The Daytona 500 officially kicked off the 2026 NASCAR season for the Cup Series on Sunday, with Daytona International Raceway offering a spectacular battle. Between crashes, podiums and the battle of the finals, some of the best drivers in NASCAR races today had mixed results.
Let's take a look at our winners and losers from the Daytona 500.
Winner: Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick is back. Last season, he clearly wasn't himself as he faced a 23XI Racing lawsuit against NASCAR that clouded his future while he and his wife were dealing with their newborn son's dire medical condition. Fortunately, both issues have been resolved and Reddick is now the winner of the Daytona 500. On Sunday he only led one lap, but it was the only lap that mattered. Reddick's move to move ahead of the field in the final seconds – snatching the lead as a large debris burst behind him – was a masterclass in driving. The No. 45 car has returned to its 2024 form, meaning Reddick is a legitimate championship contender this season.
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Loser: BJ McLeod
BJ McLeod gained a spot in the Daytona 500 field after Anthony Alfredo failed post-qualifying inspection. However, his luck was short-lived, as disaster struck just five laps into the Great American Race. A right-rear tire failure caused the No. 78 to spin sideways; The ensuing damage destroyed the braking system and forced him to end his day.
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Winner: Bubba Wallace
Had William Byron not cut in front of him and forced a sudden deceleration – to which the No. 23 team did a great job reacting and avoiding a massive crash – Bubba Wallace would have finished in the top five at the Daytona 500. Nevertheless, he finished 10th, won Stage 2, and led the most laps in NASCAR's season-opening race. Wallace seemed to have some good luck today, finding debris that his car may have been magnetized to in the past. What matters is that he looks like a top-10 driver once again on superspeedways, building on his success at the end of the season in 2024. Furthermore, he starts the season with a solid 37 points.
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Loser: William Byron
There are a few reasons why no one has won the Daytona 500 three consecutive times; Bad luck almost always plays a role. William Byron entered Sunday in an unfavorable situation, after an incident in the Duel at Daytona forced him to use the backup car. Just five laps in, BJ McLeod suffered a tire failure and a subsequent crash just before the No. 24 led to Byron making heavy contact with the wall. The damage required three separate trips to pit road under caution. Afterwards, he crashed into the wall again and then got caught in the "major incident" resulting in even more damage at the end of Stage 2. However, all things considered, finishing in 12th place isn't so bad, considering everything that came before it.
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Winner: Shane van Gisbergen
Few would 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. At Sunday's Daytona 500, SVG showed why that's not the case. He didn't just perform well on superspeedways; He led several laps and spent a significant portion of the race at the front of the field. He has clearly begun to master the art of oval racing, and today's performance is the latest example of his improvement on the superspeedway. SVG is an even better driver than 2025. Unfortunately, his total points today will not show it because he has got into big trouble.
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Loser: Chase Briscoe
Coming off a highly successful first season in the No. 19 car with Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe had a relatively strong Stage 1, leading 23 laps. Unfortunately, a run of luck struck him at the start of Stage 2. When Connor Zylisch got loose at the front of the field, the pack piled up and Ross Chastain got in front of Cody Ware's right. Ware then broke loose and collided with Brisco. As the No. 19 slid down the infield and into the pit lane, it was T-boned by Austin Dillon. The damage caused Briscoe's car to be sent to the garage for significant repairs, knocking him out of contention on Sunday. He would leave Daytona in last place among full-time drivers in points.
Winner: Zane Smith
In 2025, Zane Smith led only 22 laps in 36 races and failed to score a single stage win. He immediately changed his fortunes at the start of the 2026 campaign. By increasing his fuel while most of the field was pitting, 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 shortly after – but Smith made it work, scoring his first career stage win and leading both the first laps at Daytona. Smith finished the day in sixth, marking a top-10 finish to start the season and demonstrating the potential for a breakout year.
Loser: Denny Hamlin
We'll start with this: The Big One wasn't Denny Hamlin's fault. The No. 11 made an aggressive move to the high side in a tight gap, but Justin Allgaier reacted too late when attempting to block, causing a pileup behind Hamlin. This seems especially painful for the future Hall of Famer; After a disappointing performance in the duel, he returned to the front and set himself up for the Stage 2 victory. Allgaier's mistake wiped out that progress, resulting in the destruction of 19 other cars. It's been an extremely difficult year for Hamlin, both on and off the track. With 10 laps remaining, Hamlin again set himself up for a strong finish until his favorite young driver got by him. 23XI Racing's Corey Heim contacted Hamlin and passed the No. 11 to teammate Christopher Bell. No. 20's loss ended its day and No. 11 suffered its own loss. Ultimately, he finished the day in 31st place and possibly ruined any good feelings he had as a co-owner of 23XI Racing.
Winner: Chris Buescher
Forced to start the race from the back of the field in the backup car, Chris Buescher showed why he is one of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR. The No. 17 fought hard to finish fifth in Stage 1 (6 points) and followed that up with a sixth-place effort in Stage 2 (5 points). Having collected the second-most stage points (11) earlier in the day, Buescher kept himself at the front of the field to finish seventh and demonstrate why he is a strong contender for top-eight points this year.
Loser: Connor Zylisch
Connor Zylisch is one of the best NASCAR prospects of the modern era, but the "broadcast curse" eventually gets to everyone. As the FOX crew began praising the 19-year-old for maintaining a top-three finish, the No. 88 broke loose and caused the first major crash of the day. Ultimately, the mistake was caused by Zylisch's inexperience driving a Next Gen car on a superspeedway. He'll learn with time, but the Daytona 500 humbles every driver, and Zylisch experienced that firsthand today.
Winner: 23XI Racing
Michael Jordan took NASCAR to court to overturn the system he believed to be flawed, resulting in a multi-million dollar settlement and teams eventually receiving permanent charters. Clearly, the hunger to win on NASCAR's biggest stage remains through 2026. Jordan celebrates as 23XI's Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona 500 with an incredible finish. The trophy is headed home, and Jordan can also be proud of the fact that Bubba Wallace finished 10th with a Stage 2 win, Corey Haim ran at the front of the field during the race, and Riley Herbst finished eighth. This is an impressive start to the 2026 season for 23XI Racing.
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Loser: Carson Hocevar
Did Carson Hocevar offend the NASCAR gods at Daytona? Tire problems derailed his chances in the Truck Series, and a series of chaotic events forced him out of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race on Saturday. Entering the final lap of the Daytona 500, the No. 77 was looking for his first career Cup Series win as the race leader. However, he was knocked out and pinned to the wall. Hocevar was effectively dead in the water at that point, losing control and ultimately finishing 18th.
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Winner: Riley Herbst
Ignore the circulating narrative: Tyler Reddick definitely had help from a teammate on the way to his Daytona 500 victory. However, one can show some leniency toward the team, as few expected it to be teammate Riley Herbst – who failed to record a single top-12 finish last season – who pushed the No. 45 to victory. Herbst played the best teammate role, using the No. 35 car to pass Reddick for the lead and then making sure Chase Elliott couldn't make a desperate bid for the win. Additionally, Herbst secured eighth place for himself. While it is widely known that Herbst has entered the hot seat in 2026, this selfless performance will earn him significant credit within the 23XI organization.
