Who won Daytona 500? WINNER announced! Find out who conquered the track despite the rain

The NASCAR Daytona 500 began on Sunday, February 16, but Florida rain brought the race to a standstill for many hours. As heavy winds and severe rain battered Daytona Beach, spectators and drivers were forced to wait it out. So who won the 2025 Daytona 500?

Daytona 500.

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Several celebrities attended the marathon, including Captain America: Brave New World actor Anthony Mackie. The 46-year-old Marvel Cinematic Universe hero raved about how "amazing" it was to attend the event "and be welcomed this way," according to the Associated Press.

"The movie being No. 1 on top of that, with America's great race, you know, it's phenomenal, man," Mackie said. "I think it's one of those moments where the perfect two things culminated at the right time. I couldn't have asked for a better time."

In addition to Anthony, Donald Trump attended the Daytona 500 for a short period.

Get updates on this year's Daytona 500 winner below.

Was the Daytona 500 postponed?

The race was not postponed to another day, although it was delayed by three hours due to rain.

Did Trump leave the Daytona 500 race?

Yes, the president exited the race after the severe rain began. He talked with reporters after returning to West Palm Beach, telling them he would watch the race from his house.

When Trump arrived at Daytona International Speedway, his limousine led the cars around the course for two laps. He also advised them to "have a lot of fun" and to be cautious.

"This is your favorite president. I'm a big fan. I am a really big fan of you people," Trump said to the drivers, according to the Associated Press. "How you do this I don't know, but I just want you to be safe. You're talented people and you're great people and great Americans. Have a good day, have a lot of fun and I'll see you later."

Who won the Daytona 500?

William Byron won the 2025 Daytona 500. According to various publications, Byron described his triumph as "really special," as he rose from eighth to first position before the end of the race.

"It's an amazing race, and obviously a lot of crazy racing out there tonight and just a lot of pushing and shoving, but just really proud of our team," Byron said after the race. "I can't stress that enough. I'm just super thankful."

Tyler Reddick finished second, while Jimmie Johnson finished third.

Daytona 500 leaderboard

The following drivers were in the top five on the leaderboard at the conclusion of the race, before Byron won.

Corey LaJoie

Austin Cindric

John Hunter Nemechek

Denny Hamlin

Austin Dillon

However, multiple collisions occurred throughout the last laps. Christopher Bell collided with a wall on lap 196 after being nudged by Cole Custer. Ryan Preece also flipped after being struck, and several more cars were involved in the crash. However, everyone stated that they were OK.