According to JIM VERTUNO, a writer for Associated Press Sports, the following information was provided.

AUSTIN, Texas — AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — William Byron won the Daytona 500 with an agonizing final lap under a caution flag. He took the checkered flag on Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas at full throttle.

Bryon began the race in the front position and displayed impressive driving skills in NASCAR’s first road course event of the year. He led for 42 out of 68 laps and created a significant gap that allowed him to ward off a strong challenge from Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing in the last two laps.

Bell closed the gap on Byron by nearly three seconds, adding some suspense toward the end before Byron sealed the deal in the final corners.

Byron stated that he was attempting to avoid errors and was aware that his competitor would be giving it their all on the final lap.

While constructing the lead, Byron acknowledged that the victory would ultimately be closely contested.

“According to Byron, everyone was skilled and the car was dangerously close.”

Byron, a self-taught racing driver, improved his skills by using computer equipment and achieved his 12th career victory, earning his second win on a road course.

The Circuit of the Americas, a course specifically for Formula One, has served as the initial road track for NASCAR in the past four years. Unlike the tumultuous triple-overtime race in 2023, this past Sunday’s race was relatively without incidents as Byron effortlessly dominated the field.

In the beginning of the race, Byron was in the lead for 23 laps during the first two stages. However, he was then surpassed and moved down to third place at the beginning of the final stage by Ross Chastain, who had previously won at COTA in 2022.

Byron made a comeback to overtake him with 25 remaining laps and both vehicles made a pit stop at the same time. Chastain encountered difficulty in traffic upon re-entering and ended up trailing behind multiple cars.

Byron took advantage of the opportunity to increase his lead and maintain his position in front of Bell by the finish. Ty Gibbs, the 21-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, came in third place after being overtaken by Bell in the final three laps.

Bell expressed confidence in his ability to have caught up to the lead if there was another lap. He acknowledged that passing Byron would have been a challenge and was hoping for a mistake from him, but Byron maintained his composure.

PENALTIES

The race officials imposed strict penalties for drivers who exceeded the limited tracks available in the course.

Chase Elliott, the current leader in active drivers with seven road course victories and winner of this race in 2021, was in sixth place during the final stage when he drove off course in the s-curve portion of the track.

He was compelled to make a pit lane drive-thru, which hindered him from competing when he reentered the race in 16th place. Elliott, a previous winner of the Cup Series, has not secured a victory since 2022.

FORD FALTERS

Ford drivers did not manage to secure a win this season on road courses and had low expectations. Despite this, they exceeded these expectations, as Chris Buescher finished eighth, making him the top Ford driver on Sunday.

COMING BACK TO COTA

Rewording: The only racing venue that has hosted both NASCAR and F1 races is the Circuit of the Americas, with indications that the stock cars will return next year.

Bobby Epstein, the president of Circuit of the Americas, announced that there is a deal in place for NASCAR to come back in 2025. However, no specific information was provided. Similarly, Marcus Smith, the president of Speedway Motorsports, which handles the event and leases the track for the week, also intends to bring back NASCAR.

“We are excited to bring NASCAR to Austin,” stated Smith. “While the official NASCAR schedule has not been released yet, we are currently preparing for a major event at COTA in Austin in 2025.”

UP NEXT

Next Sunday, the event shifts to short track racing at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Source: wralsportsfan.com