It isn't often that NASCAR gets credit for getting officiating calls right. Well, tonight is one of those rare occasions. After Tyler Reddick snatched the Daytona 500 win from Chase Elliott's grasp, fans were taken aback by how epic the finish of the race was.
All week long, NASCAR was holding the caution flag a little longer than normal. That was especially true with incidents on the backstretch. ARCA, Truck Series, O'Reilly Series - all of them had moments where race control swallowed the whistle, so to speak, and it paid off.
Tonight, NASCAR fans were given one of the most exciting finishes ever. It had it all. When Reddick started to side-draft Chase Elliott, I thought I was going to fly through the roof of my house. Many fans were thanking NASCAR in the replies to this social media post below.
(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Fans in the replies were thanking NASCAR. They were talking about how great the finish was to the race. It seems that this race is going to go down in history thanks to that fantastic ending.
Last year, NASCAR got themselves into a bit of trouble with a similar decision. It was a lack of consistency that seemed to upset fans in 2025. This year, the calls were more consistent, and fans are congratulating and rewarding leadership for it.
Moving forward to Atlanta, we'll see if this continues. NASCAR had to go back and change course a year ago. Now, it looks like they might have a new Standard Operating Procedure for superspeedways.
Tonight, the Daytona 500 delivered. NASCAR made the right calls, the rain held off and spared everyone, and now, there is a little more hope for the drafting tracks this season.