Ross Chastain blasted his way into the championship round, pinning his No. 1 Chevy to the outside all and rocketing his way past Denny Hamlin for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Denny Hamlin chased down Bubba Wallace over the closing laps, but couldn't get close enough to make the pass, instead settling for his second-consecutive runner-up finish.
Martin Truex Jr. finished 8th at Daytona, but it wasn't enough to put him in the playoffs as first-time season winner Austin Dillon took the surprising win.
The 2023 Cup Series champion from Hartford Township, Ohio, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 127.064 mph in 15.101 seconds for his first Cup pole of 2026 at The Last Great Coliseum.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Prairie, Minnesota, claimed his first O'Reilly Auto Parts Series pole position of the 2026 season as he bids for his first Dash 4 Cash bonus.
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Bristol Motor Speedway.
