Four things we learned from crazy Daytona 500
After rain pushed the 66th Daytona 500 to Monday, William Byron came out victorious amid the chaos the race always seems to provide. With the first race of the season behind us, here's what we learned:
Hendrick Motorsports isn't going anywhere anytime soon
This one comes as no surprise, but Hendrick Motorsports — which finished 1-2 at Daytona — is once more one of the top teams in the sport. Chase Elliott won Stage 1 in a thrilling photo finish with teammate Kyle Larson, and the team as a whole led 24 laps.
Although the finish between Byron and teammate Alex Bowman was somewhat controversial as to who was ahead at the moment of caution, Rick Hendrick probably doesn’t mind seeing one of his cars in victory lane, regardless of the number. HMS will be a strong contender once again in 2024.
Daytona once again eludes veteran drivers
Veterans Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch are Cup Series champions and winners of other crown jewel events, but a Daytona 500 win continues to elude both.
Busch led 12 laps and still finished a solid 12th while Keselowski only led three laps. Along with his RFK teammate David Ragan, he was up at the front late until "The Big One" struck, with Keselowski getting turned around into the backstretch melee that ensued.
The crash ultimately meant Keselowski finished 33rd, and, like Busch, he was once more denied his shot at Daytona glory. Another veteran, Denny Hamlin, also was involved in the backstretch chaos, but because he's a three-time Daytona 500 winner, the loss likely stung less.
If you want to win on a superspeedway, you must go through Ford
A Chevrolet won the race, but Ford cars led 102 of 200 laps, with pole sitter Joey Logano leading the most laps (45). While Logano and fellow Ford drivers Keselowski, Ragan and Austin Cindric looked fast, the most surprising blue oval of the bunch was third-year driver Todd Gilliland, who led 16 laps before being taken out in the aforementioned "Big One."
It was an unfortunate end to a solid night for the 23-year-old driver, who looks to turn this performance into a win later in the season. One thing was clear, though: If you’re in a Ford at Daytona, Atlanta or Talladega this season, you have a good shot to win.
William Byron is here to stay
It may just be one race, but Byron has already cemented himself as a title favorite after Daytona.
Coming off a 2023 season in which he won six races and made the Championship Four, Byron seems a lock for the playoffs. With nothing to lose for the final 25 regular-season races, Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle have 25 weeks to learn all they can and collect playoff points before the final 10-race stretch.
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