CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some NASCAR drivers spend their entire careers attempting to win one Daytona 500, while others have made it look easy with multiple trips to victory lane at the prestigious event.

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports falls into the second category. Byron narrowly bested Alex Bowman in the 2024 race as a caution flag fell on the final lap. In 2025, the seas parted for Byron as an enormous crash took out the lead drivers on the final lap, allowing him to slip by and win.

“It was very unpredictable,” Byron told reporters on Wednesday, reflecting on the 2025 race. “I didn’t really feel like I had a shot to win or even be in the mix until we took the white flag.”

Byron joined a list of elite drivers by winning his second straight Daytona 500. Richard Petty (1973, 1974), Cale Yarborough (1983, 1984), Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), and Denny Hamlin (2019, 2020) were the first four to do so.

“[Those are] great career-defining moments that we’ve had,” Byron said. “It’s awesome. It’s special.”

While everything worked out for Byron the last two years, he doesn’t feel the superspeedway-style races have always suited him.

“I feel like, for a while, it was a joke. I couldn’t finish a race here,” Byron said. “My first six years, I couldn’t finish the race, but I was always in the mix.”

Byron’s best finish in the Daytona 500 in his first six tries was 21st. He did win at the track in the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400, though.

Byron said he’s surprised that nobody has won three Daytona 500s in a row.

“There’s been some drafting packages that were honestly easier to win three in a row than this one currently,” Byron said. “It just shows how hard this race is and how much pressure there is.”

Byron’s hopes for a third consecutive Daytona 500 victory begin on Wednesday with qualifying. The Daytona Duel races on Thursday will officially set the race’s starting grid. The 2026 Daytona 500 is on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some NASCAR drivers spend their entire careers attempting to win one Daytona 500, while others have made it look easy with multiple trips to victory lane at the prestigious event.

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports falls into the second category. Byron narrowly bested Alex Bowman in the 2024 race as a caution flag fell on the final lap. In 2025, the seas parted for Byron as an enormous crash took out the lead drivers on the final lap, allowing him to slip by and win.

“It was very unpredictable,” Byron told reporters on Wednesday, reflecting on the 2025 race. “I didn’t really feel like I had a shot to win or even be in the mix until we took the white flag.”

Byron joined a list of elite drivers by winning his second straight Daytona 500. Richard Petty (1973, 1974), Cale Yarborough (1983, 1984), Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995), and Denny Hamlin (2019, 2020) were the first four to do so.

“[Those are] great career-defining moments that we’ve had,” Byron said. “It’s awesome. It’s special.”

While everything worked out for Byron the last two years, he doesn’t feel the superspeedway-style races have always suited him.

“I feel like, for a while, it was a joke. I couldn’t finish a race here,” Byron said. “My first six years, I couldn’t finish the race, but I was always in the mix.”

Byron’s best finish in the Daytona 500 in his first six tries was 21st. He did win at the track in the 2020 Coke Zero Sugar 400, though.

Byron said he’s surprised that nobody has won three Daytona 500s in a row.

“There’s been some drafting packages that were honestly easier to win three in a row than this one currently,” Byron said. “It just shows how hard this race is and how much pressure there is.”

Byron’s hopes for a third consecutive Daytona 500 victory begin on Wednesday with qualifying. The Daytona Duel races on Thursday will officially set the race’s starting grid. The 2026 Daytona 500 is on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.