Three Up, Three Down: Drivers in focus leaving Daytona

Daytona dazzled us with another epic finish that saw Ryan Blaney triumph in a four-wide thriller at the line to earn his second win of the 2025. With the regular season now in the rearview mirror and full attention on the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, several drivers carry some strong momentum into the final 10 races, while a few are on the back foot with limited chances to right the ship before the year comes to a close. RELATED: Race results | At-track photos THREE UP ⬆️ 1. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Started: 3rd Finished: 6th What happened: The 2021 titleholder continues to make steady progress on drafting tracks. Larson not only claimed Stage 1 by a slim margin over polesitter Blaney, but followed it up with a 10th place in Stage 2, and he spent the majority of the race setting the pace as leader. What's next: Larson shakes off the summer slump he’s had the second half of the regular season and carries momentum into the Round of 16 as the No. 1 seed. Plus, tracks like Darlington and Bristol shape up well for him to find Victory Lane again. [caption id="attachment_484910" align="alignnone" width="1300"]James Gilbert | Getty Images[/caption] 2. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Started: 37th Finished: 3rd What happened: Haley was 0.036 seconds from snatching a playoff bid. The Spire driver charged from deep in the field and quickly established himself as a frontrunner, netting an average running position of 12.9, finishing fifth in Stage 1, along with two laps led. His podium finish also marks his first top five on an oval since September 2022. What's next: While Haley won’t join the 16-driver playoff field, this run does give the No. 7 crew some much-needed momentum to finish out the season where they sit 30th in points. Plus, with how much verve Haley showed on the high banks, he can be in the mix for a spoiler win at Talladega. [caption id="attachment_484908" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Chris Graythen | Getty Images[/caption] 3. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Started: 26th Finished: 5th What happened: What a story it could’ve been to see the iconic No. 43 in Victory Lane at Daytona, alas, Jones had to settle for a fifth-place effort. The finish marks Jones’ third top five of the season, matching his results from Texas and EchoPark Speedway in a year where Legacy Motor Club continues to make positive strides. What's next: The two-time Southern 500 winner has now doubled his top-10 finishes from a season ago. Momentum is building, and Jones heads into the final 10-race stretch with confidence on his side. [caption id="attachment_484906" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Sean Gardner | Getty Images[/caption] MORE: Playoffs Grid Challenge presented by Goodyear THREE DOWN ⬇️ 1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Started: 6th Finished: 25th What happened: Coming to a drafting track, you expect Hamlin to run up front, but that wasn’t the case at Daytona, with an average running position of 23.5. Hamlin was collected in the big wreck on Lap 27, then had a tire go down early in the final stage that ruined his evening. What's next: Hamlin entered Daytona tied on playoff points with William Byron at the top of the provisional playoff table; he now leaves Florida as the third seed. Luckily, tracks like Darlington and Bristol suit him well as he chases that elusive first title. [caption id="attachment_484904" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Chris Graythen | Getty Images[/caption] 2. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota Started: 22nd Finished: 37th What happened: Wallace charged up front quickly in Stage 1. However, that same Lap 27 wreck ended his night early and hopes of adding more points to his playoff charge, marking it as his seventh DNF of 2025 -- tied for the most. What's next: He now heads to "The Lady in Black" next weekend, sitting ninth in the playoff standings and will need to find some pace to stay there after back-to-back weeks outside the top 25. The first round of tracks also isn’t favorable, with a mixed bag of results at Darlington, Gateway and Bristol in his Cup career. [caption id="attachment_484905" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Chris Graythen | Getty Images[/caption] 3. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Started: 14th Finished: 33rd What happened: Busch needed to win at the “World Center of Racing” to advance into the playoffs and had the speed to do it. Unfortunately, “Rowdy” was also involved in the Lap 27 multicar wreck, which sent him behind the wall during the first half and effectively foiled his race. What's next: The two-time Cup champion is still on his career-longest winless streak, which is now 83 races. The best he can do now is play spoiler. With a runner-up finish at Darlington last year, a 2023 win at Gateway (his last win) and a long history of success at Bristol, those tracks set up some opportunity. [caption id="attachment_484909" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Chris Graythen | Getty Images[/caption]