Ryan Preece caught in Daytona chaos as SVG wins Stage 1
Ryan Preece was collected in a last-lap Stage 1 pile-up at Daytona on Saturday night while battling Shane van Gisbergen for the final Chase spot, as SVG seized the opening stage win of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after Chris Buescher crashed and Kyle Larson spun through the grass. The regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway delivered chaos at the front when RFK Racing teammates Buescher and Preece controlled the lead pack with one lap remaining.
Key Takeaways
- Shane van Gisbergen won Stage 1 of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona after Chris Buescher crashed entering the tri-oval.
- Ryan Preece, fighting SVG for the provisional 16th Chase position, was caught in the crash but continued and finished eighth in the stage.
- SVG entered the race 31 points ahead of Preece in the standings, defying expectations on oval tracks where he has far less experience than his peers.
- Bubba Wallace clinched a Chase berth by scoring four stage points in Stage 1; Brad Keselowski was officially eliminated from postseason contention.
- In Stage 2, Ryan Preece recovered to finish second behind Ryan Blaney's last-lap pass on Chase Elliott.
What happened in Stage 1 at Daytona?
Shane van Gisbergen took the opening stage of Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, according to NASCAR.com. Van Gisbergen advanced to the lead after previous leader Chris Buescher crashed entering the tri-oval following an errant push from Kyle Larson.
Video from the finish showed RFK Racing controlling the first two positions with Buescher and Ryan Preece at the front. Preece held his lane without zigging or zagging as he and SVG raced side-by-side for the 16th and final provisional Chase position. Buescher hit the wall, Larson went sideways through the grass but maintained control, and Preece was also collected in the collision.
All three drivers spun through the grass yet were able to continue. NASCAR confirmed SVG as the stage winner under a green-and-white checkered, with Preece officially scored eighth. Ty Gibbs finished second ahead of Joey Logano, Erik Jones, and Chase Briscoe.
Why does Ryan Preece's Daytona crash matter for the Chase?
Saturday's race served as the final event of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season before the Chase playoffs begin. Ryan Preece entered Daytona chasing van Gisbergen for the provisional 16th and final playoff spot, making every stage point critical in a season where margins decide postseason fate.
The Stage 1 incident cost Preece a chance at a stronger finish at the line, though he later rebounded. In Stage 2, Preece placed second behind Ryan Blaney, who made a last-lap pass on Chase Elliott down the backstretch to secure that stage win. Zane Smith, William Byron, and Todd Gilliland rounded out the top five in Stage 2.
For more on how unpredictable motorsport moments reshape playoff math, see our Bizarre World coverage hub.
Can Shane van Gisbergen really make the Chase?
Entering the Coke Zero Sugar 400, van Gisbergen remained 31 points ahead of 17th-place Ryan Preece despite conventional wisdom suggesting he would struggle. After his second win of 2026 at Sonoma Raceway in late June, SVG sat 36 points above the cut line, but eight oval tracks still loomed and he carried far less oval experience than any Cup Series peer, as Speedway Digest reported.
Van Gisbergen said pride was the right word for his oval improvement this season, noting his team had matched Trackhouse Racing teammates Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch on ovals. A painful San Diego race that cost roughly 40 to 50 potential points made holding the gap since Sonoma especially meaningful.
With Stage 1 in hand and Wallace clinching his own Chase spot via four stage points, SVG's Daytona statement reinforced that his oval learning curve may no longer be the barrier rivals once assumed.