Who won the Daytona 500? Full results, winner from NASCAR’s 2023 season-opening race
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had gone 199 straight Cup Series races without a win. He had no interest in making it a bicentennial.
Stenhouse, the single JTG Daugherty driver in this year’s Daytona 500 field, captured the checkered flag at the World Center of Racing, just edging Joey Logano in overtime.
It was an instant classic, the longest ever iteration of the iconic race. And it all came down to a trio of wrecks in the race’s final moments.
For a while, it looked like one of Kyle Busch or Brad Keselowski would finish the day on top, cementing their place among the sport’s greatest ever racers. Daniel Suarez’s late-race wreck ensured that wouldn’t happen, sending the Daytona 500 to overtime.
With one two-lap period separating racers from greatness, it was bound to be a hectic affair. Austin Dillon, who spent much of the day pushing his Richard Childress Racing teammate Busch, spun out, prompting a dozen car pile-up.
One more restart took place, at which point it was Stenhouse and Logano jostling back and forth. Things were always bound to get crowded, though. And when Kyle Larson collided with the inside wall, it was Stenhouse who held the slightest of margins over Logano.
“I made a few mistakes, we were able to battle back,” Stenhouse said post-race. “…We were out of fuel so the fuel light was going crazy. I hope y’all had fun, that was a heck of a race.”
Squint and you’d miss it.
MORE: Watch the 2023 Daytona 500 live on fuboTV (free trial)
The Sporting News tracked live updates from Sunday’s race at Daytona International Speedway. Below are the highlights and live results from The Great American Race.
Daytona 500 live updates, highlights from 2023 race
All times Eastern
6:55 p.m.: CAUTION! Stenhouse wins the Daytona 500! He just inched in front of Logano before the flag was waved. What a race.
6:53 p.m.: Big gap between Allmendinger and Bell. Stenhouse still holds the lead.
6:51 p.m.: Ready to go green. The longest Daytona 500 in history might be approaching its end.
6:49 p.m.: Expect Keselowski to be aggressive on the race restart ahead of yet another overtime period.
6:46 p.m.: Busch still in the mix, as well. Is this the year?
6:43 p.m.: Stenhouse leads the Daytona 500 as we ready to head back to green, It’s anybody’s race.
6:37 p.m.: CAUTION! The crossover stacks up on the back straightaway, with Dillon veering into the outside lane. A dozen cars or so get caught up in the hysterics, which will almost certainly result in someone other than an RCR car ending the day in the winner’s circle. We go again.
6:36 p.m.: We’re back to green. Two laps to go.
6:33 p.m.: Ever the entertainer, Kyle Busch had this to say.
6:31 p.m.: Overtime here we go.
6:29 p.m.: CAUTION! Suarez spins into the infield, prompting the yellow flag to be waved. This ending is going to be tense.
6:27 p.m.: Busch takes the lead! Keselowski drops all the way to sixth. Just three laps to go now. Looks like Dillon and Busch are in cahoots, as one would expect.
6:25 p.m.: Keselowski and Busch are still seeking their first career Daytona 500 wins. They are in prime position to cement their legacies with a dub here.
6:23 p.m.: RFK’s dynamic duo of Keselowski and Buescher holding firm over RCR’s team of Dillon and Busch. Just eight laps to go!
6:22 p.m.: Allmendinger leads the way after the race restart. Johnson’s No. 84 car is lurking just outside the top five.
6:13 p.m.: Burton will nab the lead after the big jam-fest. Just 16 laps left.
6:08 p.m.: CAUTION! Big pile up with 19 laps to go. Looks like Preece and McDowell spun out, causing a big ole’ wreck that will like knock multiple cars out.
6:06 p.m.: Burton the last driver to reach pit road. 20 laps to go. Things are getting interesting.
6:03 p.m.: Hamlin will pit soon, according to Bob Pockrass.
6:00 p.m.: Wallace headed to pit road to get a refuel. That should be the impetus for a wave of drivers to head to the pits, as well.
5:54 p.m.: Wallace and Busch hoping to make due with less fuel. If they can get themselves to pit road and get out quickly, they give themselves a chance to race up the standings.
