2026 Daytona 500
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2.5 mi (4 km)
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 2026 Daytona 500 logo | |||
| Date | February 15, 2026 | ||
| Location | Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (800 km) | ||
| Weather | Partly Cloudy with a temperature around 81 °F (27 °C); wind out of the west at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h). | ||
| Average speed | 147.107 miles per hour (236.746 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Richard Childress Racing | ||
| Time | 49.006 | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Joey Logano | Team Penske | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | |
| Laps | 40 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | |
| Time | 45.584 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick | ||
| Nielsen ratings | 7.489 million | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth announcers | Alex Hayden, Mike Bagley, and Todd Gordon | ||
| Turn announcers | Dave Moody (1 & 2), Kyle Rickey (Backstretch), and Tim Catalfamo (3 & 4) | ||
The 2026 Daytona 500 was a NASCAR Cup Series race and the 68th running of the event. It was held on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.[3] It was the first race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.
The race saw 65 lead changes, with the total of 26 different leaders (out of a 41-car field) being a Daytona 500 record.[9] 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick avoided multiple accidents on the final lap and passed Chase Elliott just before the start/finish line to claim both his and the team's first Daytona 500 victory, as well as the ninth win of his Cup Series career and his first since the 2024 Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 2nd, and Joey Logano finished 3rd. Elliott and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five, and Zane Smith, Chris Buescher, Riley Herbst, Josh Berry, and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top ten.
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.[10] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.[11] The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[11]
In 2026, the Daytona 500 will be held on its traditional Presidents' Day weekend. However, Daytona announced on October 22, 2025, that the 2027 Daytona 500 would be a week later, held on February 21, 2027, to avoid a conflict with the Super Bowl.[12]
For the second consecutive year, 41 cars will be in the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson is guaranteed a spot with the Open Exemption Provisional (OEP).[13]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
- (W) denotes former winner.
- (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
First practice
Austin Cindric was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 48.025 seconds and a speed of 187.402 mph (301.594 km/h).
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 48.025 | 187.402 |
| 2 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 48.146 | 186.931 |
| 3 | 99 | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing | Ford | 48.253 | 186.517 |
| Official first practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Kyle Busch scored the pole for the race with a time of 49.006 and a speed of 183.651 mph (295.558 km/h).[14] Noah Gragson had his time disallowed for using his hand to deflect air and attempting to gain an advantage.[15]
Qualifying results
The Duel at Daytona
The Duels at Daytona are a pair of NASCAR Cup Series races held in conjunction with the Daytona 500 annually in February at Daytona International Speedway. They consist of two races 60 laps and 150 miles (240 km) in length, which serve as heat races that set the lineup for the Daytona 500. Both races sets the lineup for positions 3–32. The first race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in odd–numbered positions on pole qualifying day. The second race sets the lineup for cars that qualified in even–numbered positions. Positions 33–36 are filled by the four drivers that posted the fastest lap in pole qualifying that didn't lock in a position in the Duel's. Positions 37–40 are set by the four cars highest in the 2019 owner's points that didn't lock in a position in the Duels and weren't among the cars that posted the four fastest timed laps in pole qualifying.
