Daytona 500 Crown Jewels Secured on the Final Lap: A Decade of Unpredictable Victories

In the storied history of the Daytona 500, a race renowned for its dramatic finishes and unexpected victors, a peculiar trend has emerged in recent years: the ultimate triumph on the final lap. For 58 editions of NASCAR’s crown jewel event, dating back to its inception in 1959, no champion had ever clinched the prestigious victory by leading solely the final circuit. That changed in 2017, and since then, this remarkable feat has occurred four times, underscoring the increasing volatility and unpredictable nature of modern superspeedway racing, often culminating in race-altering incidents.

This phenomenon highlights a shift in race strategy and execution on the high-banked Daytona International Speedway. While historical Daytona 500 finishes often saw dominant performances and leaders who controlled significant portions of the race, the modern era, particularly in the last decade, has witnessed a greater reliance on drafting, fuel conservation, and opportunistic moves in the closing laps. The sheer speed and close proximity of cars on a superspeedway create a volatile environment where a single misstep or a perfectly timed surge can rewrite the outcome in an instant.

2017: Kurt Busch Masters the Fuel-Mileage Gambit

The 2017 Daytona 500 delivered a finish that defied conventional wisdom. As the 200-lap battle approached its conclusion, the lead pack dwindled, with several contenders facing critical fuel levels. Kurt Busch, driving the No. 41 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, adopted a strategic approach, prioritizing fuel conservation throughout the final laps. He maintained a position near the front, deliberately avoiding taking the lead to maximize his fuel mileage.

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With ten laps remaining, Busch was running third. He then fell to fourth behind Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., and Chase Elliott. The tension mounted as Elliott began to falter due to fuel issues with three laps left. A lap later, Truex’s car started to slow, signaling the impending drama. Larson, who had inherited the lead by the white flag, experienced his own fuel woes, his car stumbling as it crossed the start-finish line for the final time. Seizing the moment, Busch, who had nursed his fuel reserves meticulously, surged past Larson to claim his maiden Daytona 500 victory. This win was unique in that it was not decided by a last-lap crash, but by a strategic fuel-mileage race that rewarded Busch’s patience and precise execution. Despite some earlier battle scars on his car, Busch’s foresight in managing his fuel tank proved to be the deciding factor.

2018: Austin Dillon Capitalizes on Almirola’s Overthrow

The 2018 Daytona 500 saw another dramatic conclusion, this time involving a late-race incident that altered the course of the race. In overtime, Austin Dillon, piloting the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, found himself in contention after navigating a race marked by numerous cautions. Only a handful of cars remained competitive at the front as the field bunched up.

Dillon had been instrumental in pushing Aric Almirola, driving the No. 10 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, towards the front. As the overtime restart commenced, Dillon took the white flag in third position, side-by-side with Denny Hamlin. On the backstretch, Dillon possessed a significant run and Almirola attempted an aggressive block to defend his position. The maneuver proved to be Almirola’s undoing. Dillon momentarily looked low, then high, before Almirola, caught in the chaotic push-and-pull, spun into the outside wall in a violent, single-car incident. The contact from Dillon, though not intentional, resulted in Almirola losing control from the lead. The race remained under green, allowing Dillon to inherit the lead and secure the victory, a poignant moment as he mirrored Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 triumph in the No. 3 car.

2021: Michael McDowell’s Unforeseen Triumph

The 2021 Daytona 500 stands as a testament to the ultimate underdog story in modern NASCAR. Michael McDowell, driving for Front Row Motorsports, entered the race with a remarkable winless streak spanning 357 Cup Series starts since his debut in 2008. The race itself was a tense affair, with much of the field running single-file along the top of the track.

Two Team Penske Fords, driven by Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, occupied the top positions, with Kevin Harvick nestled between them. McDowell was running fourth, trailing this lead pack. With two laps remaining, Keselowski strategically fell back, gaining a substantial run to move past Harvick and place the Penske cars in a commanding 1-2 position, with McDowell following into third. As the final lap commenced, it appeared a Penske victory was all but assured. McDowell, however, provided a crucial push to Keselowski, who used the momentum to challenge his teammate Logano. Logano’s block attempt resulted in contact, sending his car spinning to the inside and Keselowski’s spinning to the outside. In the ensuing chaos, the "seas parted" for McDowell, who deftly navigated through the melee in the middle. Had the race remained green, his victory would have been far from certain as other cars began to gain on him. However, the dramatic multi-car accident that erupted behind him, with cars catching fire and even touching the fence, forced NASCAR officials to throw a caution flag. This effectively froze the field, awarding McDowell his first-ever Cup Series win in the most prestigious race on the calendar.

2026: Tyler Reddick’s Wild, Last-Lap Pass

The 2026 Daytona 500 provided perhaps the most chaotic and dramatic finish in recent memory, solidifying the trend of last-lap victories. Tyler Reddick, in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing, found himself in contention as the final laps unfolded. He restarted on the front row with four laps remaining, alongside William Byron, the 2024 and 2025 Daytona 500 champion. Reddick initially surged ahead, attempting to block both lanes, but found himself caught in the middle between McDowell and Byron.

A critical assist came from his 23XI teammate, Bubba Wallace, who inserted himself behind Reddick, helping to maintain his track position. With three laps remaining, McDowell was leading, followed by his teammate Carson Hocevar, and then Reddick. Reddick dropped to the bottom lane and briefly lost contact with Wallace. By two laps to go, he was back in the top lane, running fourth behind Erik Jones and the Spire Motorsports teammates. The dynamic shifted rapidly, with Joey Logano becoming Reddick’s pusher. At the white flag, Reddick was running a precarious third, three-wide.

As Hocevar was turned from the race lead, both he and Jones collected Reddick’s front end. Despite contact with Jones and a near-miss with Byron, Reddick managed to maintain forward momentum. For a fleeting moment, he nosed ahead in a three-wide battle with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Elliott. However, without a pusher, Reddick began to fade. In his hour of need, another 23XI teammate, Riley Herbst, provided a crucial push down the backstretch. Entering Turn 3, Reddick was third, out-dueling Zane Smith to his outside. Herbst remained glued to Reddick’s bumper, propelling him forward. On the frontstretch, Reddick faked high before diving low under Elliott, seizing the lead. In the process, Herbst inadvertently triggered a massive wreck that engulfed the rest of the top five just as Reddick crossed the finish line. He had secured victory, leading only the final lap, in a finish that will be etched in Daytona 500 lore.

These four instances demonstrate a profound evolution in superspeedway racing strategy. The emphasis has shifted from consistent dominance to meticulous fuel management, strategic drafting, and the calculated risk-taking required to capitalize on the unpredictable nature of the final laps. The Daytona 500 continues to prove that in the unpredictable crucible of superspeedway racing, fortunes can change in an instant, and a single lap can define a season.

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