Sports
William Byron wins DAYTONA 500 under caution after frenetic next-to-last lap
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — William Byron gave team owner Rick Hendrick something extra to celebrate in the 40th anniversary year of Hendrick Motorsports.
2024 Daytona 500 Winner William Byron celebrates his victory at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, February 19, 2024. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News
In a frantic scramble after a restart on Lap 197 of 200 in the DAYTONA 500, Byron reached the finish line and took the white flag moments before NASCAR called the fifth caution of the evening as Ross Chastain slid wildly through the infield grass off the bumper of Austin Cindric’s Ford.
Alex Bowman was a close second to his teammate at the moment of caution, giving Hendrick a 1-2 finish and the organization’s first victory in the Great American Race since Jimmie Johnson beat teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the stripe in 2013.
NASCAR young rising star William Byron burned some rubber to celebrate his Daytona 500 win at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, February 19, 2024. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News
The victory was Hendrick’s ninth in the DAYTONA 500, tying the company with Petty Enterprises for most in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series most prestigious event. The race was postponed from Sunday to Monday because of heavy rains during the weekend.
“I’m just a kid from racing on computers and winning the Daytona 500,” said the 26-year-old Byron, who picked up the 11th victory of his career and his second at Daytona, the first coming in the 2020 summer race at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
“I can’t believe it. I wish my dad was here. He’s sick, but this is for him, man. We’ve been through so much, and we sat up in the grandstands together and watched the race (when Byron was younger). This is so freaking cool.”
AXALTA driver William Byron and Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher lifts the Daytona 500 trophy at victory lane, Monday, February 19, 2024. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News
Hendrick could barely contain his elation in Victory Lane.
“I’m telling you, you couldn’t write the script any better,” he said. “When we thought about coming down here the first time, we didn’t think we should be here, felt so out of place.
“We win this on our 40th to the day, it’s just… and tied a record now, so that’s awesome.”
Before the final restart, Chastain was racing at the front of the field on Lap 192 when a bump from Alex Bowman got Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron out of shape and knocked Byron into the right rear of Brad Keselowski’s Ford.
Keselowski turned up the track into the Ford of Joey Logano, who had led a race-high 45 laps to that point. Reigning series champion Ryan Blaney’s Ford was among the 23 cars involved in the accident that left string of mangled vehicles strewn along the backstretch.
The wreck knocked Blaney, Keselowski and Logano out of the race, along with Tyler Reddick, defending race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez and Todd Gilliland. NASCAR red-flagged the race for 15 minutes 27 seconds for track clean-up.
“Speedway racing again,” Logano said ruefully. “It’s a lot of fun until this happens. It was pretty interesting with a lot of pushing and shoving there at the end. Our car was able to take it. Our Mustang was so fast. It could lead a line really well. I kind of thought I had the cars I wanted around me. I had at least one I wanted around me, but just couldn’t make it work.”
2024 Daytona 500 champion William Byron explain what lead to the crash during a press conference at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, February 19, 2024. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News
“Obviously, hate what happened on that backstretch,” Byron said of the accident. “I just got pushed and got sideways. But so proud of this team, whole AXALTA team, 40th anniversary to the day, on Monday.
“Just extremely blessed and thankful for all the opportunities, and we just want to keep it going. We have a lot to prove this year, and this is a good start, obviously.”
How much Byron has yet to prove is debatable. He won a series-best six races last year, qualified for the Championship 4 and finished third in the final standings.
The race was not quite five laps old when an eight-car accident off Turn 4 started the inevitable attrition. Contact from Keselowski’s Ford in a tightly bunched line of the outside knocked the Toyota of John Hunter Nemechek into the center lane and into the side of Harrison Burton’s Ford.
Burton slid toward the infield, collecting the Chevrolet of Sunoco rookie Carson Hocevar. Burton’s No. 21 Mustang shot up the track and slammed into the Ford of Kaz Grala and the Chevrolet of Austin Dillon. Behind Dillon, Hocevar careened into the path of seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who couldn’t avoid the collision.
The wreck eliminated the cars of Burton, Hocevar and Grala. Dillon took his No. 3 Chevy to the garage for extensive repairs, and Johnson lost two laps on pit road as his Legacy Motor Club crew worked frantically to repair his Camry.
“I don’t remember exactly who it was on my outside,” Burton said after a trip to the infield care center. “It just looked like they either got a bad push or got loose and just hit me in the right side and sent me across.
“The grass was so wet that once I got in the grass, I thought I’d be OK, but the car just kept going and going… so really sad that our day is over as quick as it was. We had a really fast Ford. It’s just a bummer. There’s nothing we can do but just move on and try to win next week.”
It took 187 more laps of racing before the colossal wreck that dwarfed the earlier incident thinned the field and set up the fight to the finish among the cars that survived.