Duel 1
Duel 1 results
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 63 | 10 |
| 2 | 11 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 63 | 9 |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 63 | 8 |
| 4 | 10 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 63 | 7 |
| 5 | 9 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 63 | 6 |
| 6 | 19 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 63 | 5 |
| 7 | 20 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 63 | 4 |
| 8 | 22 | 66 | Casey Mears | Garage 66 | Ford | 63 | 3 |
| 9 | 2 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 63 | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 63 | 1 |
| 11 | 13 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 63 | 0 |
| 12 | 23 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 63 | 0 |
| 13 | 16 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 63 | 0 |
| 14 | 3 | 67 | Corey Heim (i) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 63 | 0 |
| 15 | 15 | 84 | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 63 | 0 |
| 16 | 21 | 36 | Chandler Smith (i) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 63 | 0 |
| 17 | 14 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 63 | 0 |
| 18 | 1 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 63 | 0 |
| 19 | 8 | 99 | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing | Ford | 62 | 0 |
| 20 | 17 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 62 | 0 |
| 21 | 18 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 62 | 0 |
| 22 | 12 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 55 | 0 |
| 23 | 5 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 55 | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Duel 2
Duel 2 results
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 10 |
| 2 | 14 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 9 |
| 3 | 3 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 8 |
| 4 | 10 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 7 |
| 5 | 6 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 60 | 6 |
| 6 | 13 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 60 | 5 |
| 7 | 19 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 4 |
| 8 | 16 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 60 | 3 |
| 9 | 5 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 60 | 2 |
| 10 | 2 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 60 | 1 |
| 11 | 12 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 60 | 0 |
| 12 | 20 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 60 | 0 |
| 13 | 15 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 60 | 0 |
| 14 | 9 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 60 | 0 |
| 15 | 11 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 |
| 16 | 18 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 |
| 17 | 8 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 60 | 0 |
| 18 | 21 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 |
| 19 | 1 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 60 | 0 |
| 20 | 7 | 40 | Justin Allgaier (i) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 |
| 21 | 22 | 44 | J. J. Yeley (i) | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet | 57 | 0 |
| DSQ | 17 | 62 | Anthony Alfredo (i) | Beard Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Starting lineup
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Fastest in pole qualifying |
| 2 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Second in pole qualifying |
| 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | Duel 1 Winner |
| 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Duel 2 Winner |
| 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | Second in Duel 1 |
| 6 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | Second in Duel 2 |
| 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Third in Duel 1 |
| 8 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Third in Duel 2 |
| 9 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | Fourth in Duel 1 |
| 10 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | Fourth in Duel 2 |
| 11 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | Fifth in Duel 1 |
| 12 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Fifth in Duel 2 |
| 13 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | Sixth in Duel 1 |
| 14 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Sixth in Duel 2 |
| 15 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | Seventh in Duel 1 |
| 16 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | Seventh in Duel 2 |
| 17 | 66 | Casey Mears | Garage 66 | Ford | Eighth in Duel 1 |
| 18 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | Eighth in Duel 2 |
| 19 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | Ninth in Duel 1 |
| 20 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Ninth in Duel 2 |
| 21 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tenth in Duel 1 |
| 22 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Tenth in Duel 2 |
| 23 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | Eleventh in Duel 1 |
| 24 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | Eleventh in Duel 2 |
| 25 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | Twelfth in Duel 1 |
| 26 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | Twelfth in Duel 2 |
| 27 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | Thirteenth in Duel 1 |
| 28 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | Thirteenth in Duel 2 |
| 29 | 67 | Corey Heim (i) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | Fourteenth in Duel 1 |
| 30 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | Fourteenth in Duel 2 |
| 31 | 84 | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | Fifteenth in Duel 1 |
| 32 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | Fifteenth in Duel 2 |
| 33 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | Seventeenth in Duel 1 |
| 34 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | Sixteenth in Duel 2 |
| 35 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 20th in Duel 1 |
| 36 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | Seventeenth in Duel 2 |
| 37 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 21st in Duel 1 |
| 38 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet | Nineteenth in Duel 2[16] |
| 39 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 22nd in Duel 1 |
| 40 | 40 | Justin Allgaier (i) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20th in Duel 2 |
| 41 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 23rd in Duel 1 |
| Did not qualify | |||||
| 42 | 36 | Chandler Smith (i) | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | |
| 43 | 99 | Corey LaJoie | RFK Racing | Ford | |
| 44 | 44 | J. J. Yeley (i) | NY Racing Team | Chevrolet | |
| 45 | 62 | Anthony Alfredo (i) | Beard Motorsports | Chevrolet | Disallowed after post-race inspection[16] |
| Official starting lineup | |||||
Practice (post-Duels)
Second practice
Austin Dillon was the fastest in the second practice session with a time of 46.006 seconds and a speed of 195.627 mph (314.831 km/h).
