By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Chris Buescher has become a NASCAR title contender in less than a month.

Buescher won the Cup Series regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, eliminating fan favorite Chase Elliott from playoff contention and sending Bubba Wallace into the postseason. Buescher and teammate Brad Keselowski finished 1-2 for RFK Racing, the first for the team since 2014. It was Buescher’s third victory since late July, making him a championship favorite no one could have expected five weeks ago.

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“We certainly got momentum on our side right now,” Buescher said.

Because Buescher had previously won this season, Wallace landed the 16th and final playoff spot on points.

“That was the most stress but also the most locked in I’ve ever been,” Wallace said. “Proud to be locked into the playoffs. We’ve gone through a lot of trials and tribulations. So proud of the effort we put in.”

Drivers had to regroup in the waning laps after Ryan Preece flipped about a dozen times and came to a halt in his mangled No. 41 Ford. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver was able to get out with help before emergency personnel put him on a gurney and into an ambulance for a quick trip to the infield care center. He was later transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

NASCAR provided no immediate update, but Preece tweeted about two hours afterward “If you want to be a race car driver, you better be tough. … I’m coming back.”

Preece made contact with SHR teammate Chase Briscoe, and his car started flipping when he slid across the infield grass. The crash sent the race into overtime.