5:53 p.m.: Hamlin passes Suarez, who moves to the middle of the track. The No. 99 car just doesn’t have the speed necessary to lead the inside lane.
5:51 p.m.: Buescher and Keselowski keeping one another entertained at the top of the field. Followed by Almirola, Cindric, Preece and 22-year old Harrison Burton.
5:45 p.m.: Hamlin-Buescher-LaJoie-Keselowski-Haley leading the pack at the moment. A real back-and-forth display thus far.
5:43 p.m.: Johnson in seventh place with 50 laps to go. What a performance by the OG.
5:39 p.m.: Cindric flips spots with Wallace, who proceeds to drop like a stone due to his dwindling fuel supply. He’s now down to 16th.
5:38 p.m.: We’re back to green. It’s Almirola at the front, followed by Buescher. Wallace has less fuel than other racers, having stayed out on the track.
5:34 p.m.: 58 laps to go. We are under caution, but going green soon. The No. 48 car had a bit of a cosmetic issue, but things seem to be fine underneath the hood.
5:20 p.m.: Caution flag waved after Blaney’s tire flies off into the middle of the track. That might be the end of the day for the Team Penske star.
5:13 p.m.: Chastain and Bowman jostling for first on the final lap of the second stage. Chastain takes it by a couple inches! Pitbull will be happy about that.
5:12 p.m.: Allmendinger drew a lot of racers’ ire by using a running pick to nab the lucky dog in Stage 1. However, the aggressive move looks to be paying off for him — he’s in the top-five with three laps to go in Stage 2.
5:05 p.m.: Harvick and Larson headed to pit road under caution. Might take them out of contention for the stage points, but gives them a better chance to compete or the checkered flag.
5:03 p.m.: Reddick, Jones, Elliott all out after the collision, which started when Harvick tapped into the No. 45 car going around the turn. Blaney, Suarez, Truex and Larson all suffered damage, as well.
5:00 p.m.: CAUTION! Big wreck after Reddick goes into the wall. Lots of collateral damage, with Blaney, Jones and Elliott all getting caught up in the mix-up.
4:57 p.m.: Busch, Wallace, Zane Smith and Travis Pastrana competing for the free pass as we approach the end of Stage 2.
4:55 p.m.: Things got interesting a few laps ago, with racers going three wide after the lanes got packed.
4:52 p.m.: After the carousel that is pit stops, it’s Joey Logano who holds the lead. 112 laps down, 98 more to go.
4:50 p.m.: Busch comes in too hot on pit road. He’s get pinned with a pass-through penalty.
4:47 p.m.: Keselowski has never won a Daytona 500. He’s led the most laps through 108 laps, a very impressive showing all things considering.
4:39 p.m.: All Fords in the top-five as we approach the halfway point of the race. Here’s the order as follows:
- Brad Keselowski
- Ryan Preece
- Kevin Harvick
- Michael McDowell
- Aric Almirola
4:36 p.m.: Johnson in the top-ten. The Hall of Famer just doesn’t know when to quit.
4:35 p.m.: Busch has climbed all the way up to eighth place in a backup car. Impressive showing by the newly-minted Richard Childress Racing driver.
4:25 p.m.: A.J. Allmendinger didn’t earn himself new friends after securing the free pass at the end of Stage 1 by using a running pick on fellow drivers. Just ask Ryan Blaney:
4:21 p.m.: Stage 2 underway, with Keselowski and Preece at the top of their respective lines.
4:15 p.m.: Stage point break down, provided by The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck.
4:11 p.m.: Caution flag waved at the end of the stage, giving Wallace the opportunity to make some adjustments at pit road.
4:07 p.m.: It’s Keselowski, Preece and Buescher competing for the stage victory. Keselowski takes the stage! Slick play by the Cup Series veteran, who gets a car-length in front of Preece to nab 10 stage points.
4:06 p.m.: Three laps left and we are single file. It’s Truex-Hamlin-Gibbs-Almirola-Keselowski.
4:01 p.m.: It was contact from Toyota teammate Martin Truex Jr. that forced Wallace into the wall. He finds himself a lap down. Truex got bumped by 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin, which pushed him into Wallace. Unfortunate for the driver who finished second in last year’s iteration of the race.
3:58 p.m.: Wallace clips the wall while in the lead, sending him down the field quickly. Looks like he might need to go to pit road and get some replacement tires.
3:52 p.m.: Leading the charge with 20 laps to go in Stage 1 is none other than Denny Hamlin, who is seeking his fourth Daytona 500 title. Bell sitting in second, followed by Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
3:49 p.m.: The No. 15 car of Riley Herbst just avoids drawing a caution flag after spinning into the pits. He’ll be docked a pass-through penalty for a commitment line violation.
3:47 p.m.: Pit stops starting up with the Ford cars. Gragson, who’s driving a Chevrolet, had some difficulties pulling in. Had a lot of speed heading in.
3:38 p.m.: Ty Dillon looks to be in a bit of trouble. His No. 77 car is spewing out plumes of smoke through its pipes. Might be an engine issue.
3:35 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson making really decent ground through the opening 25 laps. He’s already up 11 spots from where he was once at. The NASCAR Hall of Famer might be on pace for a solid showing if these early laps are any indication.
3:29 p.m.: Christopher Bell wrestles the lead away from Bowman as we approach Lap 20.
3:24 p.m.: Bowman standing firm at the top of the field through nine laps. Larson trailing ever so slightly.
3:18 p.m.: Two-by-two in each row through the first four laps. Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson battling for first place, although things remain quite tight early.
3:16 p.m.: The green flag is waved and we are underway at Daytona!
Pre-race updates
3:00 p.m.: We’re about 15 minutes away from the waving of the green flag. The forecast looks quite promising:
2:40 p.m.: Noah Gragson sporting a Big Hat ahead of Sunday’s race. Sporting heritage on display.
2:25 p.m.: Driver introductions underway, led by none other than comedian Gabriel Iglesias. So worldly.
2:00 p.m.: Whole lot of racing luminaries on site at the World Center of Racing:
1:37 p.m.: Dierks Bentley rocking out at the pre-race concert. My brother (a country music fan) will be delighted.
1:35 p.m.: Pitbull is here. Yes, that Pitbull. Go figure.
1:25 p.m.: Pre-race tour for Haddish and…Pete Davidson. TMZ is salivating.
1:05 p.m.: Tiffany Haddish is on location. She’ll be waving the green flag to start Sunday’s race. Looks like she’s got the form down pat, too.
12:50 p.m.: Racers take us through their favorite moments in Daytona 500 history. Lots of good ones to choose from. What’s your favorite?
12:30 p.m.: Kyle Busch is the only driver headed to the back of the field after wrecking on Thursday.
11:11 a.m.: Hamlin, looking for his fourth win at Daytona, is tied with Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney for the top odds to win the Daytona 500.
8:59 a.m.: Today starts the official start of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series! And that starts, of course, with pre-race inspection:
8:36 a.m.: Dierks Bentley, who will perform the pre-race concert at Daytona, is in the house (metaphorically).
Daytona 500 2023 starting lineup
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 2. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3. | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 4. | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 5. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 6. | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 7. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 8. | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 9. | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 10. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 11. | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 12. | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 14. | Todd Gilliland | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 15. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 16. | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 17. | Zane Smith | 36 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 18. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 19. | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 20. | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 21. | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 22. | Noah Gragson | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 23. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 24. | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 25. | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 26. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 27. | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 28. | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 29. | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 30. | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 31. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JGT Daugherty Racing |
| 32. | B.J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 33. | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 34. | Conor Daly | 50 | The Money Team Racing |
| 35. | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 36. | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 37. | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 38. | Riley Herbst | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 39. | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 40. | Travis Pastrana | 67 | 23XI Racing |
Daytona 500 start time
The Daytona 500 has a 2:30 p.m. ET listed start time. However, given the number of festivities expected to take place on Sunday, green flag is slated to be waved at 3:14 p.m. ET.
What channel is the Daytona 500 on?
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: FoxSports.com, fuboTV
Fox will handle broadcasting duties for the 2023 Daytona 500, per usual. The booth will be filled with racing luminaries, both in the form of longtime duo Mike Joy (lap-by-lap) and Clint Bowyer (analyst), as well as guest commentators Larry McReynolds and Tony Stewart.
The race will also be live-streamed on FoxSports.com, as well as fuboTV, which offers a free trial.