Final-lap drama leaves some drivers questioning what might have been at Daytona

[ad_1] DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — One lap from the tip of Saturday night time’s Cup race at Daytona, Alex Bowman’s playoff hopes appeared over as a brand new winner was poised take his spot within the postseason.

A chaotic 47 seconds later, Bowman — compelled to observe the motion after he was collected in a crash early within the occasion — was within the playoffs. As he exhaled, a number of drivers needing a win to make the playoffs have been left to lament what might have been after Ryan Blaney went from thirteenth to first within the remaining two laps.

The Staff Penske driver received from the pole by outdueling a number of determined drivers.

“I’m going to relive (the final lap) for a very long time,” Cole Custer mentioned after his fourth-place end, his first top-five end result since his victory at Kentucky in July 2020.

Custer led as the ultimate lap on the 2.5-mile monitor started. A victory by him would have eradicated Bowman.

By the point the sector exited Flip 2, Justin Haley led.

A victory would have put Haley within the playoffs and eradicated Bowman.

Haley 'received too far out entrance' to safe win

It was a season's-best end for Justin Haley, who discovered himself in place for the win at Daytona, however he "received too far out entrance" to carry off the pack and settles for a third-place end.

As the sector went down the backstretch, Haley went from the underside lane to the highest lane to cease Custer’s surge. Custer shot to the underside however Haley marked him and stayed in entrance.

However that left Blaney main the highest lane.

“I needed to stick with (Blaney) and that’s why I used to be making an attempt to stick with him on the final lap however (Haley) received clear … it sort of compelled me to attempt to go round him and depart (Blaney),” Custer mentioned.

Blaney had been thirteenth with two laps to go. He was following Custer, who was eleventh. When Custer went to the highest lane, Blaney joined him and commenced a cost to the entrance.

As the sector went via Flip 3 on that remaining lap, 5 of the highest six automobiles wanted a win to make the playoffs and get rid of Bowman. The one driver within the high six who might have received and never eradicated Bowman was Blaney since Blaney already was locked right into a playoff spot.

Blaney goes from thirteenth to first to win Daytona

Ryan Blaney recaps a "wild" remaining two laps at Daytona, going from thirteenth to first to safe the win, and he describes his workforce's technique all through the race for his second win of the season.

Blaney had Daniel Suarez, who wanted to win to make the playoffs, behind him on the highest lane. Suarez pushed Blaney, who reduce all the way down to the center lane.

When Blaney crossed the end line a breath forward of Suarez, Haley and Custer, it secured the ultimate playoff spot for Bowman and meant that each one 4 Hendrick Motorsports automobiles can be within the playoffs.

The regular-season finale got here all the way down to the final nook at Daytona Worldwide Speedway.

Suarez, who's dropping his journey at Trackhouse Racing after this season to Connor Zilisch, completed second and missed making the playoffs by .031 seconds.

“I felt like we didn’t arrange ourselves pretty much as good as we needed to be, however that’s not an excuse,” Suarez mentioned. “(Blaney) was again there with us and he was in a position to make it to the entrance. Positively most likely the quickest superspeedway automobile we've had in just a few years. … Our playoff run ends right here, however I’m very optimistic we’re going to be in Victory Lane right here very quickly.”

Bowman 'in a tricky spot' after Daytona wreck

Alex Bowman's shares his perspective after being caught up in an early Stage 1 crash that places his playoff hopes in jeopardy.

It’s simply starting for Bowman, who endured the lengthy night time after he was collected in a crash that introduced out the warning at Lap 28 of the 160-lap occasion.

Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch made contact, triggering a 12-car crash that ended Bowman’s race within the opening stage.

Bowman, who began second, was operating about tenth within the center lane when the incident occurred in entrance of him. He slowed and drifted up however couldn’t keep away from contact and hit the wall.

“I don’t assume any of us anticipated the underside lane to disintegrate prefer it did at first of the race and all lose all of our monitor place,” Bowman mentioned after exiting the infield care heart. “That was fairly stunning. Simply couldn’t get going. We chipped away at getting our monitor place again. … Once they crashed in entrance of us, there wasn’t something we might have carried out completely different to get via that.

Staff Penske driver wins from the pole on the ultimate lap as crashes get rid of a number of playoff hopefuls.

“I hate it for everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. They work actually laborious. The final 10 or 11 weeks has been actually enjoyable to be part of. We’ve been actually robust and that’s been cool.

“I don’t need to let the results of (Saturday) flip into falling aside the remainder of the yr. We’ve received to maintain it collectively whether or not we’re within the playoffs or not. We’re a race workforce loads able to going and successful anyplace.”