The NASCAR Cup Series season begins Sunday with the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox).

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Cup Series season begins Sunday with the Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on Fox).
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the defending winner. He is one of seven active Daytona 500 champions entered in the event. Denny Hamlin tops the list with three Daytona 500 wins since 2016.

Sunday’s race will feature 40 entries — 36 chartered cars with a guaranteed spot in every event on the schedule and four open entries that had to secure their spots through qualifying and Thursday’s Duel races. Kaz Grala, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan and Anthony Alfredo all raced their way into the Daytona 500.

Details for Sunday’s Daytona 500

(All times Eastern)

START: The command to start engines will be given by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at 2:59 p.m. … DJ Khaled is scheduled to wave the green flag at 3:11 p.m.

PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 8 a.m. … Drivers meeting is at 1:40 p.m. … Driver introductions are at 2:15 p.m. … Chaplain Farzad Nourian, AdventHealth, will give the invocation at 2:46 p.m. … The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus will perform the national anthem at 2:47 p.m.

DISTANCE: The race is 200 laps (500 miles) on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 65. Stage 2 ends at Lap 130.

STARTING LINEUP: Daytona 500 starting lineup

TV/RADIO: Fox will broadcast the race at 2:30 p.m. … NASCAR RaceDay Part One will begin at 11 a.m. on FS1. … NASCAR RaceDay Part Two will begin at 1 p.m. on Fox. … Motor Racing Network coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. … SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the MRN broadcast.

STREAMING: Fox Sports app

FORECAST: Weather Underground — High of 62 degrees with a 100 percent chance of rain throughout the day. High of 61 degrees and a 98 percent chance of rain at the start of the Daytona 500.

LAST TIME: The Daytona 500 went to overtime after Daniel Suarez slid off the track with two laps remaining. A multi-car crash sent the race to double overtime. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the lead on the final restart and held off Joey Logano as a crash occurred behind them. The field had taken the white flag, so the caution ended the race with Stenhouse being named the winner.

Daytona 500 FAQs

How can I attend the 2024 DAYTONA 500?

The DAYTONA 500 has sold out the past five years! DAYTONA 500 grandstand tickets and camping are sold out. Additionally, Travel Packages and VIP Ticket Packages are available through On Location, the Official Travel Provider of Daytona International Speedway at OnLocationExp.com/Daytona500.

What is included in a 2024 DAYTONA 500 VIP Ticket Package?

Depending on the selected tier, VIP Ticket Packages can include hospitality with talent appearances, behind-the-scenes access, Pace Car rides with a former Champion, unique photo opportunities, exclusive gifting, and much more along with the best seats at the track!

What is included in a 2024 DAYTONA 500 Travel Package?

On Location’s curated Travel Packages bundle official race tickets, deluxe hotel accommodations, transportation to the track, and exclusive experiences so that you can focus on the action all weekend long!

How many laps is the DAYTONA 500?
Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles (4 km) long and a 500-mile race that requires 200 laps to complete.

Who won the 2023 DAYTONA 500?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway..

What date is the 2024 DAYTONA 500?
Sunday February, 18th

What time is the 2024 DAYTONA 500?
The DAYTONA 500 will be at 2:30 PM ET

What channel is the DAYTONA 500 on?

The 2024 DAYTONA 500 start time is 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 18, kicking off the NASCAR Cup Series season. FOX will broadcast the DAYTONA 500 with radio coverage from MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Where is the DAYTONA 500 located?
The DAYTONA 500 is a 500-mile-long NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at DAYTONA International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

How many miles is the DAYTONA 500?
The DAYTONA 500 is 500 miles ( 800 Km ).

When was the DAYTONA 500 first run?
The DAYTONA 500 was first run in 1959. Lee Petty was the events first DAYTONA 500 winner at the Daytona International Speedway on February 25th, 1959.

Which team has the most wins at the DAYTONA 500?
Petty Enterprises is the team with most DAYTONA 500 wins with 9 wins total.

Which driver has the most wins at the DAYTONA 500?
Richard Petty holds the record for most DAYTONA 500 victories with seven wins total.

History highlights

Won the Daytona 500 and 2 other Crown Jewel Races in same year
1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough – Also won the World 600 and the Southern 500
1976 – David Pearson – Also won the World 600 and Southern 500
1985 – Bill Elliott – Also won the Winston 500 and Southern 500
1996 – Dale Jarrett – Also won the Coca-Cola 600 and Brickyard 400
1997 – Jeff Gordon – Also won the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500
2006 – Jimmie Johnson – Also won the Aaron’s 499 and Brickyard 400

Won the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in same year
1959 – Lee Petty
1964, 1971, 1974, 1979 – Richard Petty
1977 – Cale Yarborough
1997 – Jeff Gordon
2006, 2013 – Jimmie Johnson

Drivers whose first NASCAR Cup Series win was the Daytona 500
1963 – Tiny Lund
1967 – Mario Andretti – Only NASCAR Cup Series victory
1970 – Pete Hamilton
1990 – Derrike Cope
1994 – Sterling Marlin – Only driver whose first two career victories were the Daytona 500: 1994 & 1995
2001 – Michael Waltrip – Won the Daytona 500 after 462 races without a win
2011 – Trevor Bayne – Only NASCAR Cup Series victory; second career Cup Series start and first Daytona attempt; first rookie to win the Daytona 500 and youngest Daytona 500 winner
2021 – Michael McDowell – Won the Daytona 500 after 357 races without a win, second only to Michael Waltrip
2022 − Austin Cindric – Second youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 (Trevor Bayne), eighth career Cup Series start

Youngest and oldest winners of the Daytona 500
Youngest: Trevor Bayne – 2011 (age 20 years, 1 day)
Oldest: Bobby Allison – 1988 (age 50 years, 73 days)