Denny Hamlin was on the cusp of a historic fourth victory in the Daytona 500. Austin Cindric had a chance to secure his second Harley J. Earl trophy in the last four years. Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer were fighting for what would have been the biggest win of their careers. And Corey LaJoie was within reach of an upset that would have stunned the NASCAR world.
Except, suddenly, all five drivers crashed with just half a lap remaining, allowing William Byron to steal the victory out from under them. Race-defining wrecks are a motif of the modern Daytona 500, with the last six all ending in calamity. Both 2020 and 2022 saw a wreck across the line, while 2021, 2023, and 2024 all ended under caution following wrecks near the front of the field.
