Tyler Reddick crashes early but clinches playoff spot after Alex Bowman wrecks

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Reddick crashed early in NASCAR's regular-season finale Saturday night and still clinched a spot in the playoffs.

How?

Just nine laps later, Alex Bowman wrecked at Daytona International Speedway and, with Bowman out of the race, it automatically locked Reddick into the 16-driver field.

Reddick and Bowman both started the race trying to claim the final two spots in the playoffs. Reddick, last year's regular-season champion, held a 29-point cushion over Bowman. But when he wrecked 18 laps into the race, he suddenly became in danger of missing out on racing for the championship just nine months after he made it to the title-deciding finale.

His worries went away on Lap 27 when Bowman was collected in a multi-car crash that ended the Hendrick Motorsports drivers' race. Bowman can still claim the final spot in the playoffs if there is not a first-time winner Saturday night.

“There's just nothing you can do, welcome to superspeedway racing,” Bowman said about the crash. “We feel like it was out of our control and it is what it is. I am going to sit in front of a TV and watch, unfortunately we are on the sidelines watching and we're going to find out here in a couple of hours.”

The playoffs open next Sunday at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. The race was the regular-season finale in 2024 and won by Chase Briscoe, who used the victory to claim the final spot in the playoffs.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman, far left, lead the field to start a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Alex Bowman waves to fans before the start of a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Tyler Reddick takes a drink before a practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/8/1299049