The Daytona 500 on Sunday officially kicked off the 2026 NASCAR season for the Cup Series, with Daytona International Raceway delivering a fantastic battle. Between the crashes, stage and a battle for the finish, some of the best drivers had mixed results in the NASCAR race today.
Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the Daytona 500.
Winner: Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick is back. Last season, he clearly was not himself as he navigated the 23XI Racing lawsuit against NASCAR that clouded his future, all while he and his wife dealt with their infant son’s terrifying medical situation. Fortunately, both issues are resolved and Reddick is now a Daytona 500 winner. He led only a single lap on Sunday, but it was the only one that mattered. Reddick’s move to surge ahead of the field in the final seconds—snagging the lead just as a massive wreck erupted behind him—was a masterclass in driving. The No. 45 car has returned to its 2024 form, which means Reddick is a legitimate championship contender this season.
Related: Insider Sheds Light on Tyler Reddick’s Future with 23XI Racing
Loser: BJ McLeod
BJ McLeod gained a spot in the Daytona 500 field after Anthony Alfredo failed post-qualifying inspection. His luck was short-lived, however, as disaster struck just five laps into the Great American Race. A right-rear tire failure sent the No. 78 spinning sideways; the ensuing damage destroyed the braking system and forced an end to his day.
Related: NASCAR Truck Results from Daytona International Speedway
Winner: Bubba Wallace
If not for William Byron cutting in front of him and forcing a sudden deceleration—which the No. 23 team did a great job reacting to and avoiding a massive wreck—Bubba Wallace would have secured a top-five finish in the Daytona 500. Still, he finished 10th, won Stage 2, and led the most laps in NASCAR’s season-opening race. Wallace even seemed to have some good fortune on his side today, navigating wrecks that his car might have been magnetized toward in the past. What matters is that he looked like a top-10 driver once again on a superspeedway, building upon the late-season success he found in 2024. Furthermore, he begins the season with a solid 37 points.
Related: Daytona 500 Results, NASCAR Stage Results Today
Loser: William Byron
There are a few reasons why no one has ever won the Daytona 500 three consecutive times; bad luck almost always plays a part. William Byron entered Sunday in an unfavorable position, forced to use a backup car following an incident in the Duel at Daytona. Just five laps in, BJ McLeod’s tire failure and subsequent wreck directly ahead of the No. 24 caused Byron to make hard contact with the wall. The damage required three separate trips down pit road under caution. Later, he got bumped into the wall again and then toward the end of Stage 2 got caught up in the aftermath of the “big one” for even more damage. All things considered, though, a 12th-place finish isn’t all that bad given everything that happened before it.
Related: NASCAR Points Standings Today after Daytona 500
Winner: Shane van Gisbergen
Some might have assumed that the changes NASCAR made in 2026—eliminating the “win-and-you’re-in” playoff format and reducing the number of road-course races—would keep Shane van Gisbergen out of the Chase this year. In Sunday’s Daytona 500, SVG showed why that is not the case. He did not just perform well on a superspeedway; he led multiple laps and spent a significant portion of the race near the front of the field. He has clearly begun to master the art of oval racing, and today’s performance is just the latest example of his improvement on superspeedways. SVG is an even better driver than he was in 2025. Unfortunately, his points total today won’t show it because he got caught up in the big one.
Related: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Results from Daytona International Speedway
Loser: Chase Briscoe
Coming off a wildly successful first season in the No. 19 car with Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe had a relatively strong Stage 1 with 23 laps led. Unfortunately, hard luck found him early in Stage 2. When Connor Zilisch got loose near the front of the field, the pack stacked up and Ross Chastain got into Cody Ware’s right-front. Ware then got loose and slammed into Briscoe. As the No. 19 slid down the infield and into pit lane, it was T-boned by Austin Dillon. The damage sent Briscoe’s car to the garage for significant repairs, taking him out of contention on Sunday. He’ll leave Daytona last among full-time drivers in points.
