Iowa-Bound NASCAR Stars Caruth, Gray Survive Daytona Chaos to Lock In Chase Berths

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers with Iowa ties punched their tickets to the postseason Friday night, surviving a wreck-filled Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway that eliminated two of their closest rivals.

Rajah Caruth and Taylor Gray emerged from the chaos as the final two qualifiers for The Chase, the series' 12-driver playoff field. Their advancement came at the expense of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates William Sawalich and Brent Crews, both of whom saw their championship hopes end in the crash-marred race.

How Caruth and Gray clinched their Chase spots

Caruth, the pole winner, entered the night 15 points below the cutoff line. He erased that deficit with a third-place finish in Stage 1 and a victory in Stage 2, banking 18 stage points that proved decisive.

His night ended early when JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier bumped him from behind while attempting a push on Lap 97, sending Caruth spinning into the wall. The contact forced overtime and gave Ryan Sieg his first win in 424 series starts.

Despite finishing 32nd, Caruth's stage points lifted him past Sawalich and Crews by five and six points, respectively.

“I don't think he did it on purpose,” Caruth said of Allgaier's push. “In the moment, I'm pretty bummed about the end of the race. I thought we were in a great spot. But we'll have a new chapter tomorrow and get to work.”

Gray, who started the night just above the cut line, threaded his way through a five-car wreck on Lap 44 and finished 26th. That was enough to secure the 11th spot in the regular-season standings, three points ahead of Caruth in 12th.

Iowa connection looms large in Chase field

The postseason field includes several drivers who have competed at Iowa Speedway in Newton, a track that has become a proving ground for the series' rising stars. Crews, who finished 16th in the previous O'Reilly Series race at Iowa, pointed to that event as the turning point in his failed bid.

“It was definitely frustrating, but ultimately, I put ourselves in that position when I coughed up 20 points at Iowa,” said Crews, who finished 35th Friday night after heavy damage sent him to the garage. “It goes back to all the 'ifs' and 'whats' and 'buts,' but I know it happened for a reason.”

Crews, who turned 18 on March 30, missed four of the first six races due to age restrictions. He still came within six points of advancing.

Sawalich eliminated in Lap 44 wreck

Sawalich entered Daytona with momentum after a strong push following the series' stop at Chicagoland. That run ended on Lap 44 when Anthony Alfredo's Chevrolet nudged Corey Day's Camaro into a multicar pileup that destroyed Sawalich's No. 19 Toyota.

“We worked really hard after Chicagoland to make up our points deficit,” said Sawalich, who finished 37th. “We worked really hard in the simulator and everywhere we could. We just got taken out. It really sucks.”

Sam Mayer, who came to Daytona with enough of a buffer, claimed the 10th and final guaranteed spot in The Chase.

What's next for the Chase field

Gray, who led the regular season in speed but struggled with consistency, said he believes the playoff tracks suit his team.

“We've had a lot of speed this year, and it's shame on me being in this position going to Daytona,” Gray said. “I feel like there's a lot of great race tracks for us here in the postseason that we can excel at.”

The Chase opens next weekend, with the series returning to Iowa Speedway later in the playoff schedule. Caruth and Gray will carry Iowa's hopes into the postseason, while Crews and Sawalich are left to wonder what might have been.

Frequently asked questions about the NASCAR Chase cutoff

Who qualified for the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase?

Twelve drivers advanced to The Chase, including Rajah Caruth and Taylor Gray, who claimed the final two spots after Friday night's race at Daytona International Speedway.

How did Rajah Caruth make the Chase despite a crash?

Caruth earned 18 stage points with a third-place finish in Stage 1 and a win in Stage 2, enough to overcome a 15-point deficit entering the race even after finishing 32nd.

What happened to Brent Crews at Daytona?

Crews suffered heavy damage in a Lap 27 wreck, went to the garage for a radiator change, and returned 31 laps down. He finished 35th and missed the Chase by six points.