One week after the non-stop "three-peat" talk from the Kansas City Chiefs and their fanbase was laid to rest in emphatic fashion during Super Bowl LIX, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season opened up the door for a three-peat opportunity of its own.
After taking the white flag in ninth place, Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron worked his way up to seventh before getting to the back straightaway of Daytona International Speedway. Then the six drivers in front of him were involved in a multi-car pileup, and he was able to sneak through.
A few moments later, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet became just the fifth driver in Daytona 500 history to win the "Great American Race" in back-to-back years.
The feat has now been accomplished twice this decade, but it has only happened five times in the history of the 67-year crown jewel event.
Who else has won back-to-back Daytona 500s?
Byron is the 13th driver to win multiple Daytona 500s (full list here), and he is only the second to win his first two Daytona 500s in back-to-back years. The other is Sterling Marlin, who won it in both 1994 and 1995.
Prior to Byron, Denny Hamlin was the driver who had most recently won the Daytona 500 two years in a row, winning it for the second and third time in 2019 and 2020.
Hamlin appeared to have a strong chance at a fourth victory on Sunday, which would have tied him with Cale Yarborough for second place on the all-time list behind Richard Petty, before being involved in the last-lap wreck.
The only other drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s are those two: Petty and Yarborough. Petty, a seven-time winner, won it for the fourth and fifth time in 1973 and 1974, and Yarborough won it for the third and fourth time in 1983 and 1984.
None of those drivers have ever managed the elusive "three-peat". Hamlin came closest in 2021, finishing in fifth place after leading the most laps.
Byron is also the youngest driver to win two Daytona 500s, doing so at the age of 27 years, two months, and 18 days. The previous youngest was Jeff Gordon, the three-time winner who also drove the No. 24 Chevrolet. He was 27 years, six months, and 10 days old.