2026 Daytona 500 storylines

Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Track length: 2.5 miles
When: 1:30 p.m. ET
Where to tune in: FOX, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
Race purse: $31,045,575
Race distance: 200 laps | 500 miles
Stages: 65 | 130 | 200
Sunday’s starting lineup: Kyle Busch to lead the field to green | See full lineup

A new season dawns, with history on the line

The official start of the NASCAR season has had a magic formula that’s seemingly tamper-proof. An annual wintertime journey to Florida’s warmer climes, a world center of speed, and the offering up of stock-car racing’s richest prize. An offseason full of anticipation has built to this most prestigious of race days, and the opening of the Cup Series schedule runs through Daytona’s high banks.

A field of 41 hopefuls opens that quest in Sunday’s Daytona 500, chasing the Harley J. Earl Trophy and the enduring title of champion in the “Great American Race.” It’s a tradition that dates back to the opening of the speedway in 1959, when the fledgling sport moved from the seaside sands to the grand 2.5-mile circuit that’s still here today.

“I think the event itself, it’s an honor to be a part of … it truly is,” says Chase Elliott, seeking his first Daytona 500 crown. “It’s really a big deal. It’s one of the biggest sporting events in the United States, and to say you’ve been a part of it for the past 10-plus years, not a lot of people can say that, and I definitely take pride in that. I understand the magnitude of that, and that it’s a really special thing to be a part of, so I’ll never take that for granted.”

One driver has a chance to etch his name into the record books where no Daytona legend has been. William Byron will aim to become the first to ever win three consecutive 500s, leading a stout No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team into the season ahead. And if the frantic character of Thursday’s Duel qualifying races are any indicator, the potential for a nerve-jarring 500 is there.

“I was thinking about it driving over here,” three-time Cup champ Joey Logano said after winning Duel 1. “Daytona 500 could be a total wreckfest ’cause if you think about Duels, it’s a heat race, and everyone is like, ‘Don’t tear up your car, get what you can out of it, but don’t crash.’ We wrecked a lot of stuff. That’s everyone not racing for the Daytona 500, so… Say a prayer. It’s going to be crazy.”

This season will be the first under a revised Chase championship format, with the win-and-in element removed from the regular-season procedures and the former elimination structure scrapped in favor of a 10-race points battle that rewards consistency and a winning record.

The 500 will be the first step in that season-long process, but the opportunity to achieve racing immortality arrives Sunday.

MORE: Schedule, TV info: Daytona | Watch NASCAR video highlights

Injury alerts

The season hasn’t officially begun, but a pair of Cup Series veterans are nursing injuries as they head to the climax of Daytona 500 weekend. Former Cup champ Brad Keselowski has been making the rounds in the garage with the help of a cane after breaking his leg eight weeks ago, but he’s been cleared to compete and participated in Thursday’s qualifying races. AJ Allmendinger was seen with a wrap on his left wrist after a crash in Thursday’s Duel qualifiers; his Kaulig Racing team confirmed that Allmendinger suffered no fractures in the wreck, but that the wrap was to provide comfort for lingering soreness. Both drivers are seeking their first Daytona 500 win.

In the details …

Speed reads

Race-day essentials:

• Daytona hub: Key information, links, results | Read more
• At-track photos: Speedweeks scenes from Daytona | View gallery
• Paint Scheme Preview: Fresh designs for a new season | View gallery
• Hauler Talk: Daytona 500 rules changes to know | Listen now
• Power Rankings: Cup Series’ Top 20 drivers entering the year | This week’s ranks
• NASCAR Classics: Inside the video vault from Daytona | Watch now