In a finish that only Daytona International Speedway could deliver, William Byron pulled off a dramatic escape from a last-lap wreck to win the 2025 Daytona 500—his second straight victory in The Great American Race.
Byron’s triumph made him the first driver since Denny Hamlin (2019-2020) to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, securing his name in NASCAR history once again.
“Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but I just trusted my instincts on the last lap there,” Byron said. “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.”
Byron’s Houdini-like escape through the chaos was set in motion when Cole Custer turned three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in overtime, igniting a multi-car wreck that opened the door for Byron to take the lead.
How Byron Stole the Daytona 500
The final restart in overtime saw Hamlin and Austin Cindric battling for control when Custer made a move to the outside, then steered back down toward Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, triggering the massive crash.
Byron navigated through the smoke and wreckage, sneaking past Tyler Reddick to take the checkered flag by 0.113 seconds.
- Byron’s back-to-back Daytona 500 win marks his third career victory at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
- The win is his 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- Hendrick Motorsports continues its dominance, proving once again that they are the team to beat at Daytona.
“It’s an amazing race, and obviously a lot of crazy racing out there tonight,” Byron said. “We plan on trying to win a lot of races this year, so we’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to push forward and try to get to Phoenix (for the Championship 4).”
Penske’s Dominance Ends in Heartbreak
For much of the race, Team Penske looked untouchable.
- Joey Logano led 43 laps, won Stage 1, and controlled the race early.
- Ryan Blaney led 22 laps, won Stage 2, and combined with his teammates to lead 125 of 202 total laps.
- Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 winner, led a race-high 59 laps.
But in classic Daytona fashion, none of it mattered when the final laps turned into a wreck-filled free-for-all.
“Frustration—you’re taking the white as the leader,” said a disappointed Austin Cindric. “I felt like I executed all the restarts the right way and really that whole third stage. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get this Discount Tire Ford Mustang in Victory Lane.”
Logano, Blaney, and Cindric were all caught up in various wrecks that shuffled the field, leaving Penske empty-handed despite their dominance.
Denny Hamlin Falls Short in the Closing Laps
Denny Hamlin, the three-time Daytona 500 winner, had one hand on the Harley J. Earl Trophy before Custer’s move sent him spinning.
“I measured up the No. 2 (Cindric) and got a run on him,” Hamlin explained. “The No. 41 (Custer) had a run, and I chose not to block him because these races, you have to live to make it off of Turn 4, and we just didn’t.”
Hamlin’s bid for a fourth Daytona 500 win ended in overtime heartbreak—a brutal reminder that at superspeedways, nothing is certain until the checkered flag drops.
The Massive Late-Race Wrecks That Shaped the Finish
The Daytona 500 chaos hit full force in the closing laps, with two massive crashes:
1. Lap 196 – The Wreck That Sent Preece Flying (Again)
With just over four laps remaining, Christopher Bell was turned into the outside wall by Custer, collecting:
- Ryan Preece, whose car flipped nose-first into the air before landing on its roof and tumbling back over.
- A total of 10 cars were swept up in the wreck, forcing the race to overtime.
“When the car took off like that, it got really quiet, and all I thought about was my daughter,” Preece said. “I’m lucky to walk away.”
2. Lap 186 – The Crash That Wiped Out Logano, Blaney, Busch, Elliott, and More
Earlier, Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tangled, triggering a pile-up that took out multiple contenders, including:
- Kyle Busch
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- Noah Gragson
This wreck reshuffled the running order, leaving only a handful of drivers with a shot at victory.
Legacy Motor Club Shines as Jimmie Johnson Claims Third
In one of the biggest surprises of the night, Jimmie Johnson wheeled his Legacy Motor Club Toyota to a third-place finish, marking his best Cup result since Dover 2020.
Legacy placed two drivers in the top five, with John Hunter Nemechek finishing fifth.
Other notable finishes:
- Chase Briscoe (P4) – A strong showing for Stewart-Haas Racing.
- Alex Bowman (P6) – Another Hendrick Motorsports driver in the mix.
- Chris Buescher (P10) – A solid finish for RFK Racing.
Meanwhile, Justin Allgaier’s P9 finish was historic—marking JR Motorsports’ first-ever Cup Series race.
“A top 10 in our Cup debut? We’ll take it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted on social media.
A Daytona 500 for the Ages
The 67th running of The Great American Race had everything:
✔️ Back-to-back Daytona 500 winner in William Byron
✔️ Stunning last-lap crashes
✔️ Heartbreaking losses for Penske and Hamlin
✔️ Jimmie Johnson rolling back the years
✔️ Donald Trump in attendance, adding to the spectacle
After a rain delay lasting over three hours, the 2025 Daytona 500 delivered all the chaos, unpredictability, and excitement that makes this race a must-watch event every year.
William Byron has now etched his name among NASCAR’s elite, and with momentum on his side, he’s poised for another big season.
The question now? Can anyone stop Byron’s early-season dominance?
One thing is for sure—Daytona never disappoints.