By Luis Torres, Staff Writer/Photographer
The 67th Daytona 500 was held last Sunday at Daytona International Speedway with a lot of pomp and circumstances from sunrise and well into the night.
Whether it’s the pre-race performance from Pitbull or the President of the United States of America arriving at “The World Center of Racing,” “The Great American Race” was once again an unforgettable event.
Pole sitter Chase Briscoe led the 41-car field to the green flag, but the action was halted due to rain which delayed the 200-lap event for hours. Once the lights were on, business really picked up as drivers were battling aggressively to keep the lead and save enough fuel to make the distance. Drivers came and go as the race once again came down into overtime.
A last-lap crash opened an opportunity for defending Daytona 500 champion William Byron to avoid the carnage and take the lead without much of a battle at the finish. Byron ended up beating Tyler Reddick to the checkered flag and became the first driver since Denny Hamlin (2019 and 2020) to win back-to-back 500s and the fifth driver to do so.
From one driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to another, Byron also became the youngest two-time winner, breaking the record once held by Jeff Gordon when he won his first two 500s in 1997 and 1999.
With the fanfare behind us, here’s my latest installment of “Race In Pictures” that captured all the highs and lows the Daytona 500 has become known for in recent times.
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