5 drivers who lost big in the 2025 Daytona 500, featuring Chase Elliott

The 2025 Daytona 500 brought sheer joy to some drivers, while handing heartbreak to others. The winners were William Byron, who claimed back-to-back Daytona 500 wins; Jimmie Johnson, who finished third; and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports, who finished ninth in their first-ever Daytona 500 attempt together.

However, many drivers suffered defeats in the Great American Race. The list includes Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and many more. However, some drivers lost more than the rest. In today's article, we amass five such drivers who went in with great expectations, but were unable to make it count.

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#5 Chase Elliott

Chase Elliott arrived for the Daytona 500 fresh from his victory at the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Since he had a strong start to the season, fans expected him to maintain his performance level at the Daytona International Speedway.

Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) - Source: Getty

Despite having an average qualifying (17th place), the #9 driver started his race strong. He went up the order and finished stage 1 in 11th place and stage 2 in third. However, he failed to keep up with the top-order drivers and ultimately finished the race in 15th place.

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#4 Joey Logano

Joey Logano, the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, showed sparks of his brilliance throughout the Daytona 500 weekend. The Team Penske driver qualified in 10th place and attempted to take the lead in the race.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) leads the field during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway - Source: Imagn

Logano finished Stage 1 in first place, and then Stage 2 in 8th. However, his brilliance did not last until the very end, as his ambitious move cost him dearly. In Lap 186 of the race, the #22 driver was running in fifth, and this was when he attempted to squeeze his Mustang between teammate Ryan Blaney and HYAK Motorsports driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Eventhough the latter shut the door on him, Logano was reluctant to give up. After a couple of tries, he made contact with Stenhouse Jr.'s rear, causing a multi-car wreck and effectively ending his chances of finishing the race strong.

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#3 Ryan Blaney

Ryan Blaney was one of the favorites to win the 67th edition of the Great American Race. He qualified in 16th place, but as the race started, the #12 driver began to charge forward. Within Stage 1, he moved to third place, and in Stage 2, he finished on top.

Ryan Blaney (#12 Team Penske Menards Ford) - Source: Getty

His pace seemed incredible, as he turned out to be one of the favorites to win the race. However, he was one of the victims in the multi-car wreck caused by teammate Joey Logano and HYAK Motorsports driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and lost his race-winning opportunity.

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#2 Austin Cindric

Austin Cindric qualified in second place and started the race alongside pole-sitter Chase Briscoe. As the race started, he looked strong right from the beginning. Even though he had an underwhelming stage 1 performance, in stage 2, Cindric finished in second place.

Austin Cindric (2) leads the field during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway - Source: Imagn

In the penultimate lap of NASCAR's biggest race, Cindric looked like the favorite to win, with Denny Hamlin as his only challenger. However, a tussle and then the wreck between him and the JGR driver cost Cindric heavily, putting him out of contention.

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#1 Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch's fortune did not favor him for the 20th time, as the Richard Childress Racing driver had to settle for nothing at the 2025 Daytona 500. Despite participating in the Great American Race for a record 20 times, he did not win the coveted race.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #8 zone Chevrolet drives during the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 - Source: Getty

Much like most of the years, Busch had great chances of winning the 2025 edition of the Daytona 500. Although he qualified in 21st place, he tried to move forward, as the race progressed. In stage 1, Busch came home in 16th place, and stage 2, in 10th. However, he also suffered the consequences of the wreck between Logano and Stenhouse Jr. and saw his race end prematurely.