Tyler Reddick Wins Daytona 500: Key Takeaways & Race Recap
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tyler Reddick, driving for 23XI Racing, won the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, ending a winless streak that spanned the entire 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. The victory marks the first Daytona 500 win for the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
Reddick’s triumph came in a chaotic finish, with a multi-car wreck erupting just before the checkered flag. Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell had battled for the lead on the final lap before colliding, opening the door for Reddick. He then received a crucial push from teammate Riley Herbst, allowing him to surge ahead of Chase Elliott as they exited Turn 4. A subsequent collision involving Herbst and Brad Keselowski triggered a larger crash that ultimately secured Reddick’s win.
“Just incredible how it all played out,” Reddick said in a post-race television interview. “Just true Daytona madness.”
The finishing order saw Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finish second, despite being involved in the final-lap wreck, followed by Joey Logano in third, crossing the finish line backwards. Chase Elliott finished fourth, and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five. The wreck meant that the typical post-race interviews for second through fifth place were unable to take place as scheduled, with all drivers involved undergoing evaluation at the infield medical center. All four drivers – Stenhouse, Logano, Elliott, and Keselowski – were subsequently released.
Elliott, who had led going into Turn 4, expressed disappointment despite the close call. “I just hate to be that close,” Elliott said. “It’s such a big deal down here. It kind of sucks, but that’s part of this deal… It’s pretty disappointing. I don’t understand what else to tell you, other than we were leading the Daytona 500 off of Turn 4 coming to the checkered flag and we didn’t win.” He explained that losing Zane Smith as a pusher left him vulnerable.
Keselowski, who had been recovering from a broken femur sustained just eight weeks prior, was pleased with his performance and his body’s response to the crash. “I felt really well in the car and got in a crash at the end and couldn’t even feel it,” Keselowski told reporters. “So pretty solid… I’m proud to make it this far. I wasn’t sure I was going to get to run this race and have an opportunity to win it. That feels pretty good. Pretty disappointed to not bring it home.”
Reddick acknowledged the expectations that come with driving for Jordan. “When you’re a Cup driver and you get to this level and drive for Michael Jordan, it’s expected you win every single year,” he said. “For us to proceed on that drought we did made us look hard in the mirror. And really proud of everyone.”
The NASCAR Cup Series will next head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second race of the season. Hamlin indicated that the consistency in officiating regarding cautions, as seen at Daytona, should continue at Atlanta, a 1.5-mile track where safety equipment deployment may prove more challenging.