The new O’Reilly Auto Parts era didn’t begin with calm authority — it began with a pileup before the start line, escalated into a red-flag mess, and somehow ended with Austin Hill standing tall over the wreckage.
Jimmie Johnson will take one last green flag in the Daytona 500 in 2027, closing a Cup career that began with a pole at the same track 25 years earlier.
Winner: Ryan Blaney Average Speed of Race Winner: 97.711 mph. Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 15 Mins, 53 Secs. Margin of Victory: .097 Seconds. Caution Flags: 9 for 65 laps Lead Changes: 16 among 6 drivers. Stage 1 Top 10: 24,12,11,2,5,77,48,22,17,19 Stage 2 Top 10: 11,12,24,5,20,1,19,22,77,9 Fastest Lap: #11 Lap 287/ 27.566
