DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Blaney parked his car against the high-banked outside wall at Daytona International Speedway and floored it, spinning his rear tires and sending plumes of smoke into the grandstands as fireworks lit up the sky.

It was a unusual celebration for the Team Penske star — he doesn't usually do celebratory burnouts — and it might be the first of many down the stretch this year.

Blaney closed NASCAR’s regular season with a flurry, winning at Daytona and moving into fourth place in the Cup Series points heading into the playoffs. He will open the postseason next week at Darlington Raceway three points behind Denny Hamlin and six shy of co-leaders William Byron and Kyle Larson.

And Blaney might just be the favorite to win it all, especially considering his past and his

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