NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) reacts in victory lane during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Watch: William Byron wins Daytona 500

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Feb 16, 2025 10:04 PM ET

For the second year in a row, William Byron managed to escape the late-race carnage to win the Daytona 500.

The 2024 Daytona 500 winner earned his second consecutive win in the "Great American Race" after a huge crash broke out on the backstretch on the final lap. Leader Denny Hamlin was turned by Cole Custer with half a lap to go, forcing Byron and runner-up Tyler Reddick to squeeze through on the high side and finish 1-2.

ANOTHER ONE FOR BYRON! #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/WMccqXXEgO
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2025

The victory is the 14th of Byron's Cup Series career and his third at Daytona International Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson, Chase Briscoe, John Hunter Nemechek, Alex Bowman, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Justin Allgaier and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

Hamlin, Custer, Austin Dillon, Corey LaJoie, Riley Herbst, Alex Bowman and Daniel Suarez were among the drivers involved in the last-lap crash.

The NASCAR Cup Series will travel to Hampton, Georgia, next weekend for the Ambetter Health 400 on Feb. 23.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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