Kaycee Staton
Staff Writer
William Byron made history by winning his second consecutive Daytona 500, joining an elite group of drivers who have won back-to-back titles, last achieved by Denny Hamlin in 2019 and 2020. The race was delayed for over three hours due to rain, with notable moments including President Donald Trump addressing the drivers and actor Anthony Mackie giving the starting command.
After the delay, Joey Logano led for the first 65 laps, with Austin Cindric leading much of Stage 2 before Ryan Blaney won it. In the final stage, several drivers exchanged the lead, including Bubba Wallace, briefly holding it before Blaney regained control with 100 miles to go.
The race intensified in the closing laps, highlighted by a terrifying crash involving Ryan Preece. After Christopher Bell was bumped by Cole Custer and hit the outside wall, his car slid down the track and collided with Preece’s No. 60 Mustang. Preece’s car went airborne, performing a wheelie before flipping onto its roof and sliding up the bank. It then hit the wall, bounced off, and slid back down on its wheels, stopping.
Remarkably, Preece emerged unscathed and was evaluated and released from the infield care center.
“It was a little worrying to see, but it did look pretty cool,” sophomore Kai Imperial said, acknowledging both the danger and the spectacle of the crash.
This marked the second time in two years Preece had flipped at Daytona. The first occurred in the 2023 Daytona 500 when he was involved in a multi-car wreck that flipped his car 10 times before landing upside down and sliding across the track.
“That’s insane to me that something like that could actually happen,” freshman Miles Brittan said.
Following the 2023 incident, Ryan Preece’s wreck left a lasting impact on many fans and students. Some felt the intensity of his crash was a wake-up call to the risks involved in racing at Daytona.
“It’s a part of the sport, it’s why some people watch it,” freshman Jack Gunther said, reflecting the mixed feelings some had— while the danger is always concerning, the excitement and thrill of NASCAR are undeniable to many fans.
Preece himself commented on the terrifying nature of the crash during the Fox broadcast of the race: “I’m lucky to walk away, but we’re really close to somebody not being able to.” He also shared his thoughts while the car was airborne, saying, “When the car took off and it got real quiet, I just thought about my daughter.”
After the wrecks and chaos, Byron surged from outside the top five to the lead in the final lap, clinching his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory. Tyler Reddick finished second and Jimmie Johnson took third.
“It was about staying out of trouble, capitalizing on the opportunities when they came,” Byron said. “The chaos unfolding around me was unbelievable, but in the end, it was all about timing.”
