William Byron Secures Consecutive Daytona 500 Victories

 

William Byron Secures Consecutive Daytona 500 Victories

On NASCAR’s biggest stage, William Byron claimed victory at the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year.

Byron capitalized on key race developments to secure another win in the prestigious event.

''Just trusted my instincts on the last lap there,'' said Byron, who drives the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. ''I felt like they were getting squirrelly on the bottom, and I was honestly going to go third lane regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the back.''

With this achievement, Byron joins an elite group of only five drivers in NASCAR history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, a feat last accomplished by Denny Hamlin in 2019-20.

Navigating the final lap with precision, Byron avoided a multi-car wreck near the outside wall and surged ahead to claim the checkered flag.

''Just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor,'' he said. ''Crazy. I can’t honestly believe that. But we’re here. So proud of it.''

Late-Race Crash Sparks Frustration from Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch didn’t hold back in his criticism of Joey Logano following a late-race crash that took both drivers out of contention.

Busch ended the race in 34th place, just one position ahead of Logano, after they were both involved in a collision that appeared to be caused by Logano’s aggressive driving.

''Looks like the fastest car got in a hurry to get to the wreck,'' Busch said. ''Logano was by far the fastest car today. Saw a lot of laps lead and could about do anything; the Penske cars were very strong. We still got 20 laps to go and he’s trying to go through the middle and make a hole that isn’t there and created chaos. … You got to know how wide your racecar is to be able to find a hole that it’ll fit in, and he obviously doesn’t know that.''

Byron’s Triumph Highlights Daytona 500 Standouts

William Byron’s victory secured his place in NASCAR history, making him the youngest driver to win multiple Daytona 500s. He surged from ninth to first in the final moments following a dramatic crash among the race leaders. Seven of his 14 career Cup Series victories have come in overtime.

Tyler Reddick finished in second place, achieving his best-ever Daytona 500 result, while Jimmie Johnson secured third—his highest finish in the event since winning in 2013.

Hendrick Motorsports celebrated its milestone 10th Daytona 500 victory, solidifying its status as the most successful team in the event’s history.

Legacy Motor Club also made headlines with an impressive showing. Jimmie Johnson’s third-place finish and John Hunter Nemechek’s fifth-place result marked a significant improvement, equaling the organization’s total number of top-five finishes from the previous two seasons combined.

Disappointments from the Daytona 500

While some drivers celebrated career-defining moments, others left the track disappointed.

Ryan Preece suffered another terrifying airborne crash on the Daytona backstretch for the second straight year.

''When the car took off like that, it got real quiet,'' Preece told Fox. ''All I thought about was my daughter, so I’m lucky to walk away, but we’re getting really close to somebody not being able to, so I’m very grateful.''

Joey Logano dominated early, leading 43 laps and winning the first stage, but finished a disappointing 35th after being involved in a wreck triggered by contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Kyle Busch, still searching for his first Daytona 500 win, extended his streak to 20 winless attempts after getting caught in the crash caused by Logano and Stenhouse Jr.’s contact.