The 2025 Daytona 500 provided fans with plenty of excitement, even though it ended under the lights. William Byron emerged victorious, winning his second consecutive Daytona 500 after a dramatic final lap crash took out several contenders.
Byron, at 27, became the first driver since Denny Hamlin in 2019-2020 to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. Hamlin was leading going into the final lap but lost control after a collision with Austin Cindric on the backstretch, spinning out.
Byron, representing Hendrick Motorsports, expressed his surprise and joy in an interview following the race. “Super good fortune,” he said. “Just really proud of this team. We worked so hard all week and had an amazing car… Crazy? Yeah, I can’t honestly believe that, but we’re here.”
The race’s dramatic conclusion came after a green-white-checker restart, which followed a massive crash four laps earlier that saw Ryan Preece’s car go airborne and hit the wall. Preece, who signaled he was okay, was later evaluated and released from the infield care center. He reflected on the scary moment, saying, “When the car took off like that, it got real quiet, and all I thought about was my daughter. So, I am lucky to walk away.”
Christopher Bell, also involved in the crash, was evaluated and released as well.
Weather played a major role in the race, as rain interrupted the action early on. After just 11 laps, a downpour forced a red flag, followed by a more than three-hour delay. When racing resumed, more rain caused another red flag, but the skies eventually cleared and allowed the race to continue.
Once the action got underway again, there were several lead changes, but a small wreck on lap 63 brought out a caution. When the race restarted on lap 71, Joey Logano, who had been in the lead, experienced mechanical issues, slowing his car and triggering a chain reaction crash that took several drivers out of the race.
Logano, the reigning NASCAR champion, who had won the first stage of the race, was forced to pit for repairs, leaving his Team Penske teammate, Ryan Blaney, to win the second stage.
Before the race started, President Donald Trump made an appearance, leading the drivers in a lap around the track in his motorcade. He also addressed the drivers, saying, “This is your favorite president. I’m a really big fan of you people. How you do this, I don’t know, but I just want you to be safe. You’re talented people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I’ll see you later.”
Trump, wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” cap, was accompanied by his young granddaughter, who sported a white MAGA cap, as they mingled with drivers and racing legends like Richard Petty on pit row before the race started.
The president also participated in the pre-race events, attending the invocation and the national anthem.
