In a finish that will be remembered as one of the wildest in NASCAR history, Tyler Reddick won the 2026 Daytona 500 by leading only the final lap of the "Great American Race." Reddick avoided multiple massive collisions on the last circuit, including a turn-one wreck between the leaders and a multi-car pileup at the tri-oval finish line, to secure his first-ever Harley J. Earl Trophy and the first Daytona 500 win for 23XI Racing.

Team co-owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan was present in victory lane to celebrate the milestone, describing the win as feeling like "winning a championship." Reddick’s victory was made possible by a crucial push from teammate Riley Herbst on the final backstretch, which allowed the No. 45 Toyota to muscle past Chase Elliott just seconds before the field erupted into chaos behind them.

The race set a new record with 25 different leaders throughout the 200 laps, highlighting the extreme parity of the current Cup Series field. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. managed to slide across the line in second place, followed by Joey Logano in third, while defending champion William Byron’s historic quest for a third consecutive Daytona victory ended with a respectable 12th-place finish after his car sustained early damage.