In an overtime finish, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin led the field to green with Austin Cindric of Team Penske on his outside.
Hamlin got the jump on Cindric thanks to a push from Riley Herbst. However, the #11 got too far in front and Herbst fell back.
Cindric was pushed to the lead by Cole Custer before the low lane reorganised itself and caught back up.
As he approached the white flag, Cindric weaved from left to right as he tried to block Hamlin and Custer.
Herbst was taken out of the equation when he slid through the grass and pulled off a miraculous recovery without bringing out the yellow.
Through Turn 1 and Turn 2, Cindric headed Hamlin. At the first opportunity, Hamlin went to the high line to overtake.
It all came to a head moments later when Custer tried to go around the outside of Hamlin.
It all turned pear-shaped when Chase Briscoe tried to push Hamlin and Custer tried to close the door.
Custer came across the nose of Briscoe and made contact. That triggered a crash when Briscoe got pinched between Custer and Cindric.
Contact from Custer sent Hamlin into a spin while the others scattered to the apron.
On the high line, Byron narrowly escaped the spinning Hamlin and took the lead. Reddick squeezed through, but not without being sideswiped by Hamlin.
Despite the mess, the race stayed green and Byron raced Reddick to the chequered flag.
WILLIAM BYRON WINS THE DAYTONA 500! AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/hPvnCkcNRa
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 17, 2025
Bryon ultimately prevailed by a car length to become the first back-to-back winner since Denny Hamlin’s double in 2019 and 2020.
“Obviously some good fortune but trusted by instincts on the last lap there,” said Byron.
“I felt like they were getting squirrely on the bottom. I was honestly going to go to the third lane, regardless because I was sixth coming down the back straight.
“Fortunate it worked out in our favour.”
Hamlin was left bemused by the incident, putting the lion’s share of the blame on Custer.
“I thought we were in a great spot many, many times in the last 10 laps,” said Hamlin.
“We didn’t have the caution on the first front straightaway spin and I was like ‘Well, that’s a second lease on life to get the #2’ so I measured up the #2, got a run on him, and stayed with him enough to where I could control which side I wanted to pass him on.
“We had pulled away from the pack slightly, so I knew a run was going to come. The #41 had the run and I chose not to block him. These races, you’ve gotta live to make it off Turn 4, and we just didn’t.
“I thought that the #41 came down and I’m pushing the #2 down as low as I can, giving the #41 as much space and not stopping his run – I thought he’d, not hung a left, but steered left and was trying to crowd it.
“I understand everyone is trying to go for it, and he’s going for it, all of us are, but in those situations, you’ve got to get off [Turn] 4 and then we can do this – but we just never made it and somebody else won.”
Jimmie Johnson wound up third while Briscoe was fourth and John Hunter Nemechek was fifth.
Shane van Gisbergen finished 33rd and eight laps down after an earlier incident.
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