Tyler Reddick wins 2026 Daytona 500

The 2026 Daytona 500 proved erstwhile again that it’s the past thigh that counts.

Tyler Reddick, who drives for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, was successful archetypal spot erstwhile helium crossed the enactment astatine Daytona International Speedway and won the Daytona 500 for the archetypal clip successful his career. He didn’t pb a azygous thigh until the precise end.

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Tyler Reddick, operator of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, and Carson Hocevar, operator of the #77 Spectrum Chevrolet, contention during the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 astatine Daytona International Speedway connected Feb. 15, 2026 successful Daytona Beach, Florida.  (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Reddick was down Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar erstwhile the last thigh started. Hocevar was trying to clasp disconnected the pack, but Erik Jones got into the backmost of him going into Turn 1. McDowell was caught up successful the wreck and the drivers fell disconnected the pace.

But nary caution emblem was flying. Reddick had to debar the carnage successful beforehand of him adjacent arsenic William Byron bounced disconnected him. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had the pb for a divided second, but Chase Elliott took implicit down the backstretch.

Elliott was vying with Zane Smith arsenic they entered the last turns. Reddick was down them and Riley Herbst was successful 4th place. Reddick went precocious and got astir Smith. He past knifed his mode to the bottommost to get astir Elliott.

As the radical got to the decorativeness line, Herbst ran into Brad Keselowski causing some of them to crash. Elliott and Joey Logano were some caught up successful the wreck and it was Reddick who came distant unscathed.

Riley Herbst, (35), Justin Allgaier, (40), Todd Gilliland, (34), John Hunter Nemechek, (42) and Ryan Blaney, (12) collide during the NASCAR Daytona 500 car contention astatine Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, successful Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

DAYTONA 500 WINNER REFLECTS ON NASCAR'S TIGHT-KNIT FAMILY AMID RECENT TRAGEDIES IN SPORT

It’s a large mode to commencement the play for Reddick. He finished ninth successful the Cup Series standings past play and making the Championship Four successful 2024.

The crash-filled last thigh was acold from the lone action.

A caution came retired connected Lap 192 erstwhile Denny Hamlin got poked successful the back, deed Christopher Bell and past slammed into the wall. Bell suffered close beforehand tyre harm and it outgo him the remainder of his race.

A monolithic wreck precocious successful Stage 2 took retired a fistful of drivers. Hamlin and Justin Allgaier made interaction connected the frontstretch starring to much than a twelve cars spinning and sliding retired of control. Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and William Byron were among those involved.

It was the 2nd large wreck of the stage.

Earlier, Chase Briscoe and NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch were progressive successful a large wreck connected Lap 85. Zilisch got escaped successful Turn 4 and caused a concatenation reaction. Cody Ware, Ty Gibbs and Austin Dillon were caught up successful the accident.

Bubba Wallace was successful archetypal spot astatine the extremity of Stage 2 and Zane Smith was the person astatine the extremity of Stage 1.

Austin Dillon, (3) and Chase Briscoe, (19) collide during the NASCAR Daytona 500 car contention astatine Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, successful Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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Reddick, Stenhouse, Logano, Elliott and Keselowski rounded retired the apical five. Smith, Chris Buescher, Herbst, Josh Berry and Wallace finished successful the apical 10. Larson, the reigning champion, was 16th.

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