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The NASCAR Cup Series kicks off the 2024 season today – one day later than expected after rain postponed Sunday’s scheduled start – as drivers hit the track at Daytona International Speedway for the sport’s most famous race: the Daytona 500.
Forty drivers will compete on the high-banked superspeedway, racing at extremely fast speeds to the checkered flag for a chance to etch their name in history.
The excitement of the Daytona 500 is anyone can triumph – two of the past three winners (Michael McDowell in 2021 and Austin Cindric in 2022) scored their first career Cup Series victories in “The Great American Race.” The flipside is that any driver’s day can be wrecked if they get caught up in a crash produced by the tight pack-racing.
Who will celebrate in victory lane? Follow along for the latest updates and highlights from the 66th annual Daytona 500.
What time does the 2024 Daytona 500 start?
The 2024 Daytona 500 is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET at Daytona International Speedway with the green flag around 4:30 p.m. ET.
What TV channel is the 2024 Daytona 500 on?
Fox is broadcasting the Daytona 500 with play-by-announcer Mike Joy and color commentators Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick.
Will there be a live stream of the 2024 Daytona 500?
The Daytona 500 can be live streamed on the FoxSports website and on the FoxSports app.
Who is the grand marshal for the 2024 Daytona 500?
Before the green flag flies, drivers must first be given a command to hit the track. That is the job of the grand marshal. For the 2024 Daytona 500, that job belongs to actor, producer, and former WWE star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will deliver the proverbial “four most important words in motorsports”: “Drivers, start your engines.”
Can the Daytona 500 be deemed official even if all laps haven’t been completed?
A race can be called early if the rain will not stop, and the forecast continues to look bleak. But a race cannot be declared official until at least 100 laps have been completed or Stage 2 ends, whichever comes first (For today’s race, Stage 2 ends at lap 130). If a race is called early, the driver in the lead at that point is declared the winner.
What happens if it rains once the Daytona 500 has started?
After Sunday’s postponement, it’s natural for weather to be on the minds of fans. So what happens if it rains once the race goes green?
NASCAR officials will first throw a yellow caution flag and then bring the cars down pit road to their stalls. From there, officials will throw a red flag, halting the race, and teams will cover the cars after the drivers exit. But crews are not allowed to work on cars or fix any damage during a red flag.
During a stoppage, you might see your favorite drivers or teams hit social media to converse with fans, do television interviews, grab some food, or just lay low.
Once the rain has slowed down or stopped, the fleet of Air Titans hit the track to dry it out. The Air Titans are big vacuum/sweeper trucks equipped with compressed air to blow water off the track and suck it up. Once the track is deemed safe enough to drive on, the race resumes.
Who has the most Daytona 500 wins?
Richard Petty truly was the king at Daytona. Petty won the Daytona 500 seven times (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979 and 1981), three more than the next closest driver, Cale Yarborough (1968, 1977, 1983 and 1984).
Denny Hamlin has the most Daytona 500 wins among active drivers. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who will start eighth in the No. 11 Toyota, has won three times (2016, 2019 and 2020). Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (2006 and 2013) is the only other driver in the 2024 Daytona 500 field with more than one win; the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club is driving the No. 84 Toyota in the 2024 race.
Click for a full list of Daytona 500 winners by year.
Starting lineup for the 2024 Daytona 500
It will be an all-Ford front row with two former Daytona 500 winners pacing the field. Joey Logano, the 2015 winner, won the pole Wednesday night. The two-time Cup Series champion will start alongside 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell.
Thursday night’s Daytona Duel winners will start on Row 2. Tyler Reddick starts third to lead the Toyota contingent, followed by fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell. Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, starts fifth, the best of the Chevrolet drivers.
Here are the top-10 starters for the 2024 Daytona 500. Click here for the full starting lineup:
- 1. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
- 2. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
- 3. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
- 4. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
- 5. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
- 6. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
- 7. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
- 8. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
- 9. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
- 10. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
Odds to win 2024 Daytona 500
Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, is the favorite to win today’s race, according to BetMGM, along with two-time Cup Series champions Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, and reigning series champion Ryan Blaney.
If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place a bet online. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with these online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
Here are drivers with the best odds to win the 2024 Daytona 500, per BetMGM as of Monday afternoon:
- Denny Hamlin … +900
- Joey Logano … +1200
- Ryan Blaney … +1200
- Kyle Busch … +1200
- Brad Keselowski … +1300
- Chase Elliott … +1500
- Kyle Larson … +1600
- Christopher Bell … +1800
- Martin Truex Jr. … +1800
- William Byron … +2000
- Tyler Reddick … +2000
- Bubba Wallace … +2000
How many laps is the Daytona 500?
Drivers will not race for 500 laps today but 500 miles. The oval at Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles, so to reach 500 miles, drivers need to race 200 laps around the track.
What are the Daytona 500 stages?
Nearly every NASCAR race is broken down into three stages, and drivers can collect stage points for finishing in the top 10 of a stage and a bonus point if they win a stage that would carry over to the playoffs later in the season.
Here the length of the stages for the 2024 Daytona 500: Stage 1: 65 laps; Stage 2: 65 laps; Stage 3: 70 laps.
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