Dillon, Blaney nab last NASCAR playoff spots at rain-soaked Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Austin Dillon's wife was doing a rain dance during a lengthy weather delay in hopes of getting the skies to open up again and wash out the rest of the race.

“I got upset," Dillon said. “I said, ‘Don’t be doing that.'"

There was no jinxing this one. Dillon avoided a massive wreck in the rain to take the lead before a red flag and returned more than three hours later to finish off an improbable victory at Daytona International Speedway and snag a playoff spot in the Cup Series’ regular-season finale Sunday.

Dillon passed Austin Cindric with three laps to go and was unchallenged down the stretch. It was an aggressive move that capped a drama-filled race and set off a wild celebration for a team that's usually a factor at Daytona.

“It’s crazy,” said Dillon, whose fourth career Cup victory ended a 78-race winless streak. “You just never give up and have faith. We had some tough finishes this year, like Charlotte. I beat myself up over that. I made a good move and just didn’t finish it off. Today we finished it off.”

Martin Truex Jr. was the biggest loser. Truex looked like he would secure the final postseason berth when rain halted the race with 21 laps remaining, but he faded after the restart and allowed Ryan Blaney to make up ground in a points scramble.

Blaney finished seven spots behind Truex in the race but three points ahead in the standings.

“You just try to stay optimistic,” Blaney said. “Definitely a roller-coaster of emotions that ended on a high note.”

Added Truex: “We gave away plenty of points throughout the season. It is what it is."

Dillon's victory in the No. 3 Chevrolet was as stunning as Blaney's comeback. Running 16th at the time of the crash, he turned onto the apron to avoid