The 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
Well, a new season is underway, and it's looking to be an interesting one. We've got the Xfinity series being rebranded to O'reilly, Ram is back in the truck series with Kaulig, and, as always, tons of driver moves. And so, we arrive here in Florida to start the season-and this year-to end it. Can William Byron achieve a historic threepeat? Will we get a midfield driver experience the wonderful feeling of winning the Great American Race? Well, let's find out.
Caution number one came early on lap 6, involving BJ Mcleod after he apparently had a flat right rear tire, causing him to spin uncontrollably in front of the field. Mostly everyone remained unscathed except for our two-time Daytona 500 champion William Byron, who acquired damage after swerving into the wall to avoid the spinning 78 car.
While we were still in the caution period, the first pit stops of the day were occurring, with the whole pack coming down pit road except for our pole sitter, the 8 car of Kyle Busch. And it wasn't long before he led the field back to green again.
After many pit strategies, stage 1 would go to Zane Smith and Front Row Motorsports, follow by Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney from Team Penske.
Lap 86 brought us a huge wreck where it seemed that Cody Ware made contact with Ross Chastain, which sent the 51 swerving into the two Joe Gibbs cars of Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs, and Gibbs made contact with Connor Zilisch, which sent the rookie spinning through the grass, involving many other cars as well.
Another big crash occurred on lap 125, which included most of the front of the field, where Denny Hamlin tried to go for a gap that wasn't there, and the whole field ended up in shambles. This crash involved leader Justin Allgaier, Riley Herbst, Kyle Larson, Todd Gilliland, and others.
We've got five laps to see what the outcome of the 68th Daytona 500 will be. Michael McDowell and Tyler Reddick made up the front row, and were green. Most of the laps went smooth, until the last one. Exiting the tri-oval, leader Carson Hocevar and others wrecked and were out of contention for the win. Then, after coming out of turn 4, it looked like Chase Elliott was going to win his first Daytona 500, until a late block from Riley Herbst sent the 35 spinning into Elliott, ending both their chances of winning and instead bringing Michael Jordan and Tyler Reddick to a first Daytona 500 win.
What a way to start off the season, if I have to say so myself. And it doesn't stop there, with another drafting track, Echopark, next up on the calendar, things can only get better.
