The 2026 Daytona 500 was full of chaos and drama. From a 20-car wreck to a daring move on the final lap and a crash at the finish line, this iteration of The Great American Race had everything.
It’s one thing to see it play out on the screen; it’s another to relive the action with a behind-the-scenes look from the drivers’ and teams’ perspectives with the audio detailing what they’re experiencing in real time.
Here are the best in-car radio moments from the 2026 Daytona 500, won by Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing.
Stage 1
B.J. McLeod lost control and spun out, taking out William Byron and other drivers during the first wreck of the race. Here was what Byron said in real time: “Wrecking, wrecking right in our lane. Right in our lane.”
Justin Allgaier’s team told him to: “Back it out. Back it out. Back it out,” as he tried to avoid damage. “Sorry, I should have bailed. I saw the smoke,” Allgaier said.
Tyler Reddick took damage to his right rear and let his spotter, Nick Pryne know. “I don’t know what the heck happened there,” Reddick said. “Something broke.”
[INSIDE THE GARAGE: Tyler Reddick, 23XI Hope to Build on Historic Daytona 500 Win]
Stage 2
The wreck in Stage 2 resulted in much more carnage. That was caught on audio, too. Ross Chastain bumped Chase Briscoe into the infield, and as Briscoe spun, Austin Dillon T-boned his automobile.
“I knew it,” Dillion mentioned, lamenting. “I do know [expletive] higher. I should not have selected the underside lane.”
Bubba Wallace finally got here out of that wreck extensive open to steer the race. “Wooooh,” his spotter Freddie Kraft mentioned in exhalation as Wallace prevented the wreck.
Connor Zilisch, who was additionally concerned in that crash, was confused: “The place are we going?” he requested as his No. 88 automobile was towed to the storage. “I do not know! I do not even know the place the [expletive] they’re taking us!”
Zilisch went 4 laps down and requested, “Are we executed?”
“No, we’re not executed,” Randall Burnett, his crew chief, replied. “They [expletive] us on that deal. There’s solely somewhat small gap within the nostril.”
[NASCAR SECOND THOUGHTS: Examining 6 Debatable Decisions at Daytona]
The Huge One
(Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures)
Later in Stage 2, Justin Allgaier held the lead, and Denny Hamlin tried to go him on the surface. There wasn’t sufficient room and a domino impact triggered a 20-car wreck.
Riley Herbst within the No. 35 automobile noticed the chaos forward of him: “Holy, hell!” he exclaimed.
“We hit every little thing,” Alex Bowman mentioned.
“My wheel is to this point to the appropriate,” Austin Cindric mentioned.
Allgaier bought towed off the observe in his automobile, and didn’t have a clean journey. “They’ll shake this factor to demise in the event that they tow me like this. I do not know what is going on on, however that is terrible.”
Stage 3
Brad Keselowski within the No. 6 automobile needed to make a transfer with the Fords grouped collectively, however Noah Gragson wasn’t having it.
“Inform Brad to [expletive] off,” Gragson informed his crew “We’re not going to go anyplace. There’s three Toyotas roadblocking us.”
Last Lap
(Photograph by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Any pent-up pleasure was saved for the ultimate lap.
Michael McDowell led on the white flag, however went out at a wreck early into that lap. Chase Elliott took the lead, however Tyler Reddick had the ultimate say.
“[No.] 45’s bought a small run on the underside,” Elliott’s spotter, Trey Poole, mentioned as Reddick made his transfer.
Reddick ultimately bought forward of Elliott and gained the Daytona 500.
“YESSSSS!!!” Reddick exclaimed.
“Sorry, guys,” Elliott apologized.
“Hey, guys? Did we win this? I am certain we did, I simply need to be certain that,” Reddick mentioned. “Anybody? Haha.”
“Yessir, you bought them buddy,” his spotter, Nick Payne, mentioned. “I like you, nice job.”
“Oh my god!” Reddick mentioned. “Nice job guys!”
