The Daytona 500’s “Big One” struck on Lap 123, collecting 20 cars in a chain-reaction crash that instantly reshaped the race.
But as the NASCAR field sorted itself out, one question lingered beyond the immediate damage: which championship contenders were involved?
The short answer: most of the sport’s biggest names survived. The long answer is more complicated.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin was at the center of the incident after his No. 11 Toyota made contact with Justin Allgaier’s No. 40, triggering the stack-up. Despite significant damage, Hamlin remained on track and was running 12th with 53 laps remaining. The bigger issue may not be track position, but how much speed he has left.
Kyle Larson
The reigning champion was swept into the crash and dropped to 26th. Larson’s car remained running, but he will need cautions and drafting help to claw back into contention. At Daytona, that is possible. It is just far less predictable.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney was also collected and fell to 19th. That is not terminal at a superspeedway, but it leaves him outside the lead draft and dependent on late-race chaos.
William Byron
The back-to-back Daytona 500 winner was running 28th after repairs. A third straight Daytona victory now looks unlikely unless the race turns upside down again.
What This Means for the Championship Picture
The Daytona 500 awards 55 regular-season points, but more importantly, it locks a driver into the playoffs with a win. None of the top contenders appear officially out, but the Big One may have already prevented several of them from claiming that early-season security.
At Daytona, survival is half the battle. On Lap 123, several title favorites learned that the hard way.
Daytona 500 Big One: Which Title Favorites Were Caught?