45 cars have entered the 2026 running of the Daytona 500. The week at Daytona will also feature the season-openers for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, as well as the ARCA Menard’s Series. There are a total of 181 entries across all four divisions.
Ryan Preece just won NASCAR’s wild wet/dry Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray, so all the momentum is with the No. 60 team heading into Daytona. William Byron enters the race seeking a historic three-peat in NASCAR’s biggest race, which has never been done before. Kyle Larson is the reigning Cup Series champion, and this year, every point matters more as NASCAR has changed the format back something similar to The Chase of old.
What is the 2026 Daytona 500 Speedweek schedule?
Time / Series and Session / Where to watch
Wednesday, February 11
10am EST – Daytona 500 practice #1 – FOX SPORTS 1
8:15pm EST – Daytona 500 qualifying – FOX SPORTS 1
Thursday, February 12
4pm EST – ARCA practice – N/A
5pm EST – NASCAR Truck practice – FOX SPORTS 1
7pm – NASCAR Cup Duels at Daytona (60 laps each) – FOX SPORTS 1
Friday, February 13
1:30pm EST – ARCA qualifying – N/A
3pm EST – NASCAR Truck qualifying – FOX SPORTS 1
4:30pm EST – NASCAR O’Reilly practice – CW APP
5:30pm EST – Daytona 500 practice #2 – FOX SPORTS 1
7:30pm EST – NASCAR Truck race (100 laps) – FOX SPORTS 1
Saturday, February 14
10am EST – NASCAR O’Reilly qualifying – CW APP
12pm EST – ARCA race (80 laps) – FOX
3pm EST – Daytona 500 practice #3 – FOX SPORTS 1
5pm EST – NASCAR O’Reilly race (120 laps) – THE CW NETWORK
Sunday, February 15
12pm EST – Daytona 500 pre-race show – FOX
2:30pm – 68th running of the Daytona 500 (200 laps) – FOX
More details on how I can watch the Daytona 500
Date: Sunday, February 15
TV start time: 12:00pm EST
Green flag: 2:45pm EST
Laps/Miles: 200 laps / 500 miles
Stages: 65 / 65 / 70
TV channel: FOX | TSN (Canada) | Other international viewing options
Live stream: In-car cameras on HBO MAX Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Who is competing in the 68th running of the Daytona 500?
There are 36 chartered entries that are guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500, and the only full-time driver set to make their 500 debut is Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 for Trackhouse Racing. There are also eight open entries set to battle for four available spots on the grid. A ninth open entry is already locked in via the Open Exemption Provisional, and that is 7x Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
Other notable open entries include Corey LaJoie for RFK Racing, Corey Heim for 23XI Racing, Chandler Smith for Front Row Motorsports, and Justin Allgaier for JR Motorsports. You can find a complete entry list for all race’s this week through the link below:
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