Chase Elliott had the 2026 Daytona 500 in his grasp—leading off Turn 4 with the checkered flag in sight—before a final-lap catastrophe ripped victory away and left him with a devastating fourth-place finish. The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s quest to match his father Bill’s Daytona 500 triumph will extend into a 12th year after Riley Herbst’s blocking move triggered a multi-car wreck that collected Elliott just yards from the finish line.
Tyler Reddick threaded the carnage to claim his first Daytona 500 victory, passing Elliott in the final moments while chaos erupted behind them. The 23XI Racing driver’s win marked his ninth career Cup Series victory and the organization’s first triumph in NASCAR’s most prestigious race.
Elliott had executed a masterful final lap after restarting 15th with four laps remaining, using drafting help from Zane Smith to rocket to the front through a three-wide battle. But Herbst’s No. 63 Toyota threw a desperate block at Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford on the final stretch, clipping Elliott’s right rear and sending the No. 9 Chevrolet hard into the outside wall.
“This really sucks to be that close and come off Turn 4 with the lead and not finish it off,” Elliott said in his post-race interview. “But that’s part of this event, and unfortunately we were on the bad end of it today.”
Jeff Gordon, the vice-chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, was captured on camera throwing his hands up in visible frustration as Elliott’s championship hopes evaporated.
Watch Videos : https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2026/02/15/ncs-daytona-500-2026-chase-elliott-heartbreak/
What to watch next:
- Elliott’s 11th failed Daytona 500 attempt raises questions about whether NASCAR’s most elusive prize will ever fall to the 2020 Cup Series champion.
- Tyler Reddick emerges as early 2026 season favorite after securing his first restrictor-plate superspeedway win.
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