Ryan Blaney, along with playoff bubble contenders Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick, arrived at Daytona with strategy in mind. The track, known for its spectacle and unpredictability, lived up to its reputation as stormy weather forced a last-minute shakeup. With qualifying canceled due to lightning, NASCAR’s metric system reshuffled the grid. And that’s how Blaney landed on pole, ready to lead the Cup Series to green under the lights.

When qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway was halted on Friday, August 22, 2025, NASCAR resorted to its standard performance metric to set the grid, placing drivers like Tyler Reddick deeper in the field, with more work to do in a race already defined by survival.

Under nature’s dome of lightning, No.12’s s

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