Ryan Blaney concludes NASCAR’s regular season with winning streak as playoff field is set

Since his first NASCAR Cup Series win in 2017, Ryan Blaney grew notoriety for being a driver to win one race per season.

That changed last weekend when he won at Michigan International Speedway, and he followed it up on Saturday night with another victory in Daytona Beach.

The 16-driver playoff grid is now set for the Cup Series. Entering the night, 15 racers were locked in by virtue of race wins or clinching a berth via points. Tyler Reddick, the sophomore driver for Richard Childress Racing, claimed the final spot after surviving the late-race melee to finish sixth in a damaged vehicle.

Several winless drivers looked competitive throughout the 400-miler. Corey LaJoie and Chris Buescher were in contention for the win, while Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace showed speed at various points of the night.

Except for Buescher, who won a fog-shortened Pocono race in 2016, each of these drivers was looking for their first Cup triumph. There are still 10 races left to earn a trophy, but in terms of postseason hopes, there’s always next year.

Kyle Larson, who dominated throughout the summer in his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, won the regular-season championship, thus earning 15 extra playoff points heading into Darlington. Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., bother three times winners, tied for second in the playoff standings.

The Round of 16 beings next Sunday at Darlington Raceway. Kevin Harvick enters the Southern 500 as the defending winner.