As traditional, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Collection season kicked off with its largest race of the season within the Daytona 500. After a prolonged three-hour climate delay, the 67th operating of the “Nice American Race” was accomplished underneath the lights Sunday night.
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With the primary weekend of the season within the books, see who has the higher hand to begin 2025 and who used their mulligan because the Cup Collection heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway subsequent Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
THREE UP ⬆️
1. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Began: fifth
Completed: 1st
What occurred: Guess who’s again? William Byron grew to become simply the fifth totally different driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s as he was the benefactor of a giant last-lap crash down the backstretch. Byron and Tyler Reddick have been the one drivers to slide by the final-lap calamity unscathed and have been the primary two again to the checkered flag. Byron now joins rarified air of back-to-back Daytona 500 winners, becoming a member of Denny Hamlin (2019-20), Sterling Marlin (1994-95), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Richard Petty (1973-74).
What’s subsequent: One race in and one playoff berth. Byron will as soon as once more have a step up on the competitors relating to playoff preparation. He can enter weekends looser than the remainder of the sphere and go for wins with out the strain of attempting to make the 16-car area because the season progresses. Subsequent up is Atlanta, and the No. 24 driver is among the greatest for the reason that reconfiguration on the 1.5-mile oval. He owns two wins at Atlanta and completed ninth in the summertime final season.
2. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Began: eleventh
Completed: 2nd
What occurred: Reddick adopted Byron via the last-lap crash into Flip 3 and tried chasing down the No. 24 for the win to no avail. Reddick scored three stage factors within the opening body however was not a lot of a participant all through the evening, so the runner-up outcome was a giant one to get the No. 45 staff’s season began in the precise path. Each Byron and Reddick have been Championship 4 drivers final season.
What’s subsequent: Reddick ought to proceed to thrive within the coming weeks, however Atlanta has been hit-or-miss for him. He completed sixth in the summertime race final season and could have Circuit of The Americas arising after the journey to the Peach State.
3. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Membership Toyota
Began: 18th
Completed: fifth
What occurred: Nemechek was not afraid to combine it up for the lead within the closing phases of the race, and operating towards the entrance on the ultimate lap, the No. 42 driver held a fairly wheel to remain out of the mess into Flip 3. Nemechek joined his staff proprietor Jimmie Johnson as effectively scoring top-five finishes on the largest stage.
What’s subsequent: Two prime fives to begin the yr for Legacy Motor Membership is precisely what this group must kickstart 2025 after a forgettable 2024 marketing campaign. Nemechek might want to flip his fortunes round at Atlanta after two finishes outdoors the highest 20 final yr.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Began: ninth
Completed: fortieth
What occurred: Chastain was a sufferer of mistaken place, mistaken time firstly of Stage 2 as Joey Logano stacked up the skin lane on a restart the place Chastain was lined up. As Logano’s automotive didn’t rise up to hurry, the entire lane accordioned, triggering a that ended the day for Chastain, in addition to Hélio Castroneves and Martin Truex Jr.
What’s subsequent: With Atlanta being one other drafting monitor to begin the season, Chastain must flip luck in his favor subsequent weekend to keep away from much more setbacks to start the season. The reconfigured 1.5-mile oval has been a combined bag for the No. 1 pilot, with two second-place finishes in 2022 however only one top-10 outcome since.
2. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Began: twenty first
Completed: thirty fourth
What occurred: As soon as once more, Kyle Busch had the automotive quick sufficient to lastly break via for his first Harley J. Earl Trophy in his twentieth begin, however an aggressive transfer from Joey Logano with 13 to go began a that noticed Busch get turned all the way down to the backstretch. The ensuing injury was an excessive amount of for the No. 8 to return to motion, and the two-time Cup champion must wait till 2026 to seize that elusive Daytona 500 win.
What’s subsequent: Busch was 0.007 seconds from a playoff berth at Atlanta one yr in the past in that epic that noticed Daniel Suárez outduel Busch and Ryan Blaney. Nonetheless as among the best superspeedway racers since becoming a member of RCR, Busch has been fairly good on the 1.5-mile oval lately, snagging prime 10s within the final three occasions in Hampton, Georgia.
3. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Began: twentieth
Completed: thirty first
What occurred: Bell appeared to be in prime place towards the top of Sunday’s Daytona 500 however was dealt the dangerous hand after too many pushes from Cole Custer despatched the No. 20 into the skin wall, triggering a that noticed Ryan Preece go airborne and the wrong way up in Flip 3. It’s the primary time Bell has completed outdoors the highest three within the “Nice American Race” since 2022.
What’s subsequent: Beginning off on the mistaken foot might be not the way in which Bell wished to begin his 2025 marketing campaign after the heartbreak final yr at Martinsville that left him out of the Championship 4. Atlanta was combined for Bell final yr the place he was caught up in a Lap 2 wreck within the spring and completed fourth in the summertime race.
