How to watch the Daytona 500 and what to watch for in ‘The Great American Race’

By Canadian Press on February 11, 2026.

William Byron will try to become the first driver in history to win the Daytona 500 three consecutive years when the 68th running of “The Great American Race” opens the NASCAR season on Sunday.

Byron won last year’s event in overtime after race leader Denny Hamlin got spun on the final lap, igniting a multicar crash. Byron ended up passing eight cars on the last lap to return to victory lane.

Can he make it three in a row? Four others — Richard Petty in 1975, Cale Yarborough in 1985, Sterling Marlin in 1996 and Hamlin in 2021 — came up short in threepeat bids at NASCAR’s signature race.

The field includes seven other previous Daytona 500 winners, most notably three-time winner Hamlin and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin is trying to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the 2025 season finale and the December death of his father. Johnson, meanwhile, is again driving the No. 84 Toyota for his team, Legacy Motor Club.

This will be the first non-exhibition race since NASCAR and two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — settled a federal antitrust lawsuit that threatened the series. The outcome guaranteed permanent charters for 36 teams.

The offseason also included the death of retired driver Greg Biffle, who was among seven people killed when his plane crashed in North Carolina just a week before Christmas.

How to watch the Daytona 500

The race will be aired on Fox. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick are in the booth. Larry McReynolds provides analysis. Jamie Little, Regan Smith and Josh Sims cover pit road. Fox Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio also offer live broadcasts, and the race will be streamed on the Fox One and the Fox Sports app.

What time is the race?

The green flag drops shortly after 2:30 p.m. EST.

Who is on the front row?

Kyle Busch earned his first Daytona 500 pole, landing the No. 1 starting position during qualifying Wednesday night. It came as he gets ready to start his 21st Daytona 500 and tries to end the longest current skid in the garage.

“We just got to get the job done so we can stop talking about it,” Busch said.

Chase Briscoe also will start on the front row.

Who is trying to make the field?

Justin Allgaier and Corey Heim secured two of the four open spots during qualifying. Anthony Alfredo, Corey LaJoie, B.J. McLeod, Casey Mears, Chandler Smith and JJ Yeley will vie for the final two spots during 125-mile qualifying races Thursday.

Allgaier is driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose famous father died 25 years ago following a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500.

Who is the favorite?

Ryan Blaney is listed as the favorite (plus-1100), with Joey Logano and William Byron close behind at plus-1200, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

The defending series champion is Kyle Larson. And keep an eye on 19-year-old driver Connor Zilisch, who won 10 races in the Xfinity Series last season and is considered a rising star.

Which celebrities are involved in the event?

Comedian Nate Bargatze will serve as the grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Actor Kurt Russell is the honorary pace car driver, and country music singer Miranda Lambert will perform a pre-race concert.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The Associated Press