The NASCAR Daytona 500 commenced on Sunday, February 16, but Florida rain screeched the race to a halt for a while — several hours to be exact. As high winds and torrential rain hit Daytona Beach, attendees and drivers were forced to wait it out. So, who won the 2025 Daytona 500?
Multiple celebrities, including Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie, were at the race. The 46-year-old Marvel Cinematic Universe hero gushed over how “amazing” it was to attend the event “and be welcomed this way,” per the Associated Press.
“The movie being No. 1 on top of that, with America’s great race, you know, it’s phenomenal, man,” Mackie said. “I think it’s one of those moments where the perfect two things culminated at the right time. I couldn’t have asked for a better time.”
In addition to Anthony, Donald Trump was also at the Daytona 500 for a brief time.
Below, get updates on who won the Daytona 500 this year.
Was the Daytona 500 Postponed?
The race was not postponed to another day, but it was interrupted by rain and had a three-hour delay.
Did Trump Leave the Daytona 500 Race?
Yes, the president left the race after the heavy downpour began. He spoke with reporters after he flew back to West Palm Beach, where he told them he’d watch the race from home.
When Trump arrived to the Daytona International Speedway, his motorcade led the drivers around the track for two laps. He also told them to “have a lot of fun” and to also stay safe.
“This is your favorite president. I’m a big fan. I am a really big fan of you people,” Trump said to the drivers, according to the Associated Press. “How you do this I don’t know, but I just want you to be safe. You’re talented people and you’re great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I’ll see you later.”
Who Won the Daytona 500?
William Byron won the 2025 Daytona 500. According to multiple outlets, Byron called his victory “really special,” since he quickly climbed from the ninth spot to first place at the end of the race.
“It’s an amazing race, and obviously a lot of crazy racing out there tonight and just a lot of pushing and shoving, but just really proud of our team,” Byron said after the race. “I can’t stress that enough. I’m just super thankful.”
Tyler Reddick finished in second place, and Jimmie Johnson finished in third.
Daytona 500 Leaderboard
The following drivers were in the top 5 spots on the leaderboard toward the end of the race before Byron won.
- Corey LaJoie
- Austin Cindric
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Denny Hamlin
- Austin Dillon
In the final laps, though, several crashes happened. During lap No. 196, Christopher Bell hit a wall after a nudge from Cole Custer. Ryan Preece also flipped after being hit, and multiple other drivers were also involved in the collision. However, all reported that they were OK.
