The 68th working of the Daytona 500 is now historical past, with Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing its anointed champions. 25 of the 41 starters took a prove entrance, there was a 20-car pileup, the race by some means completed below inexperienced, and the rain held off!
Earlier than Reddick claimed the checkered flag drivers, like Carson Hocevar, Zane Smith, Erik Jones, Chase Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, and a number of other others all had a reputable shot of ending up the place he stood within the closing seconds of the race.
Here is a glance again at 5 of the most important winners and losers from Sunday’s wild race:
WINNER: Tyler Reddick, 23XI, and Michael Jordan
Watch: Michael Jordan on Daytona triumph: ‘Seems like I received a championship’
There’s a lot to be mentioned right here, however we’ll attempt to maintain it temporary. Reddick comes again from a winless 2025 to triumph in NASCAR’s crown jewel occasion, main solely the ultimate lap of the race. 23XI places all three of its full-time automobiles within the prime ten for the primary time, and within the first race again after their trial towards NASCAR led to a settlement. And the GOAT Michael Jordan simply added one other ring to his historic profession, hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy with Reddick in Victory Lane.
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LOSER: Chase Elliott raced clear, and paid the value
Watch: Elliott after Daytona 500 loss: ‘Actually sucks to be that shut’
On the ultimate lap of the five hundred, loads of drivers had been shedding their heads. Nonetheless, Elliott was not one in every of them. He got here out with the lead on the different finish of the Flip 1 pileup, and led many of the closing lap of the race. Exiting Flip 4, Reddick made the successful transfer and Elliott didn’t pull a wild block that might have certainly led to catastrophe. And whereas moments later, he obtained became the surface wall by one other automotive, had that not occurred, maybe he may have side-drafted his approach again even with Reddick in a photograph end. However as an alternative, he was left with a mangled automotive and dashed goals. Elliott later lamented the truth that he tried to keep away from wrecking himself, solely to get wrecked anyway.
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WINNER: NASCAR for making the suitable calls on begin occasions, warning flags
NASCAR Cup Collection brand
Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Pictures
What a refreshing day in race management! NASCAR moved the race’s begin time up a full hour in a proactive transfer, and with the rain that hit the monitor inside an hour of the checkered flag, that call saved the Daytona 500 from being the primary season-opener rain shortened since 2009. And all through the race, NASCAR solely threw the yellow once they really wanted to, and even let the sector race again to the road on the finish of the race. There would have been some years the place Sunday’s race ended unceremoniously in Flip 1 after the primary wreck, however NASCAR let the sector race it out. Simply good choices that helped keep away from angst and frustration amongst the fanbase.
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LOSER: Spire’s 1-2 ends in catastrophe
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Spire Motorsports practically had all of it. An unbelievable fuel-save by Michael McDowell and an ideal drive by Carson Hocevar left the group working 1-2 as the sector raced to the white flag. But it surely all led to tears, as Hocevar obtained turned from the lead, amassing his teammate. Hocevar ended up 18th and McDowell twenty second, whereas their new teammate Daniel Suarez navigated by way of the mess to complete thirteenth. It ended a troublesome Speedweek for Hocevar, who was concerned in a number of wrecks throughout the Truck and O’Reilly races as properly. However as soon as once more, Spire was inside arm’s size of a NASCAR Cup win whereas leaving empty-handed.
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WINNER: Riley Herbst, regardless of the post-race criticism
Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona 500 as Chase Elliott, Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. crash
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Pictures
On one facet, Herbst just about brought on the large crash within the tri-oval with a late block on Brad Keseowski, drawing the ire of the veteran Cup Collection champion. However on the opposite facet of it, he pushed his 23XI teammate to the lead and obtained praised by his boss, Michael Jordan, on nationwide TV. I would say the nice outweighs the unhealthy there. And even whereas crashing, Herbst secured his finest profession end on Sunday, and was integral to Reddick’s triumph, which certainly helps with job safety too.
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LOSER: Allgaier wrecks out of the lead, triggering 20-car crash
Large one strikes at Daytona: Justin Allgaier, Todd Gilliland, Denny Hamlin, John-Hunter Nemechek concerned
Picture by: Jeff Curry / Getty Pictures
It was all so good for JRM, till it wasn’t. Dale Jr. was chatting on the radio, excited as Justin Allgaier took the lead of the 2026 Daytona 500. The final lap he led was Lap 123, and sadly, he was slamming into the wall as he crossed the beginning/end line. Allgaier left just a little room to his exterior, engaging superspeedway ace Hamlin to poke his nostril in there. Allgaier tried to shut the hole, but it surely was too late, ensuing within the greatest wreck of the race — roughly 20 automobiles sustained harm. And that was the tip of JRM’s second look within the 500, ending thirty eighth. Allgaier later took full accountability for the crash.
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WINNER: Kyle Busch seemingly ‘provides up’ solely to web loads of positions
Intelligent transfer or unhealthy look? The talk rages on-line about Busch’s resolution to drop out of the pack within the closing two laps of the Daytona 500. Nonetheless, the very fact stays that many of the automobiles he was round earlier than lifting wrecked on the ultimate lap. And whereas Busch dropped again to virtually thirtieth, he ended up ending fifteenth as he navigated his approach by way of the carnage and not using a scratch. On this new period of factors racing, that was a sensible transfer. But when there wasn’t a wreck, we could be having a special dialog proper now…
LOSER: Joe Gibbs Racing…all of them
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Picture by: Malcolm Hope – Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures
Ty Gibbs completed twenty third, and he led the best way for Joe Gibbs Racing. Oof. His three teammates all completed within the 30s with harm. ‘Driver’ Denny Hamlin was thirty first, Christopher Bell thirty fifth, and Chase Briscoe thirty seventh. And what’s much more irritating for JGR is the truth that Hamlin and Bell had been broken in the identical wreck that principally concerned solely the 2 of them with just a few laps to go. However hey, no less than ‘Proprietor’ Hamlin nonetheless obtained to go to Victory Lane with Reddick and MJ.
WINNER: Ryan Preece for being decided to complete the race
Preece didn’t win the 68th working of the Daytona 500, however he did not fly by way of the air both, in order that’s a constructive. Following flips within the 2023 summer time race and 2025 Daytona 500, Preece was certainly relieved to only end the race, but it surely was the best way he did it that makes him one in every of our winners. He threw the automotive in reverse, and drove backwards across the superspeedway, taking the checkered flag lengthy after race winner Reddick climbed from his automotive. He was twenty fifth, the final driver who formally completed the race. Now that’s dedication!
LOSER: Bubba Wallace leads essentially the most laps, however left questioning what may have been
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Picture by: James Gilbert / Getty Pictures
23XI nonetheless received NASCAR’s greatest race, however Wallace is aware of how shut he was to making sure that it was him. After main 40 laps — greater than every other driver — he made it by way of the primary last-lap crash clear. At that time, teammate Herbst was to his exterior with Keselowski to his inside, and Reddick simply forward. Wallace was absolutely within the struggle, just for a barely in-control William Byron to shoot again up the monitor from the apron, forcing Wallace to slam the brakes. He nonetheless completed inside the highest ten, but it surely may have been a lot extra, and he knew it.
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