By John Goolsby, Prep Sports Editor
DAYTONA BEACH – William Byron has won the 2024 Daytona 500.
The 66th running of the “Great American Race” took place on Monday afternoon after the race was delayed one day due to rain.
Byron, in the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, started at the rear of the field due to a crash in his qualifying race.
“Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Byron said of the win.
“It’s pretty incredible. I mean, this race takes so much to go your way, and so many little things that happen.”
Byron, an eleven-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, was declared the race winner after the #2 Ford of Austin Cendric and the #1 Chevrolet of Ross Chastain wrecked as they approached the start/finish lap to begin the final lap.
Byron’s win was the ninth 500 victory for Henrick Motorsports.
Teammate Alex Bowman in the #48 Chevrolet, Christopher Bell in the #20 Toyota, Corey LaJoie in the #7 Chevrolet, and A.J. Allmendinger in the #16 Chevrolet completed the top five.
The first wreck of the race came on lap five when Brad Keselowski, in the #6 Ford, and John Hunter Nemechek in the #42 Toyota, made contact that resulted in the #21 Ford of Harrison Burton wrecking.
Austin Dillon in the #3 Chevrolet, Kaz Grala in the #36 Ford, Jimmie Johnson in the #84 Toyota, and the #41 Ford of Ryan Preece sustained damage from the incident.
The race restarted on lap 12 with Bell and the #12 Ford of Ryan Blaney on the front row.
Chase Elliott in the #9 Chevrolet won Stage 1 at lap 65. Kyle Larson in the #5 Chevrolet, Chastain, Alex Bowman in the #48 Chevrolet, and Byron rounded out the top five.
Elliott picked up ten bonus points and a playoff point for the stage win.
On the restart at lap 70, Larson and the #4 Ford of Josh Berry led the field.
The #8 Chevrolet of Kyle Bush dropped to the rear of the field due to a safety violation during the pit stop.
Lap 112 saw the next round of pit stops.
As Nemechek was heading to his pit stall, Berry made contact with the #42, resulting in a spin.
Blaney took the Stage 2 win with a last-lap pass of teammate Cendric.
Daniel Suarez in the #99 Chevrolet, Busch and Tyler Reddick in the #45 Toyota completed the top five.
Busch, who had a second issue on pit road on lap 34, was battling the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin on lap 158 for the lead.
However, Busch saw his chances for victory fade when he tapped the wall two laps later.
Final pit stops began on lap 180. By the time the cars had cycled through their stops, Chastain had emerged in the lead ahead of Suarez, Byron, and Elliott.
Seven laps later, the “big one” happened.
With Chastain leading, the #22 Ford of Joey Logano was hit by Byron, who Bowman had pushed.
The red flag was brought out after nineteen cars were involved in the incident.
The race was restarted on lap 196 with Chastain and Byron on the front row.
The race continued before the incident at the beginning of the last lap.
Byron’s win comes on the 40th anniversary of Hendrick Motorsports’ first race.
The Cup Series heads to Atlanta for the Ambetter Health 400 this Sunday.