Preece earns final NASCAR playoff spot with win
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Known for two violent wrecks at Daytona International Speedway, Ryan Preece experienced a much different ride at NASCAR's hometown track Saturday night: a trip to victory lane.
Preece won the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona in overtime to secure the final playoff spot for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.
Preece, who ferociously flipped cars at Daytona in 2023 and again in 2025, moved to the front during a green-white-checkered finish when leader Zane Smith got bumped, started spinning and slammed into other cars on the last lap. Preece took the checkered flag under caution and edged Shane van Gisbergen for the 16th and final berth in the postseason finale.
"This is redemption," said Preece, whose victory landed two RFK cars into the 16-driver Chase for the championship. Chris Buescher is the other.
"I'm just speechless right now," Preece said. "Those guys, that 60 (car), we're fighters. When you put our back against the wall, we swing hard. … Last year, there were a lot of keyboard warriors saying I was nothing. Well, we just kicked their butts tonight."
Preece expressed confidence all week, but he found himself needing a victory late to pass Shane van Gisbergen for the last playoff spot. Van Gisbergen finished 27th after pitting during the final caution and taking four tires.
"Shame we're not in it," said van Gisbergen, who won twice during the regular season but missed the playoffs under NASCAR's new format that puts more emphasis on season-long results that victories.
Bubba Wallace and Austin Cindric locked up the other two available spots. Wallace, Cindric, van Gisbergen, Preece and Brad Keselowski started the night vying for the final three spots in the 10-race Chase.
Wallace, who was nearly a lock to make the 16-driver field when the green flag dropped, claimed his spot with a seventh-place finish in the opening stage. Cindric avoided trouble all night, finished sixth and advanced without much fanfare.
Daniel Suarez finished second in the race, followed by Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Van Gisbergen won Stage 1 and created more of a cushion on Preece, who was caught up in a three-car crash as he neared the finish line. Preece raced his way back to the front in Stage 2 and picked up much-needed points with a second-place finish behind Ryan Blaney.
But it came down to the final lap. Preece needed to win to get in -- and he pulled it off in dramatic fashion.
"I'm a racer. I know what it takes to build speed," Preece said. "So every man and woman at RFK, thank you for giving me a rocket ship so I could go to the moon tonight."
Palou does it again
WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- Alex Palou won his record-tying fourth consecutive IndyCar season championship with a 10th-place finish Sunday night in the resumption of a rain-delayed race at the Milwaukee Mile.
The 29-year-old from Barcelona, Spain, added to yet another dominating year for himself and Chip Ganassi Racing.
Palou's four consecutive championships match the record set by Sebastien Bourdais from 2004-07. He becomes just the third driver to win five titles, with A.J. Foyt winning seven and Scott Dixon six.
It's also a record-setting 18th title won by a Ganassi driver, one more than Team Penske.
Palou finished fifth in Sunday's regularly scheduled race, which was won by Pato O'Ward.