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The clock above counts down to the 2026 Daytona 500, the 68th running of NASCAR's Great American Race and the season-opening event of the Cup Series, on February 15, 2026.
The 2026 Daytona 500 is the 68th edition of NASCAR's flagship superspeedway race, opening the Cup Series season at Daytona International Speedway. The 200-lap race covers 500 miles on the 2.5-mile tri-oval and is the most-watched annual NASCAR event, also serving as the most prestigious points-paying race on the calendar.
Race week opens with Speedweeks programming that includes the Bluegreen Vacations Duels qualifying races on the Thursday before race day, the ARCA Menards Series opener, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Saturday. Pole position is decided in single-car qualifying earlier in the week. Fox Sports holds the broadcast rights for the 2026 race.
For more 2026 motorsport season-openers, see the Formula 1 Madrid Grand Prix countdown and the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix countdown.
When is the 2026 Daytona 500? February 15, 2026. What edition is it? The 68th running. Where can I watch? Fox Sports in the United States. Who's the defending winner? William Byron, back-to-back from 2024 and 2025.
