LIVE: 2026 Daytona 500 Live Commentary and Race Updates
Live commentary and race updates from the Motorsport.com team throughout the 68th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's crown jewel event and the official start of the 2026 Cup Series season.
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Well, stick around on Motorsport.com for complete post-race coverage from the track. Thank you so much for joining us!
Reddick was winless in 2025, but he opens 2026 with the biggest win of them all. Just an incredible drive from the #45
What a birthday present for 23XI team co-owner Michael Jordan, who turns 63 in a couple of days.
Now Reddick stands in Victory Lane, his son in his hands as he takes it all in.
Logano crossed the finish line backwards in third place...wow.
What a breath-taking finish. And Chumba Casino has to be pleased, as they've now won two crown jewels in the past year while sponsoring 23XI. The company's other win came with Bubba Wallace in the Brickyard 400
“Are you finally going to win this race” — Tyler Reddick says his son asked him that question before today’s wild finish. Kids say the darnedest things…
“I never thought I’d be Daytona 500 Champion” – Tyler Reddick
Chase Elliott was so close...
#45 Tyler Reddick — only Toyota in Top 7 — and team celebrate on the infield. The rest of us still processing THAT move to the inside 🏁
JUST WATCH THIS
Top 10: Reddick, Stenhouse Jr, Logano, Elliott, Keselowski, Smoth, Buescher, Herbst, Berry, Wallace.
Hocevar was leading and took the white flag — finishes 19th.
Tyler Reddick wins the 2026 Daytona 500! Went right around Chase Elliott to make it happen on the last lap.
Now Reddick passes for the lead as seemingly the entire field was wrecking
Chase Elliott leads from Zane Smith into the Ti-Oval!
Hocevar hit out of the lead, still green
McDowell finally overcome by the pack, Hocevar leads — 1 lap to go!
McDowell taking multiple shots as he blocks each lane — now Hocevar steps up to 2nd running behind the 71
The field is IMMEDIATELY aggressive, pushing throughout and running 3-wide. Reddick, McDowell, Byron up front
McDowell chooses top lane, Reddick bottom for the restart with 4 laps to go!
McDowell leads, has 3 laps of fuel, with…5 laps to go. 30 cars on the lead lap. Who had the #71?
Cue safety car and yellow flag running — now is the time to get a snack, or read about how Formula E put influencers in its cars this weekend, including Izzy Hammond, Khaby Lane and TheBurntChip
Replay of the Heim/Bell/Hamlin crash.
Entering the Tri-Oval, Heim got into Hamlin, which triggered a heavy impact into Christopher Bell. The first push was not quite square, and mayhem ensued
McDowell leads — and has not yet pitted — as the field causes a caution with 8 to go! 💥 The only car to not pit under green was McDowell.
Brad Keselowski leads with 10 laps to go
4-wide as the lead cars are all finished their pit stops. 10 laps to go!
The packs are getting snakey as the first cars to pit start to merge and the field gets back to 2 and 3-wide
Again, only a small group of four cars cycles through pit road. Stenhouse Jr, Chastain among them now getting back up to speed
Busch, Chastain, Stenhouse Jr. and Hocevar are among the final cars yet to stop — it’s going to be close ⛽️! 14 to go.
Lead Ford pack on pit road, led by Buescher. Custer runs out of fuel just ahead of his stop
Buescher, Berry, Gragson, and Custer lead the field, about to make their stops and cycle through pit lane. Their pace has been much higher than the first cars that pitted under green.
Wallace, Heim, Bell rapidly being caught by the field after leaving under their final green flag pit stop
Pit stops incoming! Four Toyotas on pit road
Third lane fading as the speeds pick back up
Toyota drivers locking out the bottom lane ahead of pit stops — who blinks first?
One second between 30 cars...insane.
Speeds picking back up, not much fuel-saving now. It's a game of leap frog now to get ahead
By: Nick DeGroot
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