A battered car forces William Byron into a backup for his Daytona 500 three-peat bid

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — William Byron will try to drive his way into NASCAR history Sunday when he attempts to become the first winner of three consecutive Daytona 500s.

He’ll have to do it in a backup Chevrolet after his preferred No. 24 was damaged in a qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway.

No big deal, though: Byron won his first Daytona 500 in 2024 in a Hendrick Motorsports backup car.

“We’ve won this race with a backup car, so I’m not super worried on that aspect,” Byron said.