Daytona 500 Ends in Predictable Last-Lap Chaos

History suggests Sunday's race will come down to a sprint and likely a crash.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Daytona 500 is known for its thrilling and chaotic final laps, with the past 21 races seeing only two end with a green-flag run longer than six laps. Experts predict this year's edition will be no different, as drivers will be willing to take big risks to capture the prestigious victory, despite NASCAR's changes to the championship format that could incentivize more cautious racing.

Why it matters

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR's biggest and most prestigious race, with a win carrying immense career and financial implications for drivers. The final laps are often marked by aggressive moves and crashes as drivers throw caution to the wind in pursuit of the checkered flag, making for must-see television but also raising safety concerns.

The details

Over the past eight Daytona 500s, six have been pushed to overtime by crashes in the closing laps. Experts say the new NASCAR championship format, which no longer automatically qualifies race winners for the playoffs, could lead to slightly more cautious driving as finishing position becomes more important. However, they still expect the final laps to be a white-knuckle sprint to the finish, with drivers willing to take big risks to capture the prestigious victory.

  • The past 21 Daytona 500s have seen only two end with a final green-flag run longer than six laps.
  • Six of the past eight Daytona 500s have been pushed to overtime by crashes.

The players

Eric Warren

General Motors vice president of global motorsports.

Tyler Gibbs

Toyota Racing Development president.

Pat DiMarco

Ford Racing's NASCAR manager.

Kyle Busch

NASCAR driver searching for his first Daytona 500 win.

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What they’re saying

“The penalty for crashing versus the win, it's a different ratio this year. I think there's a little bit more thought process of, hey, second in the points for second, it's a big gap if you try to get that win. Everybody is going to try to win the Daytona 500, but it's different.”

— Eric Warren, General Motors vice president of global motorsports (autoweek.com)

“For us, it's going to be about finishing. You've got to finish every race this year to make that championship at the end. I think all the teams know that. How that plays out on a team-by-team basis, certainly, again, we've had those conversations with our drivers, but this is the Daytona 500, and you're going to go for the Daytona 500 if you have a shot at it.”

— Tyler Gibbs, Toyota Racing Development president (autoweek.com)

“The good ones know when to put themselves in a situation and when not to. But, in the end, it's the Daytona 500.”

— Pat DiMarco, Ford Racing's NASCAR manager (autoweek.com)

“You just never know how it's exactly gonna end. So, to be out front, you feel like that's the safest spot to be, but sometimes you see guys spun out of the lead and they're not the ones to win. There are guys that win coming out of Turn 2 and they're in seventh place or they're in 11th place. It just depends, you never know.”

— Kyle Busch (autoweek.com)

What’s next

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 16, 2026.

The takeaway

The Daytona 500 is a race where caution is often thrown to the wind as drivers make daring moves in pursuit of the prestigious victory, leading to the predictable chaos and crashes that have become a hallmark of the event in recent years. While NASCAR's changes to the championship format may slightly temper the aggression, the lure of winning the Daytona 500 will still compel drivers to take big risks in the final laps.