DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Joey Logano scored a playoff point by winning the opening stage of the Daytona 500. This was as good as his night got as a mechanical issue led to a wreck on the following restart.
The incident occurred as Logano led the field to the green flag to start stage 2. He hit the gas after entering the restart zone, but his No. 22 Team Penske Ford simply did not accelerate. This led to a stack-up that disrupted the entire outside line and created a sizable wreck.
The center of the wreck was Michael McDowell, who checked up to avoid Shane van Gisbergen ahead of him. Helio Castroneves hit McDowell from behind while John Hunter Nemechek hit Martin Truex Jr. behind the four-time Indy 500 champion. The chain reaction continued from that point.
A stack-up on the restart!
Multiple cars are collected. pic.twitter.com/2Ck5laV1ED
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2025
Nemechek slid down and hit Ross Chastain, who slid up the track and collected Castroneves. Several other drivers began to wreck while others navigated through the chaos to gain several spots.
The list of cars involved included Castroneves, Chastain, Nemechek, Truex, Cody Ware, Jimmie Johnson, Chase Briscoe, Kyle Busch, and Riley Herbst.
Truex, Castroneves, and Chastain were all unable to continue in the race due to the damage sustained in the multi-car crash.
"It's always disappointing when you don't finish no matter the situation, especially in a race like this when it's probably our only shot this year," Truex said after exiting the infield care center.
Logano headed to pit road so the team could attempt to diagnose the issue on the No. 22 Ford, which had dominated stage 1. They changed the ECU (electronic control unit) that manages the engine's performance. However, Logano said over the radio that it still "felt flat."
Logano remained in the lineup after the wreck and continued to race in the pack. However, he remained off the pace. He was about six seconds behind his fellow competitors while racing one lap behind the leaders.
A debris caution opened up an opportunity for Logano to get back on the lead lap, but he had to make another trip down pit road to continue diagnosing the issue on the No. 22 Ford.
The team ultimately discovered that a rag went through the grille and into the throttle body. The team was able to make repairs on pit road and get Logano back onto the track before he fell another lap down.