William Byron emerges victorious in the 2024 Daytona 500 following a fierce battle with competitors in the final stages of the race.
In the 40th anniversary year of Hendrick Motorsports, during the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida, William Byron presented team owner Rick Hendrick with an additional cause for celebration. As the race approached its conclusion and a tumultuous sequence of events unfolded following a restart on Lap 197 of 200, Byron successfully crossed the start/finish line and received the white flag just before NASCAR issued the fifth caution of the evening due to Ross Chastain spinning wildly through the infield grass after a collision with Austin Cindric’s Ford. Finishing closely behind Byron, Alex Bowman secured a 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. This triumph marked the organization’s first victory in the “Great American Race” since Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed the victory in 2014.
It also signified the first instance Hendrick accomplished a 1-2 finish in the race since Jimmie Johnson led Earnhardt across the finish line in 2013.
This win marked the ninth Daytona 500 triumph for Hendrick, equaling Petty Enterprises for the most wins in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series’ most prestigious event. The race had been postponed from Sunday to Monday due to heavy rainfall over the weekend.
Reflecting on his victory, the 26-year-old Byron expressed astonishment at his accomplishment. He dedicated his win to his ailing father, reminiscing about how they used to watch races together from the grandstands when he was younger.
Overwhelmed with joy in Victory Lane, Hendrick remarked on the impeccable timing of the win in the organization’s 40th year, equalling the record with their ninth Daytona 500 victory. Before the final restart, a dramatic incident involving Alex Bowman, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and others on Lap 192 triggered a major crash involving 23 cars, resulting in significant damage and necessitating a red flag for track cleanup that lasted over 15 minutes. “Speedway racing strikes again,” Logano commented with a tinge of regret. “It’s a lot of fun until incidents like this occur. It was quite interesting, with a lot of pushing and shoving towards the end. Our car held up well. Our Mustang was incredibly fast. It could lead the pack effortlessly. I thought I had the right cars around me, at least one of them, but couldn’t quite make it work.””I am obviously disappointed by the incident that occurred on the backstretch,” Byron reflected on the accident. “I was pushed and lost control of my car. Nevertheless, I am proud of our team, the entire Axalta team, especially as we celebrate our 40th anniversary on Monday. I feel grateful for the opportunities we have had, and we are determined to maintain our momentum. We have a lot to prove this year, and this race has given us a positive start.”
The race was cut short to five laps due to an eight-car accident at Turn 4 which was expected given the close racing. Keselowski’s Ford made contact with a tightly packed group on the outside, leading to John Hunter Nemechek’s Toyota colliding with Harrison Burton’s Ford as Nemechek swerved into the middle lane. This triggered a chain reaction, involving Carson Hocevar’s Chevrolet. Burton spun into the grass, leading to a subsequent collision between Burton’s No. 21 Mustang, Grala’s Ford, and Dillon’s Chevrolet. Hocevar was then struck by Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time series champion, who was unable to avoid the collision.
Ultimately, Burton, Hocevar, and Grala were eliminated from the race. Dillon required extensive repairs in the garage, while Johnson lost two laps on pit road as his team worked to fix his Camry quickly.
“I am not certain who was on my outside,” Burton stated after visiting the infield care center. “It felt like they either misjudged the push or lost control, causing them to hit me on the right and send me sideways across the track. The wet grass prevented me from stopping as expected; the car continued to slide uncontrollably. It’s disappointing that our day ended prematurely despite having a competitive car. Nonetheless, we must move forward and focus on the upcoming race with the aim of winning.”
Subsequent to the crash, 187 laps were completed before another significant wreck further reduced the field, setting the stage for a thrilling finish.
Featuring 41 lead changes involving 20 drivers, Christopher Bell secured third place, followed by Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace, and AJ Allmendinger. Chastain finished 21st after being unable to find the right opportunity to pass Cindric on the penultimate lap. Their positions were followed by Johnson, who finished in 28th place. Reddick, the 2024 Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 winner, successfully completed the race, while defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Blaney finished 30th after being involved in the 23-car pileup.
The Cup Series will move to Atlanta Motor Speedway next for the Ambetter Health 400 scheduled for Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time, broadcast on FOX, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Post-race inspections in the Cup Series garage at Daytona concluded smoothly, confirming Byron as the race winner. Further inspections for Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet and Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota will be conducted at the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina.