How to watch Daytona 500: Schedule, date, TV info, tickets
Its time for NASCARs biggest race.
With Super Bowl LVII in the rearview mirror, the sports world can turn to the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing for another huge event.
Forty of the worlds best drivers will hit the track this week at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile tri-oval where speeds reach upwards of 200 mph. Winning the Great American Race changes a drivers career forever, with their name forever etched in the history books.
Heres everything you need to know for the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2023:
What is the Daytona 500 entry list?
There are 42 drivers who will attempt to race in the Daytona 500. The field is capped at 40 cars, which means three drivers will go home after Thursdays qualifying races. There are 36 drivers locked into the race through NASCARs charter system, so the final four spots will be sorted out by six drivers.
Among those six open drivers is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who will return to NASCAR on a part-time basis this season after retiring from the series in 2020. Johnson isnt guaranteed a spot in the race despite his two previous Daytona 500 wins.
Heres the full entry list (* = not locked into the race):
- No. 1, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
- No. 2, Austin Cindric, Team Penske
- No. 3, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing
- No. 4, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing
- No. 5, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
- No. 6, Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
- No. 7, Corey LaJoie, Spire Motorsports
- No. 8, Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing
- No. 9, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
- No. 10, Aric Almirola, Stewart-Haas Racing
- No. 11, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
- No. 12, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
- No. 13, Chandler Smith, Kaulig Racing*
- No. 14, Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing
- No. 15, Riley Herbst, Rick Ware Racing
- No. 16, A.J. Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing
- No. 17, Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
- No. 19, Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing
- No. 20, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
- No. 21, Harrison Burton, Wood Brothers Racing
- No. 22, Joey Logano, Team Penske
- No. 23, Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
- No. 24, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
- No. 31, Justin Haley, Kaulig Racing
- No. 34, Michael McDowell, Front Row Motorsports
- No. 36, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports*
- No. 38, Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports
- No. 41, Ryan Preece, Stewart-Haas Racing
- No. 42, Noah Gragson, Legacy Motor Club
- No. 43, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club
- No. 45, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
- No. 47, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., JTG Daugherty Racing
- No. 48, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
- No. 50, Conor Daly, The Money Team Racing*
- No. 51, Cody Ware, Rick Ware Racing
- No. 54, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
- No. 62, Austin Hill, Beard Motorsports*
- No. 67, Travis Pastrana, 23XI Racing*
- No. 77, Ty Dillon, Spire Motorsports
- No. 78, B.J. McLeod, Live Fast Motorsports
- No. 84, Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club*
- No. 99, Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing
When is the Daytona 500 in 2023?
The Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023.
Before the race on Sunday, there will be several other on-track events qualifying, practice and qualifying races.
All 43 cars will hit the track for qualifying, where each driver gets two laps around the track. The two fastest drivers will start on the front row, while the rest of the field will race for their starting spot. There will be two 60-lap races dubbed as the Duels to set the starting lineup and send three drivers home.
After the full lineup is set, there will be two practice sessions before the race on Sunday.
What is the Daytona 500 schedule in 2023?
Wednesday, Feb. 15 (FS1 and streaming)
- Qualifying: 8 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Thursday, Feb. 16 (FS1 and streaming)
- The Duels: 7 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Friday, Feb. 17 (FS1 and streaming)
- Practice: 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Saturday, Feb. 18 (FS1 and streaming)
- Practice: 10:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com
Sunday, Feb. 19 (FOX and streaming)
- Daytona 500: 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FoxSports.com
How to buy tickets for the Daytona 500
Tickets for the Daytona 500 and all events throughout the week are available for purchase online here. On that site, you can find info about parking, interactive fan experiences and more.
Who won the Daytona 500 last year?
Team Penskes Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 last year as a rookie for his first career win.
Several other active drivers have won the Daytona 500: Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Kevin Harvick (2007), Joey Logano (2015), Austin Dillon (2018), Michael McDowell (2021).
Who is favored to win the Daytona 500?
Considering the amount of accidents at superspeedway tracks, it can be tough to pick a favorite for Daytona. But even with the volatility of the event, the sports best drivers often find their way to the front of the field.
Hamlin, with three Daytona 500 wins, is one of the best drivers in the history of the race. Hes won three of the last seven years and led 302 total laps since 2016 129 more than the next closest driver (Ryan Blaney, 173).
Beyond Hamlin, Bubba Wallace (two second-place finishes), Austin Dillon (2018 winner) and Blaney (two second-place finishes) have had recent success in the Daytona 500.
Here are the early favorites to the Daytona 500 before qualifying and practice, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:
- Ryan Blaney, +1200
- Denny Hamlin, +1300
- Chase Elliott, +1300
- Joey Logano, +1400
- Kyle Larson, +1400
- Kyle Busch, +1500
- William Byron, +1600
- Bubba Wallace, +1800
- Ross Chastain, +1800
- Brad Keselowski, +2000
- Tyler Reddick, +2200
- Austin Cindric, +2200
- Christopher Bell, +2500
- Austin Dillon, +2800
- Kevin Harvick, +2800
- Martin Truex Jr., +2800
- Alex Bowman, +2800
Editor’s note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
