The new NASCAR Cup Series season has officially begun with the DAYTONA 500, known as The Great American Race.
The pre-race ceremony featured some unexpected guests, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who made his second visit to Daytona since 2020 to kick off the rolling start. Actor Anthony Mackie, known for his role as Captain America, served as this year's Grand Marshal. Additionally, the Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR Concept made its first public appearance in Daytona. It truly is a "brave new world" for this season opener.
As the green flag waved, the first 200 laps of the season commenced until Lap 11, the race came to a halt due to rainy weather, only to resume and then halted again on Lap 20. After a lengthy wait, the race is back on with Lap 24 with Joey Logano leading the restart. Lap 63 saw an accident between Denny Hamlin and Zane Smith.
Joey Logano won Stage 1 of the race, but Stage 2 brought disaster when Helio Castroneves triggered a multi-car accident on Lap 71. Ryan Blaney claimed victory in Stage 2.
The final stage escalated into chaos on Lap 196 when Christopher Bell spun on the backstretch after being pushed by Cole Custer. Bell's car then collided with the field, resulting in a chain reaction. Ryan Preece's car went airborne, landing on top of Erik Jones' vehicle before flipping over as they entered Turn 3. The incident also involved several other drivers, including Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Justin Allgaier, and Chase Elliott.
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| Screengrab from NASCAR |
After a lengthy weather delay and chaotic moments at the season opener, William Byron wins the Daytona 500 of the NASCAR Cup Series!
The Great American Race is over, but the NASCAR Cup Series has officially begun. The next race is the Ambetter Health 400 in Atlanta on February 23rd.
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