One thing is certain—when it comes to Daytona, expect the unexpected. Buckle up, race fans. It’s time to go racing! With a stacked field of top-tier drivers, bold strategies, and the ever-present risk of the “Big One,” anything can happen when the green flag drops. Will a veteran add to their legacy? Will an underdog rise to the occasion? Or will fate throw in another wild curveball?
Ryan Blaney is well accustomed to the perils of NASCAR, but one fan’s eerie warning before the 2024 Daytona 500 has left Blaney supporters more than a bit on edge. One Reddit user, who feels “cursed,” posted a story of an unusual and ominous trend that has occurred each time he has attended a race with his girlfriend. In both the 2020 Daytona 500 and the 2023 Coke Zero 400, the same driver, Ryan, experienced a horrifying airborne crash that saw them hospitalized.
Ryan Blaney would not like to face the same fate as other Ryans
Now, with Ryan Blaney the lone Ryan remaining in the 2024 field, and the girlfriend of the fan present once again, the post turned dark: “It looks like your fate is sealed. All I’m asking is that you give me your hospital room so I can come apologize face to face.” For Blaney enthusiasts, the remark was as darkly funny as it was unnerving. With the sport’s history of spectacular last-lap destruction at superspeedways like Daytona, the sinister coincidence wasn’t lost on anyone.
The two prior incidents mentioned by the fan include Ryan Newman’s horrifying crash in 2020 and Ryan Preece’s brutal crash in 2023:
Ryan Newman (2020 Daytona 500) – As he led the pack on the last lap, Newman was hit into the wall, flipped end-over-end, and slammed with force by Corey LaJoie going full speed. The impact sent him to the hospital with critical injuries, but he rebounded miraculously.
Ryan Preece (2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400) – Preece had a terrifying wreck when his vehicle flew through the air and spun ten times over the infield grass, leaving him hospitalized for observation.
Both wrecks were among the most frightening crashes in recent history, which contributed to the creepy tone of the fan’s post.
Blaney, a superspeedway specialist, comes into the 2024 Daytona 500 as one of the favorites. Yet his past at Daytona has been a checkered mix of close wins and brutal close losses. In 2020, the same race in which Newman crashed, Blaney came in second by a mere 0.014 seconds to Denny Hamlin in a photo finish. He has frequently been in contention for victories, but as history attests, Daytona never lets anyone get away unharmed.
Feb 16, 2022; Daytona, FL, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (12) during qualifying for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The post gained popularity rapidly among fans, who, in a tongue-in-cheek appeal, begged the Reddit user to “break the curse” before race day. But some Blaney fans weren’t leaving anything to chance. “If Blaney goes airborne, we’re banning you from races permanently,” replied one fan. “I hope you stay away from the toaster and the bathtub this time,” someone else added, alluding to the agony that Blaney’s fans have suffered in heartbreaking finales.
Superstition or not, Daytona has a history of bringing the chaos. Whether Blaney will be able to break the so-called “Ryan curse” remains to be determined, but this much is sure—when the green flag falls, fans will be keeping his No. 12 Ford in their sights with an added level of trepidation. And if destiny goes according to plan? Well, that Reddit enthusiast may have some apologizing to do.
Ryan Blaney is still the favorite as Daytona 500 odds change before the big event
With the 2025 Daytona 500 finally here, there is an all-time high sense of anticipation. The largest and most prestigious of the NASCAR races is about to get underway on Sunday, and although superspeedway racing never fails to have its surprises, one thing hasn’t changed all week—Ryan Blaney is still the favorite to take the win.
Going into race week, BetMGM had Blaney, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski atop the odds board at +1200. Now, following a week of qualifying and the Duel races mixing up the starting grid, Blaney remains in the top spot at +1200, but the field has closed. No wonder Blaney is the bettor’s choice. The current NASCAR Cup Series champion is one of the best superspeedway drivers in the garage right now. His knack for remaining patient, working the draft, and making the correct moves at the correct time has allowed him to win at both Daytona and Talladega more than once.
Yet despite that talent level, Blaney understands as much as anyone that it also takes more than speed to win the Daytona 500. “You can have the best car in the world, and it still doesn’t mean anything if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Blaney explained earlier this week. “This race is all about survival first. If you can get to the last few laps, then it’s about getting it perfect.”
That patience and race craft have already paid dividends for Blaney in previous superspeedway wars, such as his tearful Talladega win in 2019 and his nail-biting 2021 Daytona summer race win that solidified his status as one of the finest in the draft. But the Great American Race has continued to evade him.
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