Winner: Zane Smith
In 2025, Zane Smith led just 22 laps across 36 races and failed to secure a single stage win. He changed his fortunes immediately at the start of the 2026 campaign. By stretching his fuel while most of the field pitted, Smith led nine laps and won Stage 1 to collect 10 points. It was a risky strategy—as evidenced by Noah Gragson running out of fuel immediately afterward—but Smith made it work, earning both his first career stage win and first laps led at Daytona. Smith finished the day sixth, snagging a top-10 finish to start the season and showcasing the potential for a breakout year.
Loser: Denny Hamlin
We will start with this: the Big One was not Denny Hamlin’s fault. The No. 11 made an aggressive move to the high side into a tight gap, but Justin Allgaier reacted too late while attempting to block, triggering the pileup behind Hamlin. It feels especially painful for the future Hall of Famer; after a disappointing showing in the Duel, he had worked his way back to the front and put himself in position for a Stage 2 win. Allgaier’s mistake erased that progress, taking 19 other cars out in its wake. It has simply been a brutally tough year for Hamlin, both on and off the track. With 10 laps to go, Hamlin had again positioned himself for a strong finish until his favorite young driver got him. 23XI Racing’s Corey Heim made contact with Hamlin, putting the No. 11 into teammate Christopher Bell. The No. 20’s damage ended his day and the No.11 had its own damage. Ultimately, he finished the day 31st and that probably ruined any good feelings as co-owner of 23XI Racing.
Winner: Chris Buescher
Forced to start the race from the back of the field in a backup car, Chris Buescher showed why he is one of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR. The No. 17 worked his way up to a fifth-place finish in Stage 1 (6 points) and followed that with a sixth-place effort in Stage 2 (5 points). Having already collected the second-most stage points (11) on the day, Buescher kept himself near the front of the field to finish seventh and demonstrated why he is a strong contender for a top-eight points finish this year.
Loser: Connor Zilisch
Connor Zilisch remains one of the best NASCAR prospects of the modern era, but the “broadcast curse” eventually finds everyone. Just as the FOX crew began praising the 19-year-old for maintaining a position in the top three, the No. 88 got loose and triggered the first sizable wreck of the day. Ultimately, the mistake falls on Zilisch’s inexperience racing a Next Gen car at a superspeedway. He will learn with time, but the Daytona 500 humbles every driver, and Zilisch experienced that firsthand today.
Winner: 23XI Racing
Michael Jordan took NASCAR to court to uproot a system he viewed as flawed, resulting in a multi-million-dollar settlement and teams finally receiving permanent charters. Clearly, that appetite for winning on NASCAR’s biggest stage has carried over into 2026. Jordan celebrated as 23XI’s Tyler Reddick won the Daytona 500 with an incredible finish. The trophy is headed back home, and Jordan can also take pride in the fact that Bubba Wallace finished 10th with a Stage 2 victory, Corey Heim ran at the front of the field during the race, and Riley Herbst secured an eighth-place finish. It is a dominant start to the 2026 season for 23XI Racing.
Related: Winners, Losers from 23XI Racing’s Lawsuit Victory Over NASCAR
Loser: Carson Hocevar
Did Carson Hocevar offend the NASCAR gods at Daytona? Tire issues derailed his chances in the Truck Series, and a series of chaotic incidents took him out of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday. Entering the final lap of the Daytona 500, the No. 77 was staring down his first career Cup Series victory as the race leader. However, he was driven through and hooked into the wall. Hocevar was effectively dead in the water at that point, losing control and ultimately finishing 18th.
Related: NASCAR Predictions 2026
Winner: Riley Herbst
Ignore the broadcast narrative: Tyler Reddick absolutely had help from a teammate en route to his Daytona 500 victory. One could show some leniency to the crew, however, as few expected that teammate to be Riley Herbst—who failed to record a single top-12 finish all last season—pushing the No. 45 to the win. Herbst played the ultimate teammate, using the No. 35 car to propel Reddick to the lead and then ensuring Chase Elliott could not mount a desperation attempt at the win. Furthermore, Herbst secured an eighth-place finish for himself. While it is widely known that Herbst entered 2026 on the hot seat, this selfless performance will earn him significant credit within the 23XI organization.
