The NASCAR season kicks off with the Daytona 500, also known as the Great American Race.
Today marks Daytona 500 day!
Due to a forecast of 50% chance of rain in the afternoon, race organizers opted to begin an hour earlier to ensure the drivers can complete the full 500 miles.
Kyle Busch, a veteran NASCAR driver, will lead the race from pole position, which is his first time starting first at Daytona in the last 20 races. If he wins today, it would mark his first Daytona 500 victory, adding another achievement to his two Cup Series championships.
William Byron, the defending champion, is also in a position to make history. If he triumphs today, he would become the first driver ever to win the Daytona 500 three consecutive times.
Before the race, comedian Nate Bargatze will act as the grand marshal, while actor and former race car driver Kurt Russell will be behind the pace car.
This race consists of 200 laps divided into three segments: the first two stages have 65 laps each, and the final stage wraps up with 70 laps.
2026 Daytona 500 Start Time
The Daytona 500 is set to start today, February 15th, at 2:13 PM ET, with television coverage beginning at 1:30 PM ET on FOX.
How to Watch the Daytona 500 for Free:
If you don’t have cable, you can watch the Daytona 500 through a live TV streaming service. My go-to is DIRECTV, which offers a 5-day free trial and various plans that include FOX.
Sling TV is another budget-friendly option for streaming, starting at $19.99 per month with plans that also feature FOX.
2026 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup
- Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing
- Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske
- Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports
- Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske
- Carson Josevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports
- Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing
- Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports
- Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing
- Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports
- John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club
- Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Shane Van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing
- Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing
- Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HAYAC Motorsports
- Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66
- Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports
- Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing
- Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports
- Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing
- Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team
- Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club
- Noah Gragson, front row 4th place Motorsports
- Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing
- Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing
- Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing
- Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing
- Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports
- Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Legacy Motor Club
- Connor Girish, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
- Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing
- Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing
- AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing
- Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske
- Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing
- BJ McLeod, No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports (disqualified due to vehicle inspection failure)
- William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports
- Justin Allgaier, No. 40 JR Motorsports
- Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing
