Did Byron damage his car at Daytona to avoid penalties?

After William Byron’s victory in the 2025 Daytona 500, some fans began debating on social media about his celebration. During the festivities, the driver hit the wall with his car, sparking speculation on whether the crash was intentional to cover up potential technical irregularities.

Why is post-race inspection important?

After every race, NASCAR conducts a technical inspection on the top finishers' cars to ensure compliance with the rulebook. This review focuses on key aspects such as vehicle height, body tilt, engine legality, and other aerodynamic and mechanical components. If a car is found to be outside the permitted parameters, the driver may lose the victory, points, and any associated prize money.

One of the critical aspects of the inspection is the car’s minimum height. On certain tracks, a lower ride height can improve stability and aerodynamic performance, providing an advantage. However, if a car arrives at inspection with visible damage, the team can argue that any measurement discrepancies are due to the impact rather than an illegal modification. This is why some suspect that certain drivers have deliberately damaged their cars after a victory.

Previous instances of similar tactics

One of the most remembered cases occurred in 2011 when Chad Knaus, Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief, was caught on video instructing his driver to damage the rear of the car if they won, in order to justify any potential irregularities in the inspection. Although Knaus denied that this was an attempt to cheat, the incident became an example of how some teams have tried to operate within the gray areas of the rulebook.

More recently, Parker Kligerman lost a victory in the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona when his truck failed to meet the minimum ride height requirement. This case led fans to recall the tactic of damaging the car in celebration to avoid disqualifications in post-race inspection.

Rule adjustments to prevent manipulation

In 2019, NASCAR tightened its inspection rules, establishing that any detected technical irregularity on the winning car would result in an automatic disqualification and the victory being reassigned to the second-place finisher.

Despite these changes, suspicions continue to arise whenever a driver damages their car after the race. In Byron’s case, although there is no concrete evidence that he intentionally hit the wall, the discussion persists on social media, reflecting the high level of scrutiny that NASCAR teams and drivers are subjected to.