NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
DAYTONA 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
FEBRUARY 16, 2025
William Byron, Chevrolet Wins 2025 DAYTONA 500
Chevrolet’s Third-Straight Triumph in ‘Great American Race’
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st – William Byron
6th – Alex Bowman
9th – Justin Allgaier
- William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, is a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 Champion – marking the first time a driver completed the feat since Denny Hamlin in 2019-2020.
- The victory is Chevrolet’s 27th all-time triumph in DAYTONA 500, extending its streak to three-straight in the crown jewel event.
- The victory is Chevrolet’s 52nd NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway, and the manufacturer’s 866th all-time win in NASCAR’s top division – both of which are series-leading feats.
- William Byron drove Chevrolet to its 104th win in the NASCAR national ranks at Daytona International Speedway, extending the Bowtie brand’s record as the winningest manufacturer in NASCAR history at the ‘World Center of Racing’.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2025) – Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron collected his second crown jewel victory in NASCAR’s top division – driving his No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet to the victory in the 67th running of the DAYTONA 500. The feat marks Chevrolet’s third consecutive – and 27th all-time – triumph in the “Great American Race”, further extending Chevrolet’s leading legacy at Daytona International Speedway. The 27-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native is now a back-to-back DAYTONA 500 Champion – a title last earned in 2019-2020 by Denny Hamlin.
“Congratulations to William Byron, Rudy Fugle and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team on back-to-back Daytona 500 victories,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “This is one of the most prestigious races in motorsports, and for Chevrolet to have won it for a third consecutive year is an incredible achievement for the entire company. As NASCAR’s winningest manufacturer at Daytona, we are proud to have Byron as a part of our storied history in the Great American Race.”
The victory came in dramatic fashion with Byron sitting in the ninth position as the field approached an overtime attempt. With chaos erupting at the front of the pack, Byron was able to navigate his Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet to the top position to take the checkered-flag in the crown jewel event for the second time in his young career. The trip to victory lane also delivered Hendrick Motorsports its 10th DAYTONA 500 triumph – a now record-setting feat.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Atlanta Motor Speedway the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, February 23, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Post-Race Driver Quotes:
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 1st
William Byron’s entire team is out here, your family just walked out. William, you were ninth with one lap to go. How did you come through the pack and avoid the chaos to make it two in a row at Daytona?
“Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but just trusted my instincts on the last lap there. I felt like they were getting squirrelly on the bottom and I was honestly going to go to the third lane regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the back.
Just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor. Just really proud of this No. 24 Axalta Chevy team. They worked super hard all week and we had an amazing car. Just had a really hard time with the fuel saving and kind of staying towards the front.
Crazy. I can’t honestly believe that. But we’re here. So proud of it.”
You won this last year, and you know what a big moment it was. Can you describe what this race does for a driver, especially like yourself, and now to get to do it a second time, what does this race mean?
“Yeah, it’s obviously really special. It’s an amazing race, and obviously a lot of crazy racing out there tonight. Just a lot of pushing and shoving.
But just really proud of our team. I can’t stress that enough. I’m just super thankful for this group and everything that they do in the off-season to get prepared. We plan on trying to win a lot of races this year, so we’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to push forward and try to get to Phoenix.”
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 6th
“I hate that I pulled out of line when they crashed underneath me there on the last lap. I probably gave up some spots that way. Congrats to the No. 24 (William Byron) team. We had a pretty solid day; good race car, executed well, got Stage points in both Stages and another almost top-five at least. Seems like the story the last couple of years. We keep putting ourselves in position, and hopefully we can capitalize on it.”
Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
Finished: 9th
“I think we checked all the boxes. Really proud of JR Motorsports and everybody on this team. We hit all the markers. We had DVP. We had pit stops. We had craziness in picking lines. A lot of uncertainty on my part, just knowing the guys you are around. But all-in-all, it was a solid night. Missing the crash there at the end was cool. I assumed the caution was out and I didn’t know we were racing back to the line. That was cool to race back to the line and get a top-ten.
Just want to thank everybody at Travellers Whiskey, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelly Earnhardt Miller, and everybody that let me be a part of this. Thank you to everybody at Team Chevy and the Hendrick Engine Shop. This is a big moment for JR Motorsports, and we are excited about what the future holds for our company.”
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 13th
“It was an okay day for the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team. We didn’t have as much speed as I thought we were going to have. We didn’t have a great, clean day.”
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 14th
“Our Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy was really strong, and our car was very fast. We were able to lead laps early in the race and the car wanted to be up front most of the time. In the middle of the race, you kind of get stuck in the pack, so we tried to play it smart. Our first goal of the day after having a successful Duel and finishing third, getting some points there, was to finish the race. We played it smart through the first couple of stages and we had planned to race pretty hard in the final stage, we had a loose wheel that put us a couple of laps down. We fought really hard and got those laps back, stayed out of the crashes and were able to get a good finish. To leave the Daytona 500 with a top 15 is a conundrum because you want to do well, you can see the pie in the sky is right in front of you, it’s the biggest race of our year. To leave with a top 15, leading laps, scoring points in the Duel, starting our year off on the right foot – that was a major goal of ours. I am very proud of our team and our resilience of fighting through the day.”
Helio Castroneves, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 70.
Finished: 39th
Castroneves on the accident that ultimately ended the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevy team’s day early:
“I tried stopping it and Martin Truex Jr. came really hard and hit me, but I don’t think that was the issue. I think the issue was that I guess someone on the bottom hit me from the side and it broke the axle. Disappointed, of course. I was learning so much. It’s incredible when you have more laps in it and how you understand the air flow and what the guys are doing, like saving fuel. There were some sketchy moments, but what a shame. I wish I was still out there because there’s still more to understand and more to learn. I was starting to get a little more comfortable with the whole process, but it is what it is.
I just have to thank NASCAR, as well, to be able to put together this type of a show. Now let’s go for the Indianapolis 500!”
How did this compare to the Indianapolis 500?
“It’s such a different show. You know, this has an incredible feeling and incredible energy. Both events are incredible. That’s why I decided to do this, and that’s why I want to do the Indianapolis 500, as well.”
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 70.
Finished: 40th
It looked like a major stack-up and check-up there. Is there anything you could have done differently?
“If I would have made some better moves in our No. 1 Busch Light Chevy like 30 laps earlier, I wouldn’t have been back there in the first place. I thought the middle and the top would be a little more dominant and that I could save more fuel in that run and stay upfront. Slowly over the whole first stage, I worked my way from third all the way to basically the back of the field. I just made some bad decisions there and that put us back there with the accordion coming back. I didn’t see the hit coming to the right-rear, and then of course, I take out my teammate (Helio Castroneves) on my way to the wall. I hate that for Helio and the No. 91 Chevy team. Our Busch Light Chevy drove good. We made some progress on handling here this weekend. I’m excited for the future and we’ll move onto Atlanta (Motor Speedway).”
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