DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — William Byron turned the primary back-to-back Daytona 500 winner in 5 years after sneaking by an enormous crash on the ultimate lap of the race.
Byron was in seventh place with a half-lap to go, however the entire automobiles in entrance of him instantly wrecked and Byron sailed via when the seas parted.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver turned the primary to win consecutive 500s since Denny Hamlin — who had been main when the crash came about — did it in 2019-20.
“Some success, however simply trusted my intuition on the final lap there,” Byron mentioned. “That labored out in our favor. … I can’t truthfully consider that, however we’re right here.”
Tyler Reddick completed in second place after following Byron via the crash, and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson got here in third, his greatest consequence since retiring from full-time racing.
On the white flag lap in extra time, Cole Custer received into Hamlin and triggered his second multi-car “Massive One” inside the span of 10 laps.
Earlier, with 5 laps to go, a violent crash despatched the race into extra time. Custer turned Christopher Bell, who had been vying for the lead, and despatched him into the pack.
A number of automobiles slammed into one another and Ryan Preece, who had a terrifying airborne wreck at Daytona in 2023, flipped once more after doing a wheelie and went the other way up into the wall. He was OK.
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“When the automobile took off like that and it received actual quiet, all I considered was my daughter,” Preece mentioned. “I used to be fortunate to stroll away, however we have been getting actual near someone not with the ability to.”
Different automobiles concerned included Brad Keselowski and Kyle Larson, each of whom solely want the Daytona 500 to finish their assortment of NASCAR crown jewels. Bubba Wallace, who had a powerful automobile, additionally was concerned.
The ultimate half of the race had been principally clear till the pack started battling laborious with 30 laps to go. The pot simmered after which boiled over with 15 laps remaining when Joey Logano tried to make a 3rd lane and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. slid down late to cowl the try — nevertheless it left Logano in no man’s land.
It appeared neither Stenhouse nor Logano have been keen to offer an inch at that time, and it price them each, as Logano ended up wrecking with Stenhouse. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch and a number of other different drivers who had been sturdy contenders to win simply moments earlier than additionally have been concerned.
The race had yet one more weather-plagued begin, which has change into an unlucky pattern this decade. Harking back to the 2020 race, President Donald Trump visited the observe solely to see the rain hit shortly thereafter.
There have been solely 9 green-flag laps earlier than a chilly entrance moved via and triggered greater than 4 hours of delays. Lastly, after two separate red-flag intervals and hours of observe drying, the sector returned to racing.
AJ Allmendinger turned the primary retirement of the race on Lap 42 when he instantly slowed with an engine concern. Allmendinger is returning to full-time racing within the Cup Sequence after spending final 12 months within the Xfinity Sequence.
The primary multi-car incident occurred on Lap 63 when Ross Chastain instantly slowed and Hamlin hit the brakes to keep away from him. However Zane Smith bumped into the again of Hamlin, who did a half-spin however saved his automobile whereas Smith misplaced management and slammed into Josh Berry — in his first race driving the Wooden Brothers’ No. 21 automobile.
Logano gained the primary stage below warning on account of that incident. However on the restart of Stage 2, it was Logano who triggered the primary main crash.
Because the automobiles took the inexperienced flag for Stage 2, Logano’s engine instantly lagged and triggered the complete prime line to stack up in an accordion impact. Chastain was shot out of line and the following crash collected a dozen automobiles — together with knocking four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and former NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. out of the race. Chastain additionally was completed for the race with crash harm.
Logano, who had led 43 of the primary 71 laps with maybe the quickest automobile, lastly identified his engine concern: A part of a plastic bag got here into the No. 22 automobile’s throttle physique. The workforce fastened it nicely sufficient for him to drive again to a top-10 end in Stage 2.
Logano’s Crew Penske teammate Blaney then gained Stage 2 after he shoved one other Penske teammate, Austin Cindric, out to the lead on the ultimate lap — after which used a push from shut pal Chase Elliott to nip Cindric on the line.
Total, Penske swept the primary two levels and led 142 of the opening 186 laps till the Stenhouse/Logano large wreck.
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(Photograph: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Photographs)