Team Penske star Ryan Blaney produced the goods late on at Daytona on Saturday night to win the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale in dramatic fashion, crushing several of his rivals’ playoff dreams in the process.
Heading into the final two laps of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, Blaney was languishing down in 13th as the likes of Cole Custer, Justin Haley, and Daniel Suarez harbored hopes of a win that would see them make the cut.
However, running on the outside, things opened up for Blaney as Custer made a move to the inside, with Haley choosing to block him, slightly halting both of their momentum as the No. 12 roared on.
Blaney ultimately crossed the finish line ahead of his rivals in an almost four-wide photo finish, with the No. 12 having just half a car length or so on the aforementioned names and their machinery. The winning margin was just 0.031 seconds.
Blaney’s victory has huge implications for the playoffs, with the field now locked in and including Alex Bowman, who had faced a nervous wait after retiring from the race early with damage.
Had any of Suarez, Custer, Haley, or another new winner have taken the win, the Hendrick Motorsports star would not have made the cut. He and Tyler Reddick can now breathe a sigh of relief, however, having locked up the last two spots via points.
With that said, let’s get into the full results below.
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Who won the NASCAR Daytona race today?
Here are the full results from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night.
Race results
1. Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske, Ford
2. Daniel Suarez, No. 99, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet
3. Justin Haley, No. 7, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet
4. Cole Custer, No. 41, Haas Factory Team, Ford
5. Erik Jones, No. 43, Legacy Motor Club, Toyota
6. Kyle Larson, No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
7. Chris Buescher, No. 17, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Ford
8. Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
9. Josh Berry, No. 21, Wood Brothers Racing, Ford
10. Chase Elliott, No. 9, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
11. Todd Gilliland, No. 34, Front Row Motorsports, Ford
12. Michael McDowell, No. 71, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet
13. Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
14. Ryan Preece, No. 60, RFK Racing, Ford
15. Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet
16. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet
17. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42, Legacy Motor Club, Toyota
18. Brad Keselowski, No. 6, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Ford
19. William Byron, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
20. Cody Ware, No. 51, Rick Ware Racing, Ford
21. Tyler Reddick, No. 45, 23XI Racing, Toyota
22. Ty Dillon, No. 10, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet
23. Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
24. Austin Dillon, No. 3, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
25. Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
26. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet
27. Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske, Ford
28. Joey Gase, No. 44, NY Racing Team, Chevrolet
29. Casey Mears, No. 66, Garage 66, Ford
30. Austin Hill, No. 33, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
31. Zane Smith, No. 38, Front Row Motorsports, Ford
32. BJ McLeod, No. 78, Live Fast Motorsports, Chevrolet
33. Kyle Busch, No. 8, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
34. Carson Hocevar, No. 77, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet
35. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47, HYAK Motorsports, Chevrolet
36. Alex Bowman, No. 48, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
37. Bubba Wallace, No. 23, 23XI Racing, Toyota
38. Noah Gragson, No. 4, Front Row Motorsports, Ford
39. Austin Cindric, No. 2, Team Penske, Ford
40. Riley Herbst, No. 35, 23XI Racing, Toyota
Stage 2 results
1. Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet
2. Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
3. Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske, Ford
4. William Byron, No. 24, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
5. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42, Legacy Motor Club, Toyota
6. Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
7. Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske, Ford
8. Ryan Preece, No. 60, RFK Racing, Ford
9. Ty Gibbs, No. 54, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
10. Ty Dillon, No. 10, Kaulig Racing, Chevrolet
Stage 1 results
1. Kyle Larson, No. 5, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
2. Ross Chastain, No. 1, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet
3. Ryan Blaney, No. 12, Team Penske, Ford
4. Michael McDowell, No. 71, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet
5. Justin Haley, No. 7, Spire Motorsports, Chevrolet
6. Joey Logano, No. 22, Team Penske, Ford
7. Todd Gilliland, No. 34, Front Row Motorsports, Ford
8. Ryan Preece, No. 60, RFK Racing, Ford
9. Chase Briscoe, No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
10. Christopher Bell, No. 20, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
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After years of racing out of residential garages, take a look inside Ricky Thornton Jr’s new race shop
Ricky Thornton Jr won 31 races in the 2025 season. He went on to finish 2nd in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings.
He’s has been racing since 2005. And until now, he has only used residential garages outside of other teams he’s raced for.
400+ wins and 30+ championships later, he has opened a new shop in Iowa. Koehler Motorsports will continue to use their shop in Mount Airy, NC. But, the Iowa shop will also be used when the team is in the area.
Take a look at the photos of the Ricky Thornton Jr Racing shop below.
Ricky Thornton Jr Racing comments
The team shared the following update:
“After a career of racing out of residential garages, (and some beautiful shops of others) Ricky finally has his very own personal race shop. A true dream come true,” the team opened via social media.
“Graystone Companies- thank you Troy for the time you put into this project. Deadlines & expectations were heavily exceeded! If you’re looking to build anything in the Des Moines metro, Graystone Companies is what you’re looking for! Thank you to Ganoe Excavating, Inc. for the dirt work, D and E Outside Services for the tree removal, and Matt Allen for the floor finish!”
“Our Koehler Motorsports team will continue to race out of their Mount Airy, NC shop, but our Iowa shop will be a frequent stopping point throughout the summer!”
