NASCAR has decided to move up the start time for Sunday’s 68th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway, due to the possibility of inclement weather in the Daytona Beach, Florida, area on Sunday evening.
The season-opening event, originally scheduled to begin at 2:30 PM ET, will be pushed up an hour to 1:30 PM ET, with the green flag for ‘The Great American Race’ flying at approximately 2:13 PM ET.
Gates and hospitality will now open at 9:00 AM ET, and the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone will be open at 8:30 AM ET. Parking lots will be open to the public at 6:00 AM ET.
The time change will not impact any of the pre-race activities scheduled to happen at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday. The pre-race performance by Miranda Lambert and the pageantry of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will still be on display.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign will begin with Sunday’s DAYTONA 500, and will have the largest purse in motorsports, registering at over $31 million.
Kyle Busch (No. 8, Richard Childress Racing) and Chase Briscoe (No. 19, Joe Gibbs Racing) will start on the front row for Sunday’s 500-miler.
William Byron, the two-time defending race-winner, is looking to become the first driver in the history of the prestigious event to win three years in a row. He’ll start at the rear of the pack in a backup car, in the No. 24 Raptor Coatings Chevrolet.
FOX, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will have coverage of the 2026 DAYTONA 500 tomorrow at 1:30 PM ET.
