68th Annual Daytona 500

The Great American Race • World Center of Racing
⚠️ UPDATED START TIME: 1:30 PM ET
PURSE: $31,045,575
FIELD: 41 CARS
NEW START: 1:30 PM ET (FOX)
STAGES: 65 / 130 / 200 Laps
FUEL WINDOW: 48 Laps

🏁 Final Starting Grid & Lineup Logic

The field is set at 41 cars, with the front row locked on qualifying speed and the remainder via Duel results [4, 5].

PosDriverCarDetermined By
1Kyle Busch#8Pole Winner (183.925 mph)
2Chase Briscoe#19Outside Pole (183.587 mph)
3Joey Logano#22Duel 1 Winner
4Chase Elliott#9Duel 2 Winner
5Ryan Blaney#12Duel 1 Result
38BJ McLeod#78Awarded Spot after Alfredo DQ
41Jimmie Johnson#84Open Exemption Provisional

TO THE REAR: Chastain (#1), Suarez (#7), Buescher (#17), and Byron (#24) drop to the back in backup cars [6, 7].

⚙️ Technical Profile: Superspeedway Package

  • Restricted Power: Engines are target-restricted to 510 HP for 2.5-mile superspeedways [8].
  • Safety Flaps: Mandatory A-post flaps (windshield sides) work with roof flaps to mitigate lift-off in spins [9].
  • Goodyear Tires: Setup D-5142 (Left) / D-5218 (Right); 14 sets for the event [10, 11].
  • Pit Crew Challenge: Green-flag drafting-entry pit stops are expected at Laps ~48, ~96, and ~144 [12, 13].

📱 Top 5 Social Buzz

👀 Key Contenders & Odds

Denny Hamlin (+900)
The active win leader (3). Master of strategic transitions and drafting prowess [14, 15].
Joey Logano (+1200)
2025 Series Champ. Leads the elite Team Penske drafting alliances; won Duel 1 in overtime [16, 17].
William Byron (+1000)
Back-to-back winner ('24-'25). Chasing the first-ever 500 three-peat in Cup history [18, 19].
Kyle Busch (+1400)
Starting from the pole. Chasing his first career 500 win in his 21st appearance [15, 20].
Carson Hocevar (+2800)
Sleeper. Finished P2 in Duel 2; shown raw aggressive speed in all practice sessions [17, 21].

☁️ Weather Forensics

The race has been moved up 1 hour (1:30 PM ET) due to forecasted precipitation. If weather prevents the race from reaching the halfway point (Lap 100), it may be rescheduled as per Section 7.7.3.3 [3, 22].