In a race that featured 41 lead changes among 20 drivers, Christopher Bell ran third, followed by Corey LaJoie, Bubba Wallace and AJ Allmendinger. Chastain, who didn’t have quite enough room when he dived to the inside of Cindric on the penultimate lap, finished 21st, one spot ahead of Cindric.
NASCAR Cup Series Race – DAYTONA 500
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
Sunday, February 18, 2024
1. (18) William Byron, Chevrolet, 200.
2. (7) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 200.
3. (4) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 200.
4. (29) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 200.
5. (24) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 200.
6. (28) AJ Allmendinger(i), Chevrolet, 200.
7. (10) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 200.
8. (11) Erik Jones, Toyota, 200.
9. (38) Noah Gragson, Ford, 200.
10. (20) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 200.
11. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 200.
12. (34) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 200.
13. (14) Zane Smith #, Chevrolet, 200.
14. (5) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 200.
15. (27) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 200.
16. (37) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 200.
17. (15) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 200.
18. (19) Chris Buescher, Ford, 200.
19. (8) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 200.
20. (40) David Ragan, Ford, 200.
21. (21) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 199.
22. (6) Austin Cindric, Ford, 199.
23. (25) Ryan Preece, Ford, 199.
24. (36) Riley Herbst(i), Ford, 199.
25. (30) Josh Berry #, Ford, 199.
26. (22) Justin Haley, Ford, 199.
27. (39) Anthony Alfredo(i), Chevrolet, 198.
28. (23) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota, 196.
29. (3) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, Accident, 192.
30. (32) Ryan Blaney, Ford, Accident, 192.
31. (35) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 192.
32. (1) Joey Logano, Ford, Accident, 191.
33. (16) Brad Keselowski, Ford, Accident, 191.
34. (13) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, Accident, 191.
35. (31) Todd Gilliland, Ford, Accident, 191.
36. (2) Michael McDowell, Ford, 176.
37. (33) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 146.
38. (26) Kaz Grala #, Ford, Accident, 5.
39. (12) Harrison Burton, Ford, Accident, 5.
40. (9) Carson Hocevar #, Chevrolet, Accident, 5.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 157.178 mph.
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 10 Mins, 52 Secs. Margin of Victory: Under Caution Seconds.
Caution Flags: 5 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes: 41 among 20 drivers.
Lap Leaders: J. Logano 1;M. McDowell 2;J. Logano 3;M. McDowell 4;J. Logano 5-8;C. Bell 9-30;R. Blaney 31-39;M. McDowell 40-43;J. Berry # 44;C. Elliott 45-54;B. Wallace 55;N. Gragson 56-60;*. Ragan 61-62;K. Busch 63-64;C. Elliott 65-67;B. Keselowski 68;K. Larson 69-71;J. Logano 72-92;T. Gilliland 93-108;K. Busch 109-113;K. Larson 114-117;A. Cindric 118-122;K. Busch 123;A. Cindric 124-128;K. Busch 129;R. Blaney 130-132;B. Keselowski 133-134;A. Cindric 135-136;B. Wallace 137;A. Cindric 138;B. Wallace 139;A. Allmendinger(i) 140-148;K. Busch 149-150;C. LaJoie 151;D. Hamlin 152;K. Busch 153;D. Hamlin 154-162;J. Logano 163-180;R. Chastain 181-185;D. Suarez 186-187;R. Chastain 188-196;W. Byron 197-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Joey Logano 5 times for 45 laps; Christopher Bell 1 time for 22 laps; Todd Gilliland 1 time for 16 laps; Ross Chastain 2 times for 14 laps; Austin Cindric 4 times for 13 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 13 laps; Kyle Busch 6 times for 12 laps; Ryan Blaney 2 times for 12 laps; Denny Hamlin 2 times for 10 laps; AJ Allmendinger(i) 1 time for 9 laps; Kyle Larson 2 times for 7 laps; Michael McDowell 3 times for 6 laps; Noah Gragson 1 time for 5 laps; William Byron 1 time for 4 laps; Brad Keselowski 2 times for 3 laps; Bubba Wallace 3 times for 3 laps; * David Ragan 1 time for 2 laps; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 2 laps; Corey LaJoie 1 time for 1 lap; Josh Berry # 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 9,5,1,48,24,8,11,23,19,99
Stage #2 Top Ten: 12,2,99,8,45,24,23,47,16,17
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 pts) suffered their first defeat of the 2025 NWSL regular season, falling 1-0 to the Washington Spirit (4-1-0, 12 pts) on Saturday evening at Inter&Co Stadium. The narrow loss ended a dominant four-game winning streak to start the year and marked the first regular-season home defeat to the Spirit since 2019.
