After a week of buildup, the Daytona 500 officially kicks off the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season today - Sunday, February 15.
The 68th edition of The Great American Race is set to see 41 drivers compete across 500 miles of exciting racing action at Daytona International Speedway, with the winner having the chance to etch their names into the history books.
Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, for example, starts on the pole and is looking to win his first Daytona 500 on his 21st attempt, whilst William Byron is eyeing NASCAR history and becoming the first driver to ever do a three-peat after victories in 2024 and 2025.
Elsewhere, reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and other big names such as Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott are also looking for their first Daytona 500 wins.
With that said, let's get into all of the information you need to know for today's race.
DAYTONA 500 RESULTS: Tyler Reddick takes exhilarating NASCAR victory in The Great American Race
What time is the Daytona 500 NASCAR race today?
The 68th edition of the Daytona 500 has an official start time of 1:30pm ET, with the NASCAR Cup Series drivers set to take the green flag at 2:13pm ET.
With rain currently forecast for Daytona today, be sure to keep a lookout for updates on this. NASCAR has already moved the race forward one hour due to the forecast.
| City (Time Zone) | Official Start Time | Green Flag |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC (ET) | 1:30PM | 2:13PM |
| New York, NY (ET) | 1:30PM | 2:13PM |
| Columbia, SC (ET) | 1:30PM | 2:13PM |
| Charleston, WV (ET) | 1:30PM | 2:13PM |
| Augusta, ME (ET) | 1:30PM | 2:13PM |
| Chicago, IL (CT) | 12:30PM | 1:13PM |
| Pierre, SD (CT) | 12:30PM | 1:13PM |
| Nashville, TN (CT) | 12:30PM | 1:13PM |
| Des Moines, IA (CT) | 12:30PM | 1:13PM |
| Montgomery, AL (CT) | 12:30PM | 1:13PM |
| Denver, CO (MT) | 11:30AM | 12:13PM |
| Salt Lake City, UT (MT) | 11:30AM | 12:13PM |
| Albuquerque, NM (MT) | 11:30AM | 12:13PM |
| El Paso, TX (MT) | 11:30AM | 12:13PM |
| Los Angeles, CA (PT) | 10:30AM | 11:13AM |
| Las Vegas, NV (PT) | 10:30AM | 11:13AM |
| Seattle, WA (PT) | 10:30AM | 11:13AM |
| Portland, OR (PT) | 10:30AM | 11:13AM |
| San Francisco, CA (PT) | 10:30AM | 11:13AM |
READ MORE: Daytona 500: NASCAR Cup Series starting lineup with penalties applied
What TV channel is the Daytona 500 race on today?
Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series action at the Daytona 500 will be broadcast live on FOX in the United States.
For those wanting to tune in to the action on the radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and MRN have the call.
Live stream options
Some NASCAR fans may want to live stream today's Daytona 500, and there are several options to do so.
With the race being broadcast on FOX, the FOX Sports App, FOX Sports website, and FOX One are some of the places to go.
As well as being available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the FOX Sports App can also be downloaded in several other places, such as:
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Xbox
- Vizio
- Google Chromecast
- Fire TV
- Android TV
- Samsung Smart TV
Both the FOX Sports App and FOX One are free to download, but you will need to log in with your paid TV provider details to watch.
Other streaming services may also be available.
DAYTONA 500 ODDS: Favorites and long shots for Great American Race
Daytona 500 starting lineup
Here is how the NASCAR Cup Series field lines up for the 2026 Daytona 500.
| Pos | Driver (Car No.) | Team (Manufacturer) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle Busch (#8) | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 2 | Chase Briscoe (#19) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 3 | Joey Logano (#22) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 4 | Chase Elliott (#9) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 5 | Ryan Blaney (#12) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 6 | Carson Hocevar (#77) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 7 | Austin Dillon (#3) | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 8 | Kyle Larson (#5) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski (#6) | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (Ford) |
| 10 | Michael McDowell (#71) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 11 | John Hunter Nemechek (#42) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 12 | Christopher Bell (#20) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 13 | Shane Van Gisbergen (#97) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 14 | Josh Berry (#21) | Wood Brothers Racing (Ford) |
| 15 | Daniel Suarez (#7) | Spire Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47) | HYAK Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 17 | Casey Mears (#66) | Garage 66 (Ford) |
| 18 | Todd Gilliland (#34) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 19 | Ryan Preece (#60) | RFK Racing (Ford) |
| 20 | Ty Gibbs (#54) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 21 | Alex Bowman (#48) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 22 | Denny Hamlin (#11) | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 23 | Cole Custer (#41) | Haas Factory Team (Ford) |
| 24 | Erik Jones (#43) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 25 | Noah Gragson (#4) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 26 | Tyler Reddick (#45) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 27 | Bubba Wallace (#23) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 28 | Riley Herbst (#35) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 29 | Corey Heim (#67) | 23XI Racing (Toyota) |
| 30 | Zane Smith (#38) | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 31 | Jimmie Johnson (#84) | Legacy Motor Club (Toyota) |
| 32 | Connor Zilisch (#88) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 33 | Cody Ware (#51) | Rick Ware Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 34 | Ty Dillon (#10) | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 35 | AJ Allmendinger (#16) | Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 36 | Austin Cindric (#2) | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 37 | Ross Chastain (#1) | Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 38 | B.J. McLeod (#78) | Live Fast Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 39 | William Byron (#24) | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 40 | Justin Allgaier (#40) | JR Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 41 | Chris Buescher (#17) | Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (Ford) |
DAYTONA 500: Has The Great American Race lost its prestige? NASCAR stars have their say
Daytona 500 FAQs
Daytona 500 stages
The stage breaks in today's Daytona 500 will take place after 65 laps and 130 laps, with the race concluding after 200 laps, providing there is no overtime.
Who won the 2025 Daytona 500?
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron won the Daytona 500 in 2025. He attempts a historic three-peat in 2026.
How many laps is the Daytona 500?
The Daytona 500 is 200 laps in length, with each lap being 2.5 miles long.
Where is the Daytona 500 located?
The Daytona 500 takes place at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, which is a 2.5-mile track.
How many miles is the Daytona 500?
The Daytona 500 is a 500-mile race.
Daytona 500 pit road speed limit
The pit road speed limit for today's Daytona 500 is 70mph.
Which team has the most Daytona 500 wins?
Hendrick Motorsports is the NASCAR team with the most wins at the Daytona 500, with 10 in total.
Which driver has the most Daytona 500 wins?
Richard Petty is the NASCAR driver with the most Daytona 500 wins, taking victory in The Great American Race seven times.
How much does it cost to go to the Daytona 500?
Tickets for the 2027 Daytona 500 are already on sale and currently start at $194. You can find more information here.
How fast do NASCAR cars go at Daytona?
NASCAR cars at Daytona can reach in excess of 180mph.
READ MORE: Daytona 500: Every NASCAR driver to win The Great American Race
