By David Morgan, Associate Editor
It had been a long wait for Hendrick Motorsports to return to Daytona 500 victory lane, but at the end of Monday’s rain-delayed running of the Great American Race, it was a 1-2 finish for one of the winningest organizations in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Not since Dale Earnhardt Jr’s 2014 victory had a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet captured a win in the season opening spectacle, but 26-year-old William Byron was the driver to get it done at the World Center of Racing – capturing his first Harley J. Earl trophy and kicking off the team’s 40th anniversary season in earnest.
“I’m telling you, you couldn’t write the script any better, 24 in 24,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “When we thought about coming down here the first time we didn’t think we should be here, felt so out of place.
“We win this on our 40th to the day, it’s just — and tied a record now, so that’s awesome.”
The finish of the race came down to a four-lap shootout between Byron, Ross Chastain, teammate Alex Bowman and a host of others all vying for their chance to write their name in the record book as Daytona 500 champion.
With a push from 2022 Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric, Byron was able to put his Chevrolet firmly out in front of the field as they stormed toward the white flag.
It was at that moment when Chastain was coming with a head of steam in the outside line with Bowman pushing when Byron moved up to block. Chastain juked down to the low side to try and get around Byron, but made contact with Cindric, sending both cars spinning and bringing out the caution.
Since Byron had already crossed the line to take the white and start the final lap as the leader when the caution was called, Byron would be declared the winner, followed by Bowman to give Hendrick a 1-2 finish and its ninth victory in the event.
“I’m just a kid from racing on computers and winning the Daytona 500, I can’t believe it,” Byron said. “I wish my dad was here. He’s sick, but this is for him, man. We’ve been through so much, and we sat up in the grandstands together and watched the race. This is so freaking cool.”
Christopher Bell finished the race in third, followed by Corey Lajoie and Bubba Wallace to round out the top-five. The remainder of the top-10 finishers were A.J. Allmendinger, John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, Noah Gragson, and Chase Briscoe.
Prior to the final run to the finish, it…
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