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NASCAR TV Ratings revealed for Daytona 500

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones02/19/25brianjones_93
William Byron
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The ratings for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 have been revealed. According to FOX Sports PR, Sunday’s rain-delayed race earned 6.761 million viewers on FOX.

That is up 13% from the 5.964 million that tuned into last year’s race that was postponed to Monday. The race peaked at 7.959 million viewers from 2:06-2:15 p.m. ET and ranked as the most-watched sports event of the weekend.

William Byron won the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year. He is now one of five drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, with the other four being Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84), Sterling Martin (1994-95) and Denny Hamlin (2019-20).

After the race, Byron spoke to FOX Sports about winning despite a wreck during the final lap. “Yeah, obviously some good fortune, but just trusted my instincts on the last lap there,” Byron said. “I felt like they were getting squirrelly on the bottom and I was honestly going to go third lane regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the back.

“Just obviously fortunate that it worked out in our favor. But just really proud of this team. Worked super hard all week and had an amazing car. Just had a really hard time with the fuel-saving and kind of staying towards the front. Crazy. I can’t honestly believe that. But we’re here. So proud of it.”

Jimmie Johnson had a memorable 2025 Daytona 500

One driver who stood out at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday was Jimmie Johnson who finished third. The 49-year-old NASCAR driver retired from full-time competition after the 2020 season and is the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson has won the Daytona 500 twice (2006 and 2013) and is a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

“This feels incredible,” Johnson told FOX Sports after the Daytona 500. “I have emotions that I didn’t expect to have. I’ve never been in this position as an owner, and it’s really opened up a different set of emotions. And the pride that I have in this result and the pride that I have in this company, now that we’re trying to achieve and the journey we’re on, I am so satisfied, so happy right now. Excited that we have two cars in the top 5. I hope Shaq is watching. Thank you, buddy. We got your car in the top 3.”

“A big thanks to Carvana and their continued support, Mobil 1, AdventHealth, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree. It’s been an interesting couple of years and to have our cars come out and be this strong, this Toyota was rocketship fast. I’m just smiling inside and out.”