Top 5 shocking moments from the 2025 Daytona 500 that caught everyone’s attention

Like it does every year, the Daytona 500 provided some memorable moments that fans will surely be talking about for some time. However, some of those moments came as a shock to those watching.

From multiple big-time crashes that took out winning contenders to the frantic finish on the final lap, the 2025 Daytona 500 had many takeaways. Here, we'll narrow it down to the five most shocking moments.

5. Joey Logano triggers multi-car crash after strong performance

Joey Logano leads the pack - Source: Imagn

Joey Logano looked to be the man to beat at times on Sunday night as he could wheel his #22 Team Penske Ford to the front at will. However, the three-time and defending Cup Series champion's bid for a second Daytona 500 went up in smoke with 15 laps to go.

Logano aimed to drive underneath and pass Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with a three-wide maneuver. However, Logano's #22 car made contact with Stenhouse's #47 machine, causing a multi-car crash that took out multiple potential race winners. This included Kyle Busch, who was seeking his first Daytona 500 win on his 20th try.

After a strong effort that saw him lead 43 laps, Logano's race ended in disaster, which left many fans shocked that he wasn't able to capture his second Daytona 500 win.

4. Ryan Preece flipped through the air in a crash with under 10 laps to go

Ryan Preece's alarming flip - Source: Imagn

It was a "hold your breath" kind of moment when Ryan Preece's #60 RFK Racing Ford launched into the air and barrel rolled down the backstretch and into turn three with under 10 laps to go in the Daytona 500. Luckily, the Connecticut native walked away uninjured despite the frightening crash.

Flipping at Daytona isn't unusual for Preece as he did so in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in the fall of 2023. Like Sunday's incident, Preece also walked away without any serious injuries. It was a terrifying crash that left fans stunned in the closing laps of Sunday's 200-lap event.

3. Riley Herbst's miraculous save on the last lap

Riley Herbst drives the #35 Toyota Camry in the infield grass at DAYTONA 500 - Source: Imagn

As fans watched Riley Herbst's #35 car slide across the front stretch at the white flag lap, they might've let out a groan as they expected a caution to come out and end the race. Somehow, Herbst straightened up his 23XI Racing Toyota and kept going on in what was an incredible piece of driving by the rookie driver.

It wasn't any ordinary save as Herbst sailed through the infield grass at full speed, straightened the car out, and looked as if he barely slowed down doing it. While it ultimately cost him a shot at a Daytona 500 victory on the last lap, it definitely was a shocking moment to see Herbst keep himself in the race.

2. Jimmie Johnson scores third-place finish in self-owned #84 car

Jimmie Johnson greets fans - Source: Imagn

Since returning to NASCAR competition as a part-time driver for Legacy Motor Club, a team he co-owns, Jimmie Johnson has failed to produce any noteworthy results. Yet, that changed on Sunday as the seven-time champion earned a third-place finish in the Daytona 500.

It was by far the 83-time Cup Series winner's best outing in the NextGen era. In 12 prior NextGen races, Johnson failed to mount even a top-25 finish. It's his first top-five effort since Phoenix in 2020, which was the 49-year-old's final race as a full-time driver. While his golden days behind the wheel look to be behind him, Johnson proved he can still rank among today's top drivers with his third-place finish in "The Great American Race."

1. William Byron rallies from ninth on the final lap to win back-to-back Daytona 500s

William Byron celebrates on top of his car after his win - Source: Imagn

When the field took the white flag to signify the last lap of the Daytona 500, William Byron rode in the ninth position. By the time the checkered flag flew, the driver of the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was a two-time Daytona 500 winner in a shocking turn of events.

Byron escaped a multi-car crash on the backstretch coming to the checkered flag, involving leader Denny Hamlin, Cole Custer, Austin Cindric, and others. With the win, Byron is now one of only five drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining the likes of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Sterling Marlin, and Denny Hamlin. The 2025 Daytona 500 provided many shocking moments, but the finish was undoubtedly the most stunning of them all.