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William Byron wins DAYTONA 500 under caution after frenetic next-to-last lap

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2024 Daytona 500 Winner William Byron held a press conference in the media center at Daytona International Speedway, Monday, February 19, 2024. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News

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

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Orlando City SC to Host Inter Miami CF in 2025 Preseason Florida Derby at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – Orlando City SC announced that the Lions will reignite their rivalry with Inter Miami CF in a preseason Florida Derby showdown at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on February 14, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET. This much-anticipated clash, organized in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, brings the excitement of the Florida Derby to Tampa for the first time, expanding the reach of Major League Soccer within the state.

“We can’t wait to bring the excitement of the Orlando/Miami rivalry down the road to our neighbors in Tampa,” said Orlando City SC President of Business Operations Jarrod Dillon. “We’re excited to partner with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission on this event and look forward to it being a great addition to our 2025 MLS preseason calendar.”

Ticket Sales and Fan Experience Orlando City SC season ticket members and Recognized Supporter Groups will receive presale access starting on November 12. An additional presale will open for Orlando City email newsletter subscribers on November 13, with general public sales beginning November 14 at SoccerInTampaBay.com.

Fans attending the game will also enjoy a pregame fan festival outside of Raymond James Stadium. The festival, which is free for ticket holders, offers an engaging experience to kick off the highly anticipated Derby, welcoming fans with activities and entertainment before the big match.

The Rivalry Continues Since the inception of the intrastate Derby in 2020, Orlando City SC has held a slight edge, leading the series with five wins, four losses, and four draws against Inter Miami CF. This historic meeting in Tampa adds a new chapter to the rivalry, drawing fans from across Florida for a thrilling display of MLS talent.

Current Season Updates Orlando City SC is also focused on its current playoff run. The Lions will face Charlotte FC on November 9 at Inter&Co Stadium in Round One of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. The teams are tied with one win each in the best-of-three series. The decisive match will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with the winner advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinal.

Key Takeaways:

  • Florida Derby 2025 Preseason Match: Orlando City SC vs. Inter Miami CF at Raymond James Stadium on February 14, 2025.
  • Ticket Presales: Available to season ticket members on November 12, with general sales on November 14.
  • Fan Experience: Pre-game fan festival free for ticket holders outside Raymond James Stadium.
  • Orlando Holds Rivalry Edge: Orlando City SC leads the Florida Derby series against Inter Miami CF.

 

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Top Seeded Orlando Pride To Host Chicago Red Stars In Clubs First Ever Home Playoff Match

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Orlando Pride MARTA. Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News

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Orlando City’s shootout loss to Charlotte FC in Game 2

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Source: Orlando City

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No. 4 Orlando City SC dropped a penalty kick decision on Friday night to No. 5 Charlotte FC in the second game of Round One of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. After 90 minutes of scoreless soccer, the two sides went immediately to the penalty shootout after regulation, with the home side ultimately winning 3-1 on penalties.

The two sides will next meet in the final, third game of Round One – the decider in the best-of-three series. The match, presented by Orlando Health, will return to the City Beautiful, with a 6 p.m. ET kickoff at Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tickets for the game can be purchased at the link here.

Lions’ goalkeeper Pedro Gallese stood tall in the net on the night, totaling three saves including two point-blank stops in the first half to keep the clean sheet.

Orlando seemed to have found a breakthrough late in the second half after Facundo Torres found the back of the net, but the goal was ultimately called off due to a tight offside decision.

Scoring Summary:
None

Penalty Summary:
ORL – Nico Lodeiro (Saved)
CLT – Patrick Agyemang (Goal)
ORL – Robin Jansson (Missed)
CLT – Karol Swiderski (Goal)
ORL – Luis Muriel (Goal)
CLT – Ashley Westwood (Goal)
ORL – Duncan McGuire (Saved)

Head Coach Oscar Pareja:
“Overall, it was a rocky game for both teams. Our second half was much better and, at the end, we could have won it and we have that sensation [of winning]. The other game, that is the PKs, is obviously frustration but it’s part of this game. It’s something that I want to stick with, and the players have to have the [positivity] and courage that we always have to go and finish our game at home [next week]. We’re ready for all of our fans to be there [Inter&Co Stadium] to finish this game at home. It will be fine.”

Match Notes:

  • With the start, Martín Ojeda made his 50th appearance for Orlando City across all competitions.
  • Head Coach Oscar Pareja made no changes to his starting XI from his side’s first match of the series against Charlotte FC.

Next Match: Orlando City will return to Inter&Co Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9 for a 6 p.m. ET kickoff against Charlotte FC. The match will be the deciding Game Three of the best-of-three Round One.

Teams12F
Charlotte FC000 (3)
Orlando City SC000 (1)

Scoring Summary:
None

Misconduct Summary:
ORL – Robin Jansson (Yellow Card) 35’
CLT – Liel Abada (Yellow Card) 45’
ORL – Rodrigo Schlegel (Yellow Card) 90+2’
ORL – Wilder Cartagena (Yellow Card) 90+7’

Lineups/Substitutions

Orlando City SC – GK Pedro Gallese; D Dagur Dan Thórhallsson (David Brekalo 84’), Rodrigo Schlegel, Robin Jansson (c), Rafael Santos (Kyle Smith 74’); M Iván Angulo (Luis Muriel 88’), César Araújo, Wilder Cartagena, Facundo Torres; F Martín Ojeda (Nico Lodeiro 74’), Ramiro Enrique (Duncan McGuire 56’)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Javier Otero; D Mikey Halliday; M Heine Gikling Bruseth, Felipe

Charlotte FC – GK Kristijan Kahlina; D Tim Ream, Nathan Byrne, Adilson Malanda; M Ashley Westwood (c), Brandt Bronico, Djibril Diani, Andrew Privett; F Liel Abada (Iuri Tavares 72’), Kerwin Vargas (Karol Swiderski 75’), Patrick Agyemang

Substitutes Not Used: GK David Bingham; D Jaylin Lindsey, Bill Tuiloma, Jere Uronen; M Jamie Paterson, Júnior Urso; F Tyger Smalls

Details of the Game:
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: Clear
Date: Nov. 1, 2024
Attendance: 40,238

Stats:

Possession:
CLT – 44.5%
ORL – 55.5%

Shots:
CLT – 13
ORL – 2

Saves:
CLT – 1
ORL – 3

Fouls:
CLT – 14
ORL – 8

Corners:
CLT – 11
ORL – 3

Heineken Star of the Match: Pedro Gallese

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