NASCAR returned to Daytona to cap off its 26-race regular season with one more 190 mph frenzy for both the main Cup and the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts series.
Friday night saw the O’Reilly drivers battle for 100 laps. The regulars, like Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill, held the lead at times, but when the checkered flag was waved, Ryan Sieg claimed his first victory in the series after 14 years of trying.
“It’s a dream come true,” Sieg said while laughing. “It seems surreal right now; I’m super pumped to finally have that first win.”
With only a few laps to go in this same event in 2023, Ryan Preece was in the middle of the 40-car pack when his car was hit, causing him to fly through the air and barrel roll at over 160 mph. In the 2025 Daytona 500, Preece was again hit by another car in the closing laps, causing him to fly and flip yet again.
On lap 40 of 160, Ryan Preece was running in third until a spinout. The rest of the race saw Preece clawing back positions and being in contention at the end.
With only two laps to go, there was a final restart after another wreck. Preece led the pack to the line, but it was a dogfight between him and Zane Smith, both drivers searching for their first win in the Cup Series.
On the final lap, Smith hit the wall, and Preece became a winner at the same venue that nearly claimed his life just a few years before.
“I’m not being dramatic, but three years ago could have been life-changing,” Preece stated. “That is the risk you take as a race car driver.”
Preece now sits 16th in points heading into the last 10 rounds of the season, which will conclude at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 6, 7, and 8.