The 2026 season is set to begin. Thornton Jr is heading to Central Arizona Raceway for the Wild West Shootout beginning on January 10th.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series removes playoff format for 2026
Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop (Photos)
Ricky Thornton Jr Race ShopBathroom – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaRicky Thornton Jr Race Shop – IowaFormer Shop – Ricky Thornton Jr Race Shop – Iowa
The 2026 season will be a special one for Team Penske, which made its first foray into the racing scene in 1966. Whether it’s NASCAR, IndyCar or IMSA, Team Penske has enjoyed plenty of success and plans to savor many more victories in the future.
Team Penske cars in all three major series will sport special retro livery at select races, while the team will also introduce an anniversary identity that will appear across its race cars, uniforms, digital platforms and merchandise, with the first items available online and in the team store beginning in January.
“Our 60th anniversary is a tremendous milestone for our organization,” Roger Penske said in a team release. “The 2026 season will give us the opportunity to celebrate the people, partners and fans who have helped shape Team Penske since 1966, while also looking ahead to the future. This year ahead is a meaningful one with many terrific moments for our team and story still to come.”
Few teams can match the Penske programs when it comes to success on the track. The team has 20 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 wins and has won at least one major championship for the past 14 years, including last season’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sweep of the team, drivers and manufacturers titles. It was the second straight season Porsche Penske swept the awards and last season saw the team become the first since 2017 to win Daytona and Sebring in the same season.
With the team not competing in the World Endurance Championship in 2026, Team Penske will focus all of its sportscar racing attention on IMSA. Despite winning the GTP title the past two seasons, there will be some new faces on the team in 2026.
The team will see Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor move from the WEC to drive the No. 6 Porsche 963, while the No. 7 will be in the hands of Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer. Matt Campbell, one of the championship drivers this season, will serve as the endurance driver for the No. 6 car at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta, while Laurin Heinrich will serve in the same role for the No. 7 Porsche. All six are Porsche factory drivers.
Porsche Penske will begin its 2026 season in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 16-18. The Rolex 24 At Daytona begins Saturday, Jan. 24.
MANAMA: The director of the Kuwaiti Motor Sports Club, Sheikh Sabah Dawood Al-Sabah, praised the outstanding results achieved by the club’s racers in the second round of the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship on Saturday, emphasizing that they reflect the advanced level reached by Kuwaiti champions in this sport. The team director stated that the racers delivered a remarkable performance in the competitions held at the Bahrain International Circuit’s drag strip.
Abdullah Ali Al-Aqab secured first place in the Pro 29.5 category, while Ahmed Zaman took second place in the 8.5 Index category, and Fawaz Al-Awadhi finished third in the same category. The remaining members of the participating delegation also achieved high rankings in the eight rounds.
Al-Sabah affirmed that these achievements are the fruit of the continuous efforts exerted by the racers and the technical and administrative staff.
He noted the club’s commitment to providing all means of support and care to raise Kuwait’s flag high in regional and international events, wishing them continued success in future competitions.
The second round of the Bahrain National Drag Racing Championship, the most popular drag racing championship in the region, kicked off over the past two days at the Bahrain International Circuit’s drag strip. The new season of the Bahrain Drag Racing Championship is scheduled to run until March, with the third and fourth rounds taking place in January and the championship concluding in March. — KUNA
It’s the biggest motorcycle drag racing grudge race of the year, Kings of Grudge Grinchmas from Orlando Speedworld Dragway and we cover this shocker as a fast mini bike calls out a stretched Suzuki Hayabusa grudge bike on the opening day of this event. We also see some motorcycle drag racing gone wrong as a fast Suzuki Hayabusa and GSXR 1000 suffer engine damage. Enjoy some thrilling motorcycle drag racing from Kings of Grudge
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
It’s episode No. 3 of the Racing Jack Show and we sit down with media mogul “Bubba The Love Sponge” to Talk about what’s really hurting the racing business and what the sport must do to bring fans back to NHRA, NASCAR, Dirt Races and a whole lot more. After an in-depth discussion on the state of motorsports and racing the leader of the Bubba Army shocks us when he calls his good buddy and motorsports legend Tony Stewart.
We ask Bubba how the next generation of race fan has changed, how difficult it is to run a track and an organization and how racing organizations can follow the successful formula of WWE and UFC. We also discuss the controversial decision by the NHRA to cancel its final race of the season and discuss some of the interworking of NHRA drag racing and how it functions as a not for profit organization. Bubba also talks about what it’s like to climb the ladder in NASCAR in today’s climate compared to how it once was in the days of greats like Dale Earnhardt Sr. Finally we discuss Bubba’s reporting on the untimely death of Hulk Hogan and how the wrestling legend’s passing changes the way Cycledrag operates.
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
We head to the biggest motorcycle drag racing grudge race of the year where we unfortunately see one fast racer on a Suzuki GSXR blow an en engine and suffer a big top end crash at Orlando Speedworld Dragway. It’s motorcycle drag racing gone wrong as this veteran driver suffers an incident but the good news is he was alert and awake and the Orlando safety team was right on top of it. We also see some unbelievable motorcycle drag racing as nitrous and turbo Suzuki Hayabusa and GSXR 1000 and Kawasaki ZX-14 stretched bikes go for big money win at the biggest Grudge race of the year, Kings of Grudge Grinchmas from Orlando, FL
There are more videos on the Cycledrag Youtube channel (please subscribe here) and like the Cycledrag Facebook page (Please like here) and more will be coming soon. Also subscribe to our NEW Youtube channel “Racing Jack” and Check back daily.
