William Byron Makes History in WIld Daytona 500

Published: Sunday, February 16, 2025

by Thomas Mazurowski

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron won his second consecutive Daytona 500 in remarkable fashion after a rainy, crash-filled Sunday evening.

Byron took the No. 24 Camaro to victory lane after surging ahead of a multi-car wreck on the final lap. He became just the fifth driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty and Denny Hamlin. The victory also marks Hendrick Motorsports’ 10th Daytona 500 win, breaking a tie with Petty Enterprises for the all-time record.

After running up front most of the night, William Byron fell to the rear with teammate Chase Elliott in the closing laps before rebounding. The No. 24 car was fifth at the time of the crash, emerging with the lead in Turn 3 and beating Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 to the line.

Weather played a significant role Sunday afternoon. Marred by storms from the start, the race was put under caution for rain just eight laps after the green flag. It resumed shortly after 6 p.m. following five hours of on-and-off rain and delays.

Team Penske's dominance defined the night, with its three Fords leading a combined 125 of 200 laps. Austin Cindric led 59, the most of any Penske driver and the most in the field.

Joey Logano, driving the No. 22 for Penske, won Stage 1. Ryan Blaney took Stage 2 in the No. 12, followed by teammate Cindric in second. Cindric led much of the final stage before the trio’s momentum stalled at Lap 186, when a crash took Logano and Blaney out of contention.

It would only be a few more laps before a shocking accident sent the No. 60 of Ryan Preece flying upside down into Turn 3. Christopher Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car was spun at the end of the backstretch, hitting Preece’s car and sending the front end of the No. 60 airborne.

In one of the most bewildering accidents in NASCAR history, Preece was forced into a near-backflip before slamming the outside wall, finally coming to rest right-side up on the apron. Preece thankfully walked away under his own power.

Cindric led the field back to green for the two-lap shootout with Denny Hamlin by his side. At the white flag, Riley Herbst spun his No. 35 from fifth place into the infield grass before making an incredible save, keeping the race green. The field was approaching Turn 3 when Chase Briscoe made contact with Hamlin, sending several of the leaders spinning. Byron narrowly snuck by on the outside, taking the checkered flag half a lap later.

The top 10 was filled with surprises. In addition to the unexpected victory, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson secured a third-place finish after the last-lap incident, marking his best result since returning to part-time racing for Legacy Motor Club. His teammate, John Hunter Nemechek, finished fifth in the No. 42 Legacy car.

Justin Allgaier placed ninth in JR Motorsports’ first attempt at the Daytona 500 following a stellar performance in the Duels on Thursday. Chris Buescher followed in 10th, salvaging a solid finish for RFK Racing after his teammate Preece’s crash.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves had a tough introduction to stock car racing this weekend. The veteran IndyCar star retired in 39th place after an incident involving several open entries, including former NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr.

Before the 500, young phenoms Corey Heim and Jesse Love each secured victories earlier in the weekend, winning the Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series races, respectively. Brendan “Butterbean” Queen won the ARCA Menards Series race Saturday after an 80-lap wreckfest, which also featured Castroneves.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway next week for the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m.

Thomas Mazurowski can be reached at thomas.mazurowski@student.shu.edu. 

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