NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick, Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Tyler Reddick locks up NASCAR playoff berth after Alex Bowman crashes at Daytona

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 10:15 PM ET

A big crash early in Saturday's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona made a significant impact on the NASCAR playoff picture.

On Lap 27, a big wreck at the front of the field collected several cars, including Alex Bowman, who entered the race in the 16th and final provisional playoff spot.

Bubba Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Austin Hill, Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, Zane Smith, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Riley Herbst, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch were also involved.

There's more trouble!

This time, it's at the front of the pack! pic.twitter.com/1pU8aUCfqv
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 24, 2025

While Bowman can't lose the final playoff spot via points, his wreck does ensure a playoff berth for Tyler Reddick. A new winner from below the playoff cut line would knock Bowman out of the postseason.

Reddick has yet to win a race in 2025, but the No. 45 team has been consistent enough to earn a playoff bid.

Bowman's playoff hopes are now out of his hands. He returned to the playoffs in 2024 after missing the postseason in 2023 after a mid-season injury.

There are 19 drivers in the mix who could win Saturday's race and knock Bowman out of the playoffs. Kyle Larson won Stage 1 of Saturday's race, which is the Cup Series regular season finale.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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