William Byron won the Daytona 500, which was a marathon on Sunday night, after rain delays and yellow caution flags ultimately led to some overtime laps.
And those two overtime laps were an absolute thrill that saw multiple spin-outs and crashes that allowed Byron to win the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year.
Six of the last eight Daytona 500 races have ended in overtime, and like any overtime in sports, the desperation was felt by every driver to come out on top.
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NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson (4), driver Austin Cindric (2) and driver Ryan Preece (60) race three wide during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
But trying to get to the front of the pack led to a wreck at the front, where Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 car was leading with one lap to go as Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe were trying to move ahead of him.
But as Custer was on Hamlin’s right, Briscoe bumped the back of the No. 11 car, which ultimately led the three-time Daytona 500 winner to spin-out, hitting No. 2 Austin Cindric on his left in the process.
With a bit of luck, though, Byron came out of the wreck unscathed and the caution flag never came up as he hit the final straightaway to the checkered flag for the win.
TRUMP APPLAUDS ‘GUTS’ OF NASCAR DRIVERS AHEAD OF DAYTONA 500, SENDS THEM SPECIAL MESSAGE
Tyler Reddick (No. 45), Jimmie Johnson (No. 84), Briscoe, and John Nemechek rounded out the top five.
Speaking of yellow flags, the 67th running of the “Great American Race” came with a bunch, especially one after Ryan Preece’s No. 60 car flying through the air after a wreck with five laps to go. Thankfully, he walked off the track at Daytona unscathed.
Christopher Bell was battling with Hamlin for first place when Custer’s Ford pushed Bell’s No. 20 one too many times.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8), driver Ryan Blaney (12) and driver Bubba Wallace (23) race three wide during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Mike Watters-Imagn Images)
Bell’s car was dancing a bit as Custer continued to bump him, and the No. 20 eventually had enough as it smashed into the wall. Ryan Preece’s No. 60 car took over in the air as a result of the crash by Bell as well, but thankfully no one was injured as a result.
A yellow flag came out late with 14 laps to go, as Ryan Blaney, who was in position to make a run at the win, was knocked out of the running after Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s front left tire wiped him out in a crash that involved Joey Logano and others as well.
The wreck occurred after Logano tried to make a move passed Stenhouse, who was quick to keep his lead. Kyle Busch was also in a good position to win it, but he was seen in his No. 8 car spinning out as well.
The race faced two delays due to inclement weather, as rain poured down in Florida above the track.
President Donald Trump also made an appearance at Daytona, leading the drivers on a lap before the race began. It’s the second time he’s attended the event, and applauded NASCAR’s drivers while speaking with FOX Sports’ Jamie Little.
“They have a lot of courage doing this,” Trump said. “I see it and I’ve been here. They have a lot of guts, as they would say.”
NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
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Trump, who was joined on the track by his granddaughter, highlighted the progress of the United States since he started his second term as president.
“I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s great for the country,” he said. “The country is doing well again. We have spirit all over the world. There’s spirit again, we brought it back and it’s been less than four weeks. You’ll see what we do in a little period of time. It’s gonna only get better. But this is very exciting.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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