Coke Zero Sugar 400: Austin Dillon waits out the rain, gets win and a NASCAR playoff berth

DAYTONA BEACH — Well, it didn’t last quite as long as the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but not for a lack of trying.

The Coke Zero Sugar 400, originally scheduled for Saturday but washed into Sunday morning, darn near took it to dinner time before handing the checkered flag to Austin Dillon, who not only gathered the trophy, but also earned a last-minute spot in NASCAR’s 2022 Cup Series playoffs, which begins next week at Darlington, South Carolina.

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NASCAR waited out a Sunday rain delay of three-plus hours in order to end an important race — its regular-season finale — under green-flag conditions.

Austin Dillon held the lead for 3 hours under the red flag at Daytona

For the longest time, it appeared Dillon, who somehow missed a huge wreck just before the rain delay, would win during the long delay. But the radar took a favorable turn, the skies cleared and the track dried, and the final 21 laps were turned, with Dillon again emerging ahead of all others.

It wasn’t Dillon’s biggest individual win at Daytona. That would be the 2018 Daytona 500. But for big-picture purposes, especially as those purposes factor into 2022, it was quite huge, since a win was the only way he could make the playoffs.

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He became the 15th eligible driver to make the playoffs by winning a trophy.

It didn’t come without a bit of luck, and then some roughhouse work.

First, the luck. Just as rain began to fall, a wreck involving 13 cars erupted in Turn 1. Dillon was right in the middle of it, but ducked to the low apron and kept his Chevy pointed forward. Somehow, he missed everything and everything missed him.

He popped out of the carnage and scooted down the backstretch all alone with the lead.

Then the hard work, which came after the ensuing rain delay.

Austin Dillon had to uproot Austin Cindric for Coke Zero Sugar 400 lead and win

After some caution laps to guarantee the track’s readiness, the field went to green with 16 laps remaining, and Dillon soon settled into second place behind this year’s Daytona 500 champ, Austin Cindric.

With three laps remaining, Dillon charged to the rear bumper of Cindric and got the Penske Racing driver’s No. 2 Ford quite loose. Cindric bobbled and Dillon took the lead, and in his mirror was Childress Racing teammate Tyler Reddick, who would be a tactical and spiritual wingman the rest of the way.

There was no late-lap drama after that, as Dillon cruised to victory.

The subplot involved Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex Jr., a pair of championship contenders (at least at season’s start) who hadn’t won in 2022 but were battling, in the end, for one available playoff spot that would be based on points earned this year, since there would be 15 different winners.

Both racers battled through accidents and both had that points lead at different times, but in the end, the final playoff spot went to Blaney.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR results: Austin Dillon wins, Ryan Blaney survives