The game was defined by the Pride’s offensive pressure, totaling 20 shots and 11 corner kicks, yet they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. A key moment came in the 65th minute, when forward Barbra Banda’s header struck the crossbar, nearly equalizing the game.
Orlando Pride’s Marta shows disappointment over goal ruling. Photo by Florida National News / Harry Castiblanco
Controversial Goal Overturned
Orlando Pride appeared to tie the match in the second half when Marta sent in a corner kick that resulted in a goal, but following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed, leaving the home crowd frustrated.
Match-Winning Error
The lone goal of the match came in the 63rd minute, when Washington forward Gift Monday intercepted a misplayed pass from Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and tapped it into the net. The mistake proved costly in a game the Pride largely dominated in possession (60%) and shots on goal (6-2).
Seb Hines Reacts to First Loss
“I think 99 percent of the match we did well. We played with intensity and put Washington under immense pressure,” said Head Coach Seb Hines post-match. “The frustration is when you dominate a game and don’t get anything out of it. The performance was good, but we have to move on.”
Match Highlights and Key Stats
Anna Moorhouse made her 34th consecutive regular season start, tying Ali Krieger’s Club record.
Moorhouse also broke the Club record for most consecutive minutes played at the 70-minute mark (3,060 minutes).
Angelina was named Heineken Star of the Match.
Oihane made her first career NWSL start.
Grace Chanda made her NWSL debut as a second-half substitute.
Kylie Nadaner now ranks second all-time in Pride appearances with 95.
What’s Next for Orlando Pride?
The Pride will remain home at Inter&Co Stadium as they look to bounce back against Angel City FC on Friday, April 25. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and will air on Prime Video. Orlando will aim to get back in the win column and regain early-season momentum in front of their home crowd.
Javier Garcia and Harry Castiblanco
Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic’s historic run came to a close Monday night as they fell to the Stockton Kings, 118-110, in Game 3 of the NBA G League Finals presented by YouTube TV. The showdown at Osceola Heritage Park ended in front of a sellout crowd of 3,421 fans, marking a bittersweet finish to an electrifying season.
Game Highlights
Ethan Thompson led the charge for Osceola with 28 points on 8-of-17 shooting.
Myron Gardner notched a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Dexter Dennis came off the bench to lead Stockton with 23 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.
Isaac Jones, on assignment from the Sacramento Kings, posted 21 points (8-of-11 FG) and 13 rebounds.
Mason Jones added 19 points and 13 assists for Stockton and was named NBA G League Finals MVP.
The game got off to a scrappy, high-energy start as both teams battled for momentum. Despite holding a narrow lead at halftime, the Magic struggled to contain the Kings’ bench unit in the fourth quarter, where Stockton surged ahead thanks to Dennis and Jones’s scoring bursts.
Game Highlights – Video
The Magic’s defensive efforts waned late, allowing the Kings to outpace them in fast breaks and capitalize on second-chance points. While Osceola pushed back in the final two minutes, the deficit proved too much to overcome.
What’s Next for Osceola Magic
With their season now complete, the Osceola Magic close out the 2024-25 NBA G League season with a 22-12 regular season record—a strong showing for the franchise since relocating to Kissimmee.
Fans interested in becoming part of the next chapter can secure 2025-26 season tickets now by visiting OsceolaMagic.com/2025-26-tickets.
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J Willie David, III
Pierredens Jeune, Vdeiographer
Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
STOCKTON, Calif. (FNN SPORTS) – The Osceola Magic fell short in Game 2 of the NBA G League Finals on Friday night, losing 144-126 to the Stockton Kings at Adventist Health Arena. With the series now tied 1-1, the championship will be decided in a winner-takes-all Game 3 on Monday, April 14 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.
Despite the loss, the Magic saw four players score 20 or more points. Leading the charge was Mac McClung, who poured in 34 points and handed out 8 assists, showcasing the explosiveness that’s made him a three-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion. Jalen Slawson added 23 points against his former team, while Myron Gardner contributed 22 points, and Alex Morales chipped in 20.
However, the Stockton Kings were red-hot offensively. Mason Jones led the way with a 27-point, 12-assist double-double, while Skal Labissière added 26 points and 7 rebounds. The Kings were nearly unstoppable from the field, shooting a sizzling 56.7% overall and 58.5% from three-point range, knocking down 24 threes as a team.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR OSCEOLA MAGIC?
The NBA G League Finals, presented by YouTube TV, return to Osceola Heritage Park for a decisive Game 3 on Monday, April 14. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
Fans attending the game will have the chance to snag exclusive merch—the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited-edition Osceola Magic G League Finals T-shirt, courtesy of AdventHealth.
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J Willie David, III
Sports@Florida National News.com
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