William Byron avoided a series of late crashes to secure his second straight win at the 2025 Daytona 500.
The NASCAR Cup Series season opener held at Daytona International Speedway was a thrilling and chaotic affair culminating in a last-lap wreck that took out several contenders.
William Byron’s win makes him the fifth driver in history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. The Hendrick Motorsports driver managed to navigate the late-race chaos, securing the victory ahead of Tyler Reddick and Jimmie Johnson.
The 67th running of the Daytona 500 experienced a delayed start due to persistent rain, pushing the commencement of the race into the late afternoon. Despite the delay, the race was relatively clean for the majority of its duration, with the most significant incidents happening during the final stages.
Joey Logano captured the Stage 1 victory while his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney secured Stage 2 win. Michael McDowell posted the fastest lap in the Xfinity Series, earning him an additional point.
However, tension mounted as the 2025 Daytona 500 neared its conclusion leading to a series of incidents that dramatically altered the overall dynamics of the competition.
One of the most notable incidents involved Ryan Preece, whose No. 60 Ford was sent airborne in a terrifying crash. Fortunately, Preece was able to walk away from the wreck unscathed and was spotted talking to the media after the race.
The final lap of the race saw a green-white-checker restart following Preece’s crash, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. However, Denny Hamlin who was leading at the time lost control after contact with Austin Cindric on the backstretch, triggering a multi-car pileup that eliminated several contenders.
Meanwhile, William Byron who had been running near the front skillfully avoided the chaos and seized the opportunity to take the checkered flag.
Byron’s victory was a testament to his skill and the strength of his Hendrick Motorsports team. Despite leading only 10 laps, he was in the right place at the right time to capitalize on the misfortunes of his rivals.
In his post-race interview, Byron acknowledged the element of luck involved in his 2025 Daytona 500 win, expressing gratitude to his team for their hard work and preparation.
“Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but just trusted my instincts on the last lap there,” Byron said after climbing from his car. “I felt like they were getting squirrelly on the bottom, and I was honestly going to go third (top) lane regardless, because I was probably sixth coming down the back.
“Just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor. But just really proud of this team. Worked super hard all week and had an amazing car. Just had a really hard time with the fuel saving and kind of staying towards the front.
“Crazy. I can’t honestly believe that. But we’re here. So proud of it.”
Tyler Reddick finished second while Jimmie Johnson making a return to NASCAR claimed the third spot. Chase Briscoe and John Hunter Nemechek rounded out the top five.
Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier, and Chris Buescher completed the top 10.
Several other drivers had notable performances throughout the 2025 Daytona 500. Ryan Blaney in particular had a strong showing winning Stage 2 and leading a significant number of laps, however, his hopes for a victory were dashed in the late-race chaos.
Jimmie Johnson’s third-place finish was a remarkable achievement, considering he started the race in 40th position.
The 2025 Daytona 500 was a challenging race for many drivers with 11 cars failing to finish. Among those who encountered issues were Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Chase Elliott.
Busch and Elliott were involved in separate incidents that resulted in significant damage to their cars, while Truex Jr. experienced mechanical problems. Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, and Brad Keselowski also had their chances at victory spoiled.
William Byron’s victory guarantees him a spot in the playoffs as he aims for his first NASCAR Cup Series championship, after finishing third in the standings the past two years.
