Photo: Getty Images
Tyler Reddick won the 2026 Daytona 500, only taking the lead just before crossing the finish line on Sunday (February 15).
Reddick, 30, a two-time Xfinity Series (2018, 2019) champion who made his Cup Series debut in the 2019 Daytona 500, won NASCAR's most prestigious race for the first time on Sunday, having previously finished second in 2024. The California native has nine Cup Series wins, 93 top ten finishes and 11 poles.
Reddick overtook Chase Elliott, voted NASCAR's most popular driver every year since 2018, in a wild final lap that resulted in a pileup involving Elliott, and several others as he took the checkered flag to give 23XI Racing co-owner and Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan his first Daytona 500 victory.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second, followed by Joey Logano, Elliott and Brad Keselowski. Reddick is the fourth driver in history win the Daytona 500 despite having only led the final lap.
A 20-car crash took place midway through the event, taking out then-leader Justin Allgaier and three-time winner and 23XI racing co-owner Denny Hamlin. Hamlin, who won the 2016, 2019 and 2020 Daytona 500, was attempting to become the third driver in history to win the race four times on Sunday.
Former race winner Michael McDowell, Alex Bowman, Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek were also involved in the mid-race crash.