Sports
By Katy Korstange, Staff Writer
The 2026 NASCAR season got off to a dramatic start on Sunday as the 67th running of the historic Daytona 500 was decided in the last few feet of the final lap.
On the last lap of the race, leader Carson Hocevar hit the wall, causing the first wreck of the final lap. Tyler Reddick, who was in fourth, managed to avoid the wreck and made his way towards the front of the field. The race stayed green as the field passed through turns two and three.
Reddick was pushed by teammate Riley Herbst and passed Chase Elliot in the final corner of the race for the lead. Herbst went into the wall just feet before the checkered flag.
Reddick’s position in front was secured, and he took his first Daytona 500 victory after going winless in the 2025 season. He only led the last lap of the race, which is the fourth time in Daytona history that this has happened.
Reddick, driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota, secured his team’s first Daytona win. 23XI Racing, founded in 2020 by NBA legend Michael Jordan and driver Denny Hamlin, has been very competitive since its foundation and is currently fielding three cars: the 45 of Reddick, the 35 of Herbst and the 23 of Bubba Wallace.
Wallace, a favorite to win the race, led the most laps with 40 and won stage two. Despite this he finished in 10th position.
Other favorites, including pole sitter Kyle Busch and Penske driver Ryan Blaney who finished 15th and 27th respectively. Blaney was taken out of contention during the last lap crash despite finishing top five in each stage.
William Byron, the winner of the last two Daytona 500’s was looking to make history by winning three years in a row. He was caught up in an early wreck caused by BJ McLeod but came back later in the race to finish in 12th position.
Last year’s championship winner, Kyle Larson, was another favorite to win at Daytona. He finished at a disappointing 16th after being a front runner for most of the race.
Following Larson’s controversial championship win in 2025, where he did not lead a single lap of the final race, the NASCAR series announced the return to its original 10-race chase championship style. This will replace the series’ playoff style format which was started in 2014.
Instead of eliminations, the top 16 drivers from the first 26 races of the season will compete in the last 10 races of the season. The driver with the most points over those 10 races will win the championship.
This new championship format means that driver strategy will be different from years past. This year, it is crucial for drivers to get points and gain momentum throughout the season so that they can be one of the top 16.
Next Sunday, Feb. 22, the NASCAR circuit continues in Atlanta, Georgia at Echopark Speedway. Echopark is known for its high-speeds and close finishes, including the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history.
If the chaos at Daytona this year is any indication, the road to this year’s championship title will be anything but predictable.
