The Daytona 500 Didn’t Like Chase Elliott Either
Let’s face it: the Daytona 500 doesn’t often behave like a movie.
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Bubba Wallace Did Everything Right. Daytona Didn’t Care
Bubba Wallace led the most laps, dodged the carnage, and lined up perfectly for the final restart—then the Daytona 500 reminded him that “perfect” means absolutely nothing.
Justin Allgaier Tried to Win the Daytona 500. Instead, He Collected 19 Pen Pals
Justin Allgaier had already survived two skirmishes and muscled his way to the front of the Daytona 500. Then he threw a late block on Denny Hamlin—and Daytona responded by rearranging 20 cars at once.
The O’Reilly Era Begins in Smoke, Steel and Austin Hill
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 Isn’t Retiring—He’s Choosing His Finish Line
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.
Daytona Happy Hour Sees Limited Runs, Big Speeds
Only 18 drivers posted laps in final practice, as Ryan Preece led a Ford-heavy draft and several contenders dialed in backup cars.
Daytona Chooses Violence, Chandler Smith Chooses Victory
Chandler Smith wasn’t leading off Turn 4 in overtime, but a perfectly timed shove turned a four-wide brawl into a .044-second Daytona triumph.
Chase Elliott Calls Daytona 500 a Lottery—And He’s Buying Another Ticket
Chase Elliott says the Daytona 500 is part skill, part survival and part lottery ticket—proof that even champions need luck when 41 cars barrel into Turn 1.
Manufacturers Talk Big After Duels, But Sunday Will Tell the Truth
Chevrolet liked what it saw in the Duels, Ford admitted 2025 stung, Toyota insists it was 90 seconds from glory, and Dodge is quietly plotting its Cup return.
Joey Logano Predicts a Daytona 500 “Wreck-Fest”
If the Duels were cautious heat races and still produced wrecks, Logano’s message for the 500 is simple: buckle up and maybe say a prayer.