Inside Daytona 500’s big crash, from the drivers’ point of view

Denny Hamlin was on the cusp of a historic fourth victory within the Daytona 500. Austin Cindric had an opportunity to safe his second Harley J. Earl trophy within the final 4 years. Chase Briscoe and Cole Custer have been combating for what would have been the most important win of their careers. And Corey LaJoie was inside attain of an upset that may have surprised the NASCAR world.

Besides, all of the sudden, all 5 drivers crashed with simply half a lap remaining, permitting William Byron to steal the victory out from below them. Race-defining wrecks are a motif of the trendy Daytona 500, with the final six all ending in calamity. Each 2020 and 2022 noticed a wreck throughout the road, whereas 2021, 2023, and 2024 all ended below warning following wrecks close to the entrance of the sector.

However 2025 was distinctive in that each one eight drivers within the first 4 rows of a white flag restart (because of a two-lap time beyond regulation) ended up concerned in an incident through the ultimate 2.5 miles of the race. 

So what really occurred within the crash that determine the Daytona 500? Here is what it regarded like from the within, in accordance with the drivers concerned.

The crash: a refresher

Watch: Double take: Byron claims back-to-back Daytona 500s wins as automobiles crash

Whether or not the Daytona 500 is extra of a chess match or a blackjack hand is tough to say, however the crash that took out the race’s predominant contenders made it appear extra like a boxing match. Regardless of the plan, you are going to get hit.

What we do know: On the white flag, Cindric led, with the Toyotas of Hamlin and Riley Herbst instantly behind him, and Custer to his exterior. Behind Custer within the exterior line, so as, have been Alex Bowman, Briscoe, and Byron. 

An entire lot of shuffling began when Herbst slid off the grass and LaJoie jumped into his spot. Bowman, Hamlin, and Briscoe all tried to make strikes — however the actual mess began when Custer misplaced management and slammed into the aspect of Hamlin’s machine. The mess collected loads of different automobiles and ruining loads of drivers’ days.

Byron and Tyler Reddick made the clever — or perhaps simply fortunate — resolution to maneuver up alongside the skin wall. They stayed protected, and claimed a 1-2 end. 

Briscoe and Cindric have been fortunate sufficient to straighten their automobiles again out, ending fourth and eighth, respectively. However Hamlin, Briscoe, and Custer all positioned exterior the top-20.

Hamlin: Custer “steered left and was making an attempt to crowd”

After the race, Hamlin spoke with Custer on pit street earlier than chatting with the media.

“I measured up the two [Cindric], and acquired a run on him,” defined Hamlin as he supplied his perspective. “I stayed with him lengthy sufficient the place I may sort of management which aspect I wished to go him on, after which we had pulled away from the pack barely, so I knew a run was going to come back. The 41 [Custer] had a run, and I selected to not block him, as a result of these races, it’s a must to dwell to make it off of Flip 4, and we simply didn’t.

“I assumed the [Custer] got here down. I’m pushing [Cindric] down as little as I can to present him all the house, and never stopping his run, and I assumed he, not hung a left, however steered left and was making an attempt to crowd it. I perceive what he was making an attempt to go for — he’s going for it, all of us are — however you understand, in these conditions, you’ve gotta do it off of (Flip) 4. Then we will we do that. However we by no means made it — and another person gained. I don’t even know the place he was operating.”

Custer: “All people is simply going for it”

Custer, returning to the Cup Sequence in 2025 after two years within the Xfinity Sequence, mentioned it was a case of  “everyone simply pushing laborious and aspect drafting laborious.”

“All people goes for it. That is the most important race of our lives right here in Daytona. It’s the top of our sport. I had an enormous run on the 11 [Hamlin]. I want I waited yet another nook, but it surely was such a giant run that I simply felt like I needed to take it. The 19 [Briscoe] went with [Hamlin], after which we have been sort of frolicked, and it simply didn’t work on the market on the finish.”

Cindric: “Whoever was pushing Denny…wrecked him”

For the second consecutive 12 months, Austin Cindric discovered himself with a reputable shot on the win solely to get wrecked on the ultimate lap. The phrase “frustration” was at on the tip of his tongue.

“You’re taking the white because the chief. I felt like I executed all of the restarts the suitable manner — and actually that complete third stage. I didn’t get wrecked out of the lead this time, in order that was cool. But it surely nonetheless doesn’t make it really feel any higher.”

On that ultimate, Cindric  “Denny wished to take his run straight away and I nonetheless acquired shot from the 01 [Lajoie]. Whoever was pushing Denny clearly wrecked him. There was only a ton of momentum, with the sector getting damaged up [after Herbst’s spin]. I didn’t actually know at what level of the lap I wanted to really be the chief. It’s simply irritating to be that shut.”

Briscoe: “I will push Denny to the win”

Briscoe, caught in the course of a last-lap squeeze, had a front-row seat to the race-changing pileup.

“All of them cut up off sort of three-wide, and the 11 [Hamlin] automotive was simply sitting there for me,” he mentioned.

At that time, the Daytona 500 pole-sitter had only one thought in his first race as a Joe Gibbs Racing driver:

“I used to be like, ‘I’m going to push Denny to the win. JGR goes to win with my first race right here.’ After I hit him, all of us got here collectively — I haven’t seen it but — and one way or the other I used to be capable of preserve it straight, and clearly transfer ahead.”

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