Daytona 500

NASCAR race Daytona 500

Since the early twentieth century, racing had already taken place on the beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida, when stock car racing, which involved modifying ordinary cars, gained popularity in the United States during the 1930s. Bill France, a race car driver and mechanic, initiated discussions with other drivers, mechanics, and team owners in 1947 to establish a new racing class. In 1948, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) was founded. During that year and the following years, a NASCAR race was held partly on Daytona Beach and partly on public roads. In 1955, Bill France announced plans to construct a circuit in Daytona Beach, and construction began in 1957. On February 22, 1959, the first Daytona 500 took place at the Daytona International Speedway.

Since 1959, the race has been held annually in February at the Daytona International Speedway, covering a distance of 500 miles (804.7 km) and 200 laps, except for the 1974 race, which was shortened due to the oil crisis, races that were shortened due to rain, and races that lasted a few extra laps due to a yellow-flag situation at the end of the 200 laps, requiring two additional laps under green flag conditions.

When is the Daytona 500?

The 2024 Daytona 500 will take place on February 18, 2024. It is the first race that has been announced for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season

What time does the Daytona 500 start?

The 2024 Daytona 500 will be held at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

NASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying

The Bluegreen Vacations Duels are two qualifying races in the NASCAR Cup Series. These races take place in the week leading up to the Daytona 500 and are also held at the Daytona International Speedway. From 1959 to 1981 and 1985, a third, shorter race was added. Between 1959 and 1971, points were earned for the Grand National Championship during these races, but afterwards, they no longer counted towards the championship and became solely qualifying races.

Since 2005, both races have been held over a distance of 150 miles or 240 kilometers. The field for the Daytona 500 is divided into two groups, each participating in one qualifying race. The two drivers with the best times start from the front row in the Daytona 500, while the rest of the starting grid is determined by the positions the drivers achieved in the qualifying races. Dale Earnhardt holds the record with twelve victories in qualifying races throughout his career.

When is qualifying for the Daytona 500?

The Bluegreen Vacations Duel will take place on Thursday, 15 February 2024.

Daytona 500 results

The 2023 NASCAR Daytona 500 commenced with Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson occupying the front row. In the early laps, Larson and Bowman exchanged the lead.

Ten laps into the race, the inside line started to display its strength, with Larson, Joey Logano, and Christopher Bell occupying the top three positions. A third line briefly emerged with Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Justin Haley, but it quickly faded. On lap 28, smoke began billowing from Ty Dillon's car, forcing him to retire due to an engine problem

First pit stops

Between laps 37 and 40, the drivers made their first pit stops. Despite a spin by Riley Herbst on lap 38, NASCAR did not wave the yellow flag. After the pit cycle, Denny Hamlin took the lead but was soon passed by Chase Briscoe on lap 42, as two distinct lines formed again. Briscoe, Wallace, and Aric Almirola comprised the bottom line, while Hamlin, Bell, and Reddick occupied the top. On lap 55, Wallace took the lead but made contact with the backstretch wall after a push from Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

On lap 64, just two laps before the end of the first stage, A.J. Allmendinger, who was one lap down, strategically blocked and slowed down the inside line led by Almirola and Jimmie Johnson, aiming to earn the free pass at the stage break. This allowed the top lane, now led by Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece, to pass Hamlin and Truex. Chris Buescher and Kevin Harvick followed closely behind. Keselowski emerged as the winner of the first stage.

Race restart

The race restarted on lap 72, with Keselowski blocking Preece on the inside. Truex and Kyle Busch took charge of the outside line on lap 94, but it didn't yield any significant effect. Following another sequence of pit stops, the pack went three wide on lap 112, with Logano and Ryan Blaney leading the race. However, on lap 117, Harvick's bump on Reddick triggered a multi-car incident involving nearly a dozen cars. Reddick, Erik Jones, and Chase Elliott retired from the race, while Blaney underwent repairs on his right front. Taking advantage of the pit stops, Austin Cindric and Hamlin opted for two tires, while other teams chose four. The race resumed on lap 126, with Ross Chastain taking the lead after a fierce battle. Chastain began blocking both lines, while Alex Bowman gained momentum on the outside with assistance from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Chastain ultimately won the second stage in a close finish against Truex and Logano.

During the yellow flag at the end of the second stage, pit stops occurred. Chastain received a penalty for exceeding the speed limit while exiting the pit lane. Christopher Bell and rookie Noah Gragson also faced penalties. Wallace remained on track and assumed the lead at the restart on lap 138. Almirola would eventually overtake him with assistance from Buescher. However, two laps later, the yellow flag was waved for debris as Ryan Blaney's right front tire tread came off in turn two.

Almirola demonstrated strength on the inside line during the restart, receiving a strong draft from Buescher. Wallace attempted to stick to the middle lane but lost the draft. On lap 145, Buescher switched to the outside line with Keselowski's support, leading the charge on the outside while the inside line led by Hamlin failed to gain ground. Wallace's decision to stay out during the stage break did not pay off as he pitted for fuel alone with 30 laps remaining, resulting in him falling a lap behind.

Between laps 176 and 180, drivers began their final pit stops, with Harrison Burton assuming the lead after the cycle. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. received a penalty for speeding and had to serve a pass-through penalty on lap 180. With 18 laps to go, the first major incident, referred to as the Big One, occurred. Preece lost control, impacting the wall heavily and collecting Harvick, Truex, Johnson, and Briscoe. The race restarted with 14 laps remaining, with Burton leading on the outside line pushed by Kyle Busch, and Logano on the inside alongside William Byron. Logano experienced a moment of instability on the straightaway, forcing him to the outside and losing the draft. A daring move from Allmendinger propelled him into the lead until Keselowski overtook him with 10 laps to go.

As the laps dwindled, the RFK Racing cars of Keselowski and Buescher and the Richard Childress Racing cars of Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch remained closely grouped together. With four laps remaining, the RCR drivers coordinated with Byron on the back straight to pass Keselowski and Buescher, with Busch surging to the lead, aiming for his first Daytona 500 victory in his 18th attempt. However, on the next lap, Suarez was tapped by Johnson, resulting in a spin at the exit of turn 4 and triggering the race's third Big One. Keselowski, Almirola, Busch, Wallace, Allmendinger, and Hamlin were involved, and the yellow flag was quickly waved, ending the race as the white flag had already flown, with Stenhouse in the lead.

NASCAR utilized video replay to confirm that Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driving the No. 47 car for JTG Daugherty Racing, emerged as the winner of the 2023 Daytona 500.

Check out the full results of the Daytona 500 below.

Who won the Daytona 500?

Richard Petty holds the record for the most victories in the race, with seven wins. He first won in 1964 and his final victory came in 1981. His father, Lee Petty, won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959 after being declared the winner three days later due to a photo finish that showed three cars crossing the finish line side by side. Mario Andretti, the 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, won the race in 1967. A.J. Foyt, four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, claimed victory in the Daytona 500 in 1972. Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR champion, won the race in 1998 but tragically lost his life during the race in 2001. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., won the race in 2004 and 2014. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. clinched victory in 2023. See all winners of the Daytona 500 below.

*Sidenote: NASCAR has not announced the prize money since 2016.

Daytona 500 tickets

Daytona International Speedway officials have announced that fans can now renew their tickets for next year's Daytona 500. Exclusive pre-sale options are also available for interested spectators. This marks the first race date announcement for the 2024 NASCAR Cup season.

For ticket renewals and further information, please click here.