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 46.006 | 195.627 |
| 2 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 46.049 | 195.452 |
| 3 | 40 | Justin Allgaier (i) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 46.137 | 195.071 |
| Official second practice results | ||||||
Final practice
Ryan Preece was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 46.676 seconds and a speed of 192.819 mph (310.312 km/h).
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 46.676 | 192.819 |
| 2 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 46.684 | 192.786 | ||
| 3 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 46.733 | 192.583 | ||
| Official final practice results | ||||||
Race
Race results
Stage Results
Stage One Laps: 65
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 10 |
| 2 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 8 |
| 4 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 6 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 5 |
| 7 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 8 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 3 |
| 9 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 1 |
Stage Two Laps: 65
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 10 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 9 |
| 3 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 8 |
| 4 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 5 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 6 |
| 6 | 67 | Corey Heim (i) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 0 |
| 7 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 4 |
| 8 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 3 |
| 9 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 1 |
Final Stage results
Stage Three Laps: 70
| Pos | Grid | No | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 200 | 58 |
| 2 | 16 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Hyak Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 35 |
| 3 | 3 | 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Ford | 200 | 36 |
| 4 | 4 | 9 | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 33 |
| 5 | 9 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Ford | 200 | 32 |
| 6 | 30 | 38 | Zane Smith | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 41 |
| 7 | 41 | 17 | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Ford | 200 | 39 |
| 8 | 28 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 200 | 35 |
| 9 | 14 | 21 | Josh Berry | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 200 | 28 |
| 10 | 27 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 200 | 37 |
| 11 | 25 | 4 | Noah Gragson | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 27 |
| 12 | 39 | 24 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 25 |
| 13 | 15 | 7 | Daniel Suárez | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 31 |
| 14 | 34 | 10 | Ty Dillon | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 23 |
| 15 | 1 | 8 | Kyle Busch | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 29 |
| 16 | 8 | 5 | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 21 |
| 17 | 33 | 51 | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 20 |
| 18 | 6 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 27 |
| 19 | 35 | 16 | A. J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 18 |
| 20 | 37 | 1 | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 17 |
| 21 | 24 | 43 | Erik Jones | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 200 | 16 |
| 22 | 10 | 71 | Michael McDowell | Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 19 |
| 23 | 20 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 14 |
| 24 | 23 | 41 | Cole Custer | Haas Factory Team | Chevrolet | 200 | 13 |
| 25 | 19 | 60 | Ryan Preece | RFK Racing | Ford | 200 | 15 |
| 26 | 11 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 199 | 19 |
| 27 | 5 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Ford | 199 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 67 | Corey Heim (i) | 23XI Racing | Toyota | 199 | 0 |
| 29 | 31 | 84 | Jimmie Johnson | Legacy Motor Club | Toyota | 199 | 8 |
| 30 | 13 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 7 |
| 31 | 22 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 198 | 6 |
| 32 | 17 | 66 | Casey Mears | Garage 66 | Ford | 195 | 5 |
| 33 | 32 | 88 | Connor Zilisch (R) | Trackhouse Racing | Chevrolet | 195 | 4 |
| 34 | 36 | 2 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 193 | 12 |
| 35 | 12 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 191 | 2 |
| 36 | 2 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 188 | 1 |
| 37 | 7 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 137 | 1 |
| 38 | 40 | 40 | Justin Allgaier (i) | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 123 | 0 |
| 39 | 18 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | Front Row Motorsports | Ford | 123 | 1 |
| 40 | 21 | 48 | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 123 | 3 |
| 41 | 38 | 78 | B. J. McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet | 4 | 1 |
| Official race results | |||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 66 among 26 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 5 for 32
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 3 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds
- Average speed: 147.107 miles per hour (236.746 km/h)
