DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (AP) — William Byron raced to his second straight Daytona 500 victory, surviving a string of late-race wrecks that knocked out a bit of contenders and despatched the Hendrick Motorsports driver into victory lane Sunday evening at Daytona Worldwide Speedway.
Ninth within the No. 24 Chevrolet with one lap left, Byron was in the correct place by racing close to the skin wall in time beyond regulation to turned the primary back-to-back winner since Denny Hamlin in 2019-20.
Byron took benefit of one other wreck on the ultimate lap — NASCAR didn’t drop the warning and let the sector race to the end — and took one other, acquainted burnout in Daytona Worldwide Speedway.
“It’s obviously really special,” Byron mentioned. “It’s an incredible race, and clearly lots of loopy racing on the market tonight and simply lots of pushing and shoving
The 27-year-old Byron held on to win after two climate delays totaling greater than 3 1/2 hours, and with President Donald Trump set to observe the remainder of the race in Florida, after he earlier led drivers on two laps across the observe in his closely armored presidential limousine recognized in Washington as “The Beast.”
Hendrick Motorsports received its tenth Daytona 500 to interrupt a tie with Petty Enterprises for the file.
“Just obviously fortunate it worked out in our favor,” Byron mentioned. “Crazy? Yeah. I can’t honestly believe that but we’re here.”
Byron received for the 14th time in his Cup profession, and already set his sights on the championship race in Phoenix after ending third within the standings in every of the final two years.
“We plan on trying to win a lot of races this year, so we’re not going to stop here,” Byron mentioned. “We’re going to continue to push forward and try to get to Phoenix.”
It wouldn’t be Daytona with out the ferocious late wrecks down the stretch that inevitably ship the race into time beyond regulation.
With 4 laps left, Ryan Preece turned upside-down and basically did a wheelie in his No. 60 Ford. His automobile flipped onto its roof and turned again onto its tires earlier than hitting the skin wall. Preece dropped his security web to sign to crews he was OK.
Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and Brad Keselowski all had their pictures at victory lane spoiled, and the race was red-flagged, simply 11 laps after one other massive one shuffled the sector and knocked 4 former Cup Collection champions out of competition.
Reigning NASCAR champion Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse began the multi-car melee when Logano moved to the center and Stenhouse moved to dam him. It stacked up Logano, and the accordion impact despatched a number of vehicles — together with ones belonging to former Cup champs Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott — sliding in each route.
Busch’s automobile ended up on a wrecker, extending his skid to 0 for 20 in “The Great American Race.”
Tyler Reddick was second and two-time Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson was third. Chase Briscoe was fourth and John Hunter Nemechek fifth.
Depart a legacy
Johnson and Nemechek gave Legacy Motor Membership two top-five finishes. A Corridor of Fame driver and seven-time NASCAR champion, Johnson is now the bulk proprietor below an offseason restructuring. It was his highest end in race since he received it in 2013.
“I have emotions that I didn’t expect to have. I’ve never been in this position as an owner, and it’s really opened up a different set of emotions,” Johnson mentioned after his highest end within the race since successful in 2013.
Early exit
4-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and 2017 NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. have been among the many drivers whose race ended after they have been collected in a wreck earlier than the midway level.
Castroneves made the Daytona 500 below a brand new rule that permits for a “world-class driver” to obtain a provisional spot. He landed a NASCAR trip as a part of Trackhouse’s “Project 91,” designed to provide famend racers from outdoors of the collection a shot in a inventory automobile.
“Disappointed, of course, because I was learning so much,” Castroneves mentioned. “It’s incredible when you have more laps into it, you understand the airflow, the guys, saving fuel. There was some sketchy moments. What a shame. I wish I was still out there. There’s still more to understand, more to learn. I’m starting to get a little more comfortable with the whole process.”
Truex, who retired from full-time racing on the finish of final season, didn’t win the Daytona 500 in 21 tries.
“It’s always disappointing when you don’t finish no matter the situation,” Truex mentioned. “It’s probably our only shot this year. It was fun while it lasted, but it was unfortunately wrong place, wrong time there.”
Truex completed thirty eighth and Castroneves thirty ninth.
Up subsequent
The collection shifts to Atlanta Motor Speedway the place Daniel Suarez is the defending race winner.
