DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The countdown is almost over! The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to roar into action with the legendary Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16, at Daytona International Speedway. This 200-lap, 500-mile battle will feature 41 drivers, thanks to the addition of IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves, who joins the field via the Open Exemption Provisional.
Front Row is Set: Briscoe Secures Toyota’s First-Ever Daytona 500 Pole
Making his Joe Gibbs Racing debut, Chase Briscoe stormed to the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first Toyota driver in history to start P1 at this event. Lining up beside him is Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 champion, driving for Team Penske.
Starting Grid for the Top Five: 1️⃣ Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing – Toyota)
2️⃣ Austin Cindric (Team Penske – Ford)
3️⃣ Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing – Toyota) – Winner of Duel 1
4️⃣ Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club – Toyota)
5️⃣ William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports – Chevrolet) – Defending Daytona 500 champion
Where to Watch & Race Format
- TV Broadcast: FOX Sports (Exclusive broadcast partner for the Daytona 500)
- Race Start Time: 2:30 PM ET
- Stages:
- Stage 1: 65 laps
- Stage 2: 65 laps
- Final Stage: 70 laps
Daytona 500 Weekend Schedule
Before the Cup Series drivers take the track, NASCAR’s lower series will also hit the 2.5-mile superspeedway for their season openers:
📆 Friday, February 14 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race
- Start Time: 7:30 PM ET
- Broadcast: FS1
- Race Format: 20-20-60 lap stages
📆 Saturday, February 15 – NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
- Start Time: 5:00 PM ET
- Broadcast: The CW
- Race Format: 30-30-60 lap stages
Who Are the Favorites for the Daytona 500?
Superspeedway racing at Daytona is a high-speed chess match where raw speed, drafting strategy, and a little bit of luck all play a role. That said, some drivers have a special touch on these tracks and enter the Daytona 500 as favorites.
🏆 Top Contenders for Victory:
- Austin Cindric (P2): The 2022 Daytona 500 winner is in strong form and looking for a second 500 victory.
- William Byron (P5): The defending champion knows how to position himself for a late-race move.
- Denny Hamlin: A three-time Daytona 500 winner (2016, 2019, 2020), he’s always a threat in pack racing.
- Joey Logano: The 2015 winner and superspeedway ace will be in the mix late in the race.
- Brad Keselowski: Despite never winning the Daytona 500, he has superspeedway dominance with 7 career wins at plate tracks.
🔮 Possible First-Time Winners:
- Bubba Wallace (P3): Wallace nearly won this race in 2018 and has multiple runner-up finishes at Daytona & Talladega.
- Tyler Reddick: A strong superspeedway racer, he’ll be pushing his 23XI Racing teammate Wallace.
- Martin Truex Jr.: The former Cup champion is making one last attempt to win the Daytona 500—one of the few trophies missing from his résumé.
- Chase Elliott: The 2020 Cup Series champion has unfinished business at Daytona.
Daytona 500: The Unpredictability Factor
Daytona is one of the most chaotic and unpredictable events on the NASCAR calendar. Big wrecks, last-lap moves, and photo finishes are all common. That’s why even underdogs have a real shot at winning.
Will Toyota’s newfound speed carry them to victory? Can Ford’s superspeedway expertise give them the edge? Or will Chevrolet repeat its dominance with Byron going back-to-back?
We’ll find out on Sunday when the green flag drops for the 2025 Daytona 500! 🚀🔥
