As the NASCAR community looks ahead to the 2025 Daytona 500, veteran analyst Larry McReynolds (AKA Larry McNuggets) has made a bold prediction that has raised eyebrows across the sport. Known for his deep insights and decades of experience, McReynolds’ forecast has sparked conversations among fans and experts.
McReynolds, a former crew chief and current Fox Sports Analyst, shared his prediction at SiriusXM NASCAR Radio with co-host Danielle Trotta, naming a driver who has a chance to win the Great American Race for the second time. His remarks have added an extra layer of excitement for the Cup Series at the Daytona International Speedway.
Larry McReynolds’ Prediction for the 2025 Daytona 500
On the day of the Duels at Daytona, McReynolds and Trotta discussed the race and made predictions on 2025’s winner in front of a live audience. “You’re in the right camp, you’re in the right manufacturer,” McReynolds said. “But remember one of Larry McNuggets. I think it was the last driver to win the championship and come back to win the Daytona 500. I think it was Jeff Gordon. So Joey Logano’s become the most current driver to do that.”
On Friday, @LarryMac28 made his prediction for the 2025 Daytona 500 winner and it's someone who has won the Harley J. Earl Trophy before. pic.twitter.com/IaczGoWfpU
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) February 14, 2025
McReynolds referred to Gordon’s back-to-back wins in the 1998 Cup Series Championship and 1999’s Daytona 500. Considering Logano’s victory at last year’s Cup Series Championship, McReynolds is keen to see Logano winning the Daytona 500 this year, marking his 2nd victory on this 500-mile speedway.
From Being a Fan to Breaking the Records
Gordon has always been an idol for Logano. He has previously spoken about his admiration for Gordon, even about the times when he tried to get his autograph. Gordon, a four-times championship winner, won the Daytona 500 three times and inspired Logano from an early age. Remarking on the similar determination and competitive spirit of these two, McReynolds forecasted Logano to win the 2025 Daytona 500.
“I like what I saw out of that 22 car. I know with Joey, we talked to him the other day. It can be feast or famine when it comes to superspeedway racing but I think he’s gonna be up there and get his second Daytona 500 win.” McReynolds said on the radio. Logano is determined to touch and eventually exceed his idol’s victory counts, as he has already won the Cup Series Championship three times since his debut in 2018. But he fell short of his Daytona 500 wins, with his first and only one in 2015. McReynolds sounded pretty confident while talking about Logano on the radio.
After he failed to finish the race last year on the Daytona 500, Logano is determined to win this year’s race on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m. EST, an hour earlier than it was previously announced, as the timing was rescheduled due to President Donald Trump’s attendance.
