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Daytona Beach, FL – Tyler Reddick etched his name into NASCAR history, claiming victory in the 68th Daytona 500 following a chaotic, multi-car incident on the final lap that saw several lead-lap contenders eliminated. The win marks a significant achievement for Reddick and his 23XI Racing team, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin, who himself was sidelined by an earlier crash.
The dramatic conclusion unfolded in the closing moments of the prestigious "Great American Race." With the white flag waving, signaling one lap to go, Michael McDowell held the lead as the field thundered back to green. However, Carson Hocevar quickly asserted himself, taking the lead and holding it through the initial restart. Disaster struck for Hocevar as he was turned into the wall, initiating a chain reaction involving Erik Jones and Michael McDowell, who spun across the track. Miraculously, no caution flag was thrown, preserving the race’s dramatic tension.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. then surged to the front, flanked by Chase Elliott on the outside and Reddick to his inside. Meanwhile, William Byron, who had been seeking a historic third consecutive Daytona 500 win, suffered a damaged nose and drifted backward, inadvertently collecting Bubba Wallace. Zane Smith, utilizing the draft, provided a crucial push to Elliott, elevating him to the lead.
The strategic battles continued as Riley Herbst, a teammate to Reddick at 23XI Racing, latched onto Reddick and provided a powerful shove into Turn 1. This maneuver propelled Elliott, Smith, Reddick, and Herbst into single file through the corner. Reddick’s momentum, aided by Herbst’s push, carried him to the outside of Smith, with Herbst following closely.
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This developing scenario created an opening for Joey Logano to push Brad Keselowski forward on the outside, pressing against the wall. However, Herbst, in a split-second decision, shaded right, resulting in a catastrophic wreck that collected both Logano and Keselowski. The ensuing chaos saw Herbst bounce into Elliott, leaving Reddick in a clear path to the finish line.
At this critical juncture, Reddick and Elliott were positioned side-by-side, both without immediate drafting help. While Herbst may have intended to use Keselowski’s push to surge across the line first, his late adjustment proved too late and ultimately detrimental. Reddick’s strategic positioning and the timely assistance from Herbst, despite the eventual melee, secured him the win.
The victory celebration in Victory Lane was a stark contrast to the dejection felt by many of his competitors. Reddick, Hamlin, and Jordan shared the triumph, while the majority of the top-five finishers were assessed for medical attention following the final-lap incidents.
Chase Elliott, who had been in a prime position to win, expressed his frustration. "It’s disappointing," Elliott stated. "I don’t know what to tell you. We were leading the Daytona 500 off Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag and didn’t win, so you tell me." Elliott explained his strategic dilemma, noting that while he briefly shaded to impede Reddick, he opted against a more aggressive move to avoid a certain multi-car accident. "I felt like the best play for me was to re-rack and get one last shove to the line," he added. "But that would have been (Herbst) and he wasn’t going to push me (laughs) so… He winds up crashing himself not pushing me which in turn crashed me anyway. Maybe I should have just turned left the first time."
Brad Keselowski voiced strong criticism of Herbst’s actions. "The 35 just wrecked me out of nowhere for no reason," Keselowski fumed. "That was one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen. He had no chance of blocking my run. I had a huge run. I don’t know if I could have gotten the (Reddick) or (Stenhouse) but I would have liked to found out because my run was coming fast and the 35 just wiped us and himself. Pretty stupid." Keselowski further elaborated that Herbst’s attempt to block from the bottom to the top of the track was an unnecessary and self-destructive maneuver.
Riley Herbst, when interviewed by Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, described his final-lap decision as instantaneous. "We got all spread out wide down the back straightaway, and obviously I chose to go with (Reddick), pushed him, and he made that move on (Elliott) to go side-by-side and I don’t know truly what happened," Herbst recounted.
From Reddick’s perspective, Herbst’s role was indispensable. "I don’t win that race without Riley Herbst," Reddick affirmed. "That’s a fact. He pushed me to (Smith). I got to (Smith). Now (Elliott) is in front of me, and I make my move. I love that he made the move that at the moment was right for him to win the Daytona 500, and I told him that: ‘Man, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you in the way that you wanted it to,’ but he did — in my opinion, he did everything right on that last lap, as well, pushing me and then doing everything he could to win the race for himself."
The dramatic finish also overshadowed the strong performance of Spire Motorsports, who had two cars running 1-2 in the closing stages but were unable to convert their advantage into a victory. Carson Hocevar, reflecting on his role, felt he may have pushed McDowell too far ahead, though this strategy had proven successful in qualifying races. "I was just trying to get us going and it’s just obviously unfortunate," Hocevar commented. "It’s unfortunate that a car in my mirror at the white flag won the race. I felt there was good execution, but it’s just the last lap at Daytona." Despite the outcome, Hocevar expressed pride in their team’s performance, acknowledging the significance of contending for the win.
Zane Smith echoed these sentiments, recognizing the strong points day for his team but expressing frustration at not capitalizing on a winnable opportunity. "Just a solid points day in general," Smith said. "But honestly, it’s frustrating right now to have a shot at winning the Daytona 500 and it just not quite happening. I just felt like the run that I had on (Elliott) after pushing him through there, I don’t know if I needed to like back up sooner or what, but wasn’t quite sure like who all was behind me. Obviously, all I could see was kind of (Reddick) and my run on (Elliott) just wasn’t big enough to win and I just tried to do all I could but the help wasn’t there."
Tyler Reddick’s victory in the Daytona 500 adds another chapter to the storied history of the event, a race renowned for its unpredictable finishes and the sheer drama that unfolds in its final moments. The 23XI Racing team, a relatively young organization, has now achieved its most significant triumph, underscoring its growing competitiveness in the NASCAR Cup Series. The post-race reactions highlight the fine margins and intense rivalries that define superspeedway racing, where fortunes can change in an instant.
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