From the NFL's Super Bowl last Sunday to NASCAR's Super Bowl this Sunday.
Unlike every other sport, NASCAR's signature event comes with its first race of the season -- the Daytona 500.
Every driver dreams of hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy, which has been handed to the winner of "The Great American Race" every year since 1959. Legends like Richard Petty (7), Cale Yarborough (4) and Jeff Gordon (3) are among the most frequent winners, and all 45 drivers attempting to win it in 2025 would be honored to add their name to the prestigious list of champions.
Here's all the info to know for the Daytona 500:
When is the Daytona 500 in 2025?
The 2025 Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 16.
What time is the Daytona 500 in 2025?
Pre-race festivities will begin with driver introductions at 2:15 p.m. ET
The green flag will then wave at 3:11 p.m. ET for the official start of the Daytona 500.
How do I watch the Daytona 500? Full TV schedule
Cars will be on track beginning Wednesday through the race on Sunday. Practice and single-lap qualifying will be held on Wednesday, where the front row starters will be set. The rest of the starting lineup will be determined Thursday in the duels, which are 60-lap qualifying races. There are 45 drivers trying to make the race this year, but only 40 (or 41) spots available.
Here's the full schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 12
Thursday, Feb. 13
Friday, Feb. 14
Saturday, Feb. 15
Sunday, Feb. 16
Who is racing in the Daytona 500? Entry list
There are 45 drivers on the entry list this year, which is the most since 2015. Four or five drivers will go home on Thursday, depending on how qualifying and the duels shake out.
The field has a handful of standout "open" teams that are not locked into the race. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. (who retired after last year) will headline that group in one-off rides for Legacy Motor Club and TRICON Garage, respectively. Then there's Hélio Castroneves, the four-time Indy 500 winner who will be making his NASCAR debut for Trackhouse Racing. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also on the entry list ... but as an owner for the very first time, with reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier behind the wheel.
Here's the full entry list for the 2025 Daytona 500 (* = not locked into the race):
| Car number | Driver | Team | Sponsor |
| 01 | Corey LaJoie* | Rick Ware Racing | Take 5 Oil Change/DuraMax |
| 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Busch Beer |
| 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Discount Tire |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Bass Pro Shops |
| 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Rush Truck Centers |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | HendrickCars.com |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Kroger/Cottonelle |
| 7 | Justin Haley | Spire Motorsports | Chili's |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Zone |
| 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Grizzly Nicotine Pouches |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | National Debt Relief |
| 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Menards/Peak |
| 16 | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Celsius |
| 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Fastenal |
| 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Bass Pro Shops |
| 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | DeWalt/Interstate Batteries |
| 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Motorcraft/Quick Lane |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Shell/Pennzoil |
| 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | McDonald's |
| 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Axalta |
| 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Love's Travel Stops |
| 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Monster Energy |
| 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Speedy Cash |
| 40 | Justin Allgaier* | JR Motorsports | Traveller Whiskey |
| 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Haas Tooling |
| 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Dollar Tree |
| 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Advent Health |
| 44 | JJ Yeley* | NY Racing Team | Green River Whiskey |
| 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Monster Energy |
| 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | SunnyD |
| 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Ally |
| 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Parts Plus/Jacob |
| 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Monster Energy |
| 56 | Martin Truex Jr.* | TRICON Garage | Bass Pro Shops |
| 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | BuildSubmarines.com |
| 62 | Anthony Alfredo* | Beard Motorsports | Fortify Building Solutions |
| 66 | Chandler Smith* | Garage 66 | Quick Tie |
| 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Go Bowling |
| 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Premier Security |
| 78 | BJ McLeod* | Live Fast Motorsports | HitchGO |
| 84 | Jimmie Johnson* | Legacy Motor Club | Carvana |
| 88 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | WeatherTech |
| 91 | Hélio Castroneves | Trackhouse Racing | Wendy's |
| 99 | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | Freeway Insurance |
Picks and predictions for the Daytona 500
Good luck trying to pick a winner in Daytona.
Superspeedway races are nearly impossible to predict, but that won't stop us from trying. With the variance of the draft and big crashes, favorites can get knocked out of the race even when its not their fault. That's probably why there has been a different winner in each of the last five years.
To narrow it down, let's take a look at the superspeedway races (Daytona and Talladega) from last year. In those four events, a Ford driver started first each time. The blue ovals figured something out in qualifying, which can help lead to race success (track position, pit stall selection, etc.). The four races, however, were won by two Chevys, one Toyota and one Ford -- proving the unpredictability of these events.
Expect the Fords to be quick in qualifying once again this season, which could translate to success for Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Brad Keselowski.
In 10 Daytona 500 starts, Blaney has four top-10s and 186 laps led. He's a three-time winner at Talladega, so drafting tracks have been kind to him in the past. Cindric won the Daytona 500 as a rookie in 2022 and has regularly been in the mix since then. Keselowski is more due than anyone -- he's a six-time Talladega winner but is winless in his 15 Daytona 500 starts. He's led 180 laps in those 15 races, so perhaps the 41-year-old can finally break through in 2025.
As for other manufacturers, it's hard to avoid Denny Hamlin for Toyota and William Byron for Chevy. Hamlin is a three-time Daytona 500 winner and often rises to the occasion in this event. Byron, meanwhile, is the defending winner and has at least 100 career laps led at both Daytona and Talladega.
Some longer shots worth watching are Bubba Wallace (three Daytona 500 top-fives), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2023 Daytona winner and 2024 Talladega winner), Justin Haley (only career win at Daytona) and Todd Gilliland (16 laps led last year).
Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.
Daytona 500 past winners and race history
Eight drivers on the entry list have won the Daytona 500 before: Byron (2024), Stenhouse (2023), Cindric (2022), McDowell (2021), Dillon (2018), Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020), Logano (2015) and Johnson (2006, 2013).
For Hamlin, a win would tie him with Yarborough for the second-most Daytona 500 victories of all time. He's currently tied with Hall of Famers Bobby Allison, Dale Jarrett and Gordon with three wins.
Six other drivers in the field have won, but in the 400-mile summer race -- Buescher (2023), Blaney (2021), Haley (2019), Jones (2018), Keselowski (2016) and Busch (2008).
Weather forecast for Daytona 500
Florida weather is always a wild card, especially around the Daytona 500.
According to NBC Miami, Daytona Beach could be rainy on Sunday for the race. There's a 56% chance of rain as of Wednesday, with showers potentially developing later in the day before clearing out in the evening. Cup cars can't race in the rain at Daytona, but the track could be dried for a race under the lights if necessary. The Daytona 500 has been postponed to Monday due to rain three times since 2012, including last year. Keep up to date with the latest forecast.
