Byron picks up where he left off
The winningest driver of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship William Byron has kicked off his title bid by winning the opening race of the season at Daytona.
Byron, 26, from Charlotte, had an unusual path to the top of stock car racing, having learned his craft on the online simulator iRacing in his early teens.
He made his real-life debut at the late age of 15, advanced to the Cup Series in 2018 and had amassed an impressive ten race wins before his 2024 Daytona triumph.
Byron said: "I'm just a kid who came from racing on computers, and winning the Daytona 500, I just can't believe it!"
Hendrick equals Petty's record
The win coincides with the 40th anniversary of his team Hendrick Motorsports first start in the top level of stock car racing.
This draws HMS level on total wins in the Great American Race with the legendary Petty Motorsports, with each taking nine victories.
Byron's win came after two late cautions, the first of which wiped out several contenders including polesitter Joey Logano and last year's champion Ryan Blaney.
The stoppage that confirmed the race result came after Trackhouse's Ross Chastain and Penske's Austin Cindric collided coming into the tri-oval on the penultimate lap.
Disappointment for a returning legend
The semi-retired seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson fell out of contention early on after he was caught up in an early caution on lap 5.
Brad Keselowski's contact with the #42 of John Hunter Nemechek sent the latter driver's car spearing violently across the circuit in the tri-oval, collecting two cars.
The #21 of Harrison Burton and the #77 of Carson Hocevar were caught up in the incident, both losing control over the grass before careering back up the track.
The oncoming pack included the #84 of Johnson who was unable to avoid Hocevar, meaning the unchartered third entry of Legacy Motor Club finished 28th, four laps down.
20 years of frustration
Despite winning two Cup Series championships and the most races of any active driver, Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch has never won a Daytona 500.
The crown jewel race has eluded him since his debut in 2004, despite being in position to win it numerous times.
Busch extended his unwanted record of laps led at the 500 without winning it to 352, nearly double the race's traditional length.
Comparisons can be drawn between Busch and the late Dale Earnhardt who also seemed to be able to win everything except the 500 for most of his career.
It took Earnhardt 19 attempts to win at the Floridian circuit, finally achieving the feat in 1998, three years before his untimely death driving in the 2001 edition of the race.
Busch's 19th attempt this year saw him finish only 12th after having led the pack on numerous occasions.
Conclusion
The 2024 Daytona 500 affirmed the potential of a rising star, but denied two icons of the series a chance to enhance their legacies.
Next week's race is the Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, on Sunday 25th February at 3:00 pm Eastern Time.
Will Byron continue his good form at the only circuit other than Daytona where he has achieved more than one win?
And could the likes of Logano, Busch and Blaney return to victory lane after a subpar start to the season?
Regardless of what happens, it will be entertaining nonetheless as we go to the second superspeedway in as many races.