Tyler Reddick triumphs in last lap Daytona 500 wreck-fest

A four-lap dash was set up when the three Toyotas of Corey Heim (#67 23XI Racing), Denny Hamlin #11 Joe Gibbs Racing, and Christopher Bell (#20 Joe Gibbs Racing) crashed into the outside wall coming towards the tri-oval with 10 laps to go.

Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell led the field to the green flag with Reddick on his inside.

McDowell and his teammate Carson Hocevar worked together to get to the front of the field until the penultimate lap when the pair got separated.

The Spire Motorsports pair got several car lengths clear, but a run from Erik Jones in the #43 Legacy Motor Club Camry on the high line pushed the #77 Hocevar Camaro clear of the #7 McDowell Camaro.

Hocevar led at the white flag, but moments later got a shot from behind the #43 Jones Camry and spun to the inside. Jones and McDowell followed suit.

Despite the spinning cars, the race remained green.

Chase Elliott, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Tyler Reddick were line astern at the front of the field.

Behind them, Zane Smith pushed Elliott clear to the lead of the race. Then Reddick got a run with support from fellow Toyota driver Riley Herbst.

Then came the decisive move. As Elliott swerved left and right, Reddick went low and shot through to the lead to take the win, leaving Herbst to wreck with Brad Keselowski, who took Elliott, Smith, Joey Logano, and Chris Buescher out too.

TYLER REDDICK WINS THE DAYTONA 500! pic.twitter.com/nOAjUM4Buu

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026

It was an emotional first-time Daytona 500 win for Reddick, who last year raced while his son was ill.

“I know. Last year was really hard for all of us, hard for me,” said Reddick.

“When you’re a Cup driver and you get to this level and drive for Michael Jordan, it’s expected you win every single year.

“For us to go on that drought we did made us look hard in the mirror, and really proud of everyone on our Chumba Casino Toyota Camry.

“Worked really hard in the off-season, and there was many points in this race where we weren’t making decisions we wanted to, but we just reset, and every opportunity we got to reset we went back at it.

“Just speechless. I didn’t know if I’d ever win this race. It’s surreal, honestly. Honestly, the best part is my son asked before this race, Are you finally going to win this race? Something about today just felt right.

We HAVE to take another look at the final lap of the Daytona 500. pic.twitter.com/1sAaD5FZM4

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026

“We had the lead there when that caution came out, lined up next to McDowell, and we just kind of kept getting hung a couple times in the closing laps there,” he added.

“Just every time we’d kind of break up, there would be nowhere left to go but to push, and they pushed me, obviously.

“My teammate Riley Herbst gave me a lot of pushes there and then tried to win the race for himself, as he should at the end there. Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness.

“It’s going to be a long night if I’ve already lost my voice from screaming. Never thought I’d be Daytona 500 champion.”

Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen finished a lap down in 30th.

Results: NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway

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