The Daytona 500, held on Sunday, February 16, concluded with William Byron securing victory for the second consecutive year. As with any major sporting event, controversies emerged, and one of the most debated incidents occurred during the second Duel qualifier.
Duel races serve as preliminary events that determine the starting positions for drivers ranked third through 40th in the main race. Despite the controversy, Byron ultimately claimed the checkered flag once again, expressing disbelief at his back-to-back triumphs.
“You didn’t see that coming, did you?! I’m being honest, at one point, neither did I,” Byron remarked after his win.
A contentious moment arose in the second Duel when Erik Jones initially appeared to have won. However, a caution flag was waved just before he crossed the finish line, altering the race outcome. Because Austin Cindric’s car was ahead at the time of the caution, he was awarded the victory instead.
Many were puzzled by the timing of the yellow flag, as it was triggered by a crash that happened mid-pack and did not involve either Cindric or Jones. In hindsight, NASCAR race director Jusan Hamilton acknowledged that the decision may not have been the right one.
“So hindsight is always 20/20, and that’s one when you look back, I would say we could do it differently,” Hamilton admitted on the Hauler Talk podcast. “I would say that we could let them get to the start/finish line, but that’s looking back now on a Tuesday, going through all of our reviews and having the luxury of time to review the full situation.”
