Tyler Reddick secured his first career victory in the 2026 Daytona 500 after a chaotic final lap at Daytona International Speedway, , reports Baltimore Chronicle via Fox News. The 23XI Racing driver, competing for Michael Jordan’s team, crossed the finish line ahead of a pack shaken by multiple crashes, despite not leading a single lap until the decisive moments of the race.
The NASCAR Cup Series season opener once again underscored the unpredictability of superspeedway racing. Reddick, driving the No. 45 Chumba Casino Toyota, began the final lap positioned behind Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar. As the field charged into Turn 1, Hocevar attempted to defend his position but was struck from behind by Erik Jones. The contact triggered a chain reaction that collected McDowell and disrupted the front of the pack. No caution flag was displayed, allowing the race to continue under green.
Reddick navigated through the unfolding wreckage while absorbing contact from William Byron. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. briefly emerged at the front before Chase Elliott surged ahead along the backstretch. Elliott entered the final turns battling Zane Smith, with Reddick and Riley Herbst directly behind them. Reddick moved high to pass Smith, then cut sharply to the inside line to overtake Elliott.
Approaching the checkered flag, Herbst made contact with Brad Keselowski, sending both cars into a crash. Elliott and Joey Logano were also swept into the incident. Reddick avoided the collisions and crossed the finish line first, claiming the Harley J. Earl Trophy in victory lane.
The final classification listed Reddick as the winner, followed by Stenhouse, Logano, Elliott and Keselowski in the top five. Zane Smith, Chris Buescher, Herbst, Josh Berry and Bubba Wallace completed the top ten. Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson finished 16th.
The race featured multiple caution periods and large-scale incidents. On Lap 192, Denny Hamlin was tapped from behind, made contact with Christopher Bell and then struck the wall. Bell sustained right-front tire damage that effectively ended his race. Earlier in Stage 2, Hamlin and Justin Allgaier touched on the frontstretch, triggering a multi-car wreck that involved more than a dozen drivers, including Larson, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Logano and Byron.
The second stage had already seen a significant crash on Lap 85 when NASCAR Cup Series rookie Connor Zilisch lost control exiting Turn 4. The resulting chain reaction collected Chase Briscoe, Cody Ware, Ty Gibbs and Austin Dillon.
Bubba Wallace led at the conclusion of Stage 2, while Zane Smith finished Stage 1 at the front.
Reddick’s victory marks a strong start to the 2026 season. He concluded the previous year ninth in the Cup Series standings and had reached the Championship Four in 2024. The Daytona triumph represents his first win in the sport’s most prestigious race.
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