7
|
0.333
|
41
|
|
16 |
S. Van Gisbergen #88
|
17
|
6
|
0.366
|
21
|
|
17 |
J. Nemechek #42
|
34
|
7
|
0.420
|
27
|
|
18 |
B. Keselowski #6
|
10
|
0
|
0.448
|
19
|
|
19 |
W. Byron #24
|
8
|
5
|
0.450
|
24
|
|
20 |
C. Ware #51
|
35
|
23
|
0.524
|
17
|
|
21 |
T. Reddick #45
|
27
|
0
|
0.551
|
16
|
|
22 |
T. Dillon #10
|
23
|
9
|
0.636
|
15
|
|
23 |
C. Briscoe #19
|
9
|
6
|
0.894
|
21
|
|
24 |
A. Dillon #3
|
7
|
4
|
2.114
|
13
|
|
25 |
D. Hamlin #11
|
6
|
0
|
22.990
|
12
|
|
26 |
A. Allmendinger #16
|
21
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
12
|
|
27 |
J. Logano #22
|
4
|
27
|
1 Lap
|
23
|
|
28 |
J. Gase #44
|
40
|
0
|
3 Laps
|
0
|
|
29 |
C. Mears #66
|
39
|
0
|
4 Laps
|
8
|
|
30 |
A. Hill #33
|
36
|
0
|
5 Laps
|
0
|
|
31 |
Z. Smith #38
|
13
|
0
|
6 Laps
|
6
|
|
32 |
B. McLeod #78
|
38
|
0
|
23 Laps
|
0
|
|
33 |
K. Busch #8
|
14
|
0
|
65 Laps
|
4
|
|
34 |
C. Hocevar #77
|
16
|
0
|
79 Laps
|
3
|
|
35 |
R. Stenhouse Jr #47
|
25
|
0
|
132 Laps
|
2
|
|
36 |
A. Bowman #48
|
2
|
0
|
133 Laps
|
1
|
|
37 |
B. Wallace #23
|
22
|
1
|
133 Laps
|
1
|
|
38 |
N. Gragson #4
|
32
|
0
|
133 Laps
|
1
|
|
39 |
A. Cindric #2
|
5
|
0
|
133 Laps
|
1
|
|
40 |
R. Herbst #35
|
33
|
0
|
133 Laps
|
1
|
