Rick Hendrick refused to believe that his team had won the Daytona 500 until one of his cars crossed the finish line and NASCAR confirmed it. William Byron was declared the winner of the 66th running of the Daytona 500, with teammate Alex Bowman coming in second. NASCAR determined the winner by reviewing the timestamp of when the caution came out, as well as video and photo evidence. Hendrick had experienced disappointment in the past, so he was cautious about celebrating too soon. This victory marked the first Daytona 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports since 2014.
Hendrick explained, “I’ve been waiting for this win for so long that I couldn’t let myself get excited until it was official. I stood there after the race, wondering if we had really won. Did we cross the finish line in time? Did a caution flag ruin our chances? But when we lined up, I felt confident that we had a great shot.”
During the final restart, Byron chose the inside of the front row, with Ross Chastain leading the race. Bowman was in fourth place, on the outside lane, while Chase Elliott restarted in sixth. With two laps to go, Byron led the pack, followed by Austin Cindric and Corey LaJoie. Chastain made a move in Turns 3 and 4, closing in on Byron’s bumper. However, when Byron blocked his advance, Chastain collided with Cindric, causing a multi-car crash. Byron managed to maintain his lead as Bowman tried to overtake him but ran out of time when NASCAR called for a caution.
This victory was particularly meaningful for Rick Hendrick, as it marked the 40th anniversary of his team’s debut in NASCAR. Back in 1984, when the team was known as All-Star Racing, Geoff Bodine finished eighth in the Daytona 500. Reflecting on that moment, Hendrick said, “When I think back to 40 years ago, I felt like we didn’t belong here. We were up against legends like Junior Johnson, the Pettys, and the Wood Brothers. We had a small team with no sponsor, but we still managed to finish in the top 10. Winning this race after 10 years feels incredible, especially after the disappointments we’ve faced in the past.”
Hendrick expressed his gratitude for being a part of NASCAR and the thrill of tying the all-time record for Daytona 500 wins. He also congratulated William Byron, Rudy Fugle, and the entire organization, as well as acknowledging Alex Bowman’s second-place finish. With this victory, Hendrick Motorsports equaled Petty Enterprises’ record for the most Daytona 500 wins by an organization, with a total of nine. The team’s previous wins came in 1986, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, and now 2024 with Byron’s triumph.
According to the Source racer.com