2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway
(⏰ 2:30 p.m. ET | 📺 FOX | 📻 MRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s 64th running of the Daytona 500, the first regular-season NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2022 campaign.
Race-day info
Where: Daytona International Speedway, located in Daytona Beach, Florida
Green flag: 3:06 p.m. ET
Grand Marshal: Charles Woodson | Past Daytona 500 marshals
Flyover: United States Air Force Thunderbirds (backstretch to frontstretch)
TV/Radio: FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio
Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 73. East wind 5 to 15 mph, according to NOAA.gov
Race Distance: 200 laps | 500 miles
Stages: 65 | 130 | 200
Pit-road speed: 55 mph
Caution car speed: 70 mph
Daytona 101: Get the full lowdown
Starting lineup: See the full lineup
Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where | How Next Gen pit stops work
Five things to watch
1. Where to begin? The overhauls that NASCAR saw from last season to this season were nothing short of major, ushering in a new era of stock car racing with the debut of the Next Gen model. After years of development and an offseason full of testing at various locations followed by countless hours of tinkering, it’s ready to go. We caught a glimpse of it in action earlier this month to rave reviews at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. It’s now time to take center stage on NASCAR’s biggest day – and it’ll be ready for the spotlight. | Next Gen timeline: Development, testing and launch
2. The story of last season very quickly became Kyle Larson, who won a series-best 10 races en route to his first NASCAR Cup Series title. His competitors, presumably, spent the offseason plotting how to beat him this year, so it’ll be tough for him to repeat his success in 2022. Then again, I seem to recall another former Hendrick Motorsports driver from California who was the focal point of every team in the garage for a solid decade-plus and he still managed to wind up with a record-tying seven titles. He was a special talent, though. So is Larson, who will also be on the pole for Sunday’s race. | Now a champion, Larson covets a 500 win
3. That said, this year’s Cup field is the deepest I can recall in my years of covering the sport. You could make an argument that the elite, top tier of talent in the garage stretches to double-digits, all of whom mark legitimate title contenders. Factor in that several of them enter the year with a chip on their shoulder, and Larson’s task grows taller by the minute. After nearly notching a 10-win season of his own in 2020, Kevin Harvick was winless in 2021. Martin Truex Jr. finished second in the Championship 4 for the third time in four seasons. Denny Hamlin missed out on a title yet again despite another advantageous shot at it. And Kyle Busch is, well, Kyle Busch. All of those drivers and then some will be gunning hard to win the first title of the Next Gen era, and it’ll be tough to hold them at bay. Oh, and that’s not to mention all three of his teammates are fully capable of knocking him off the throne, as well.
4. And what about the Ford brigade? Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing will be looking to get back on track after a puzzling 2021 season. So far, things look promising there. Team Penske, Wood Brothers Racing and Roush Fenway Racing RFK Racing saw major shakeups with the departure of longtime Penske fixture Brad Keselowski to take on an ownership role alongside Jack Roush. This set off a chain of events that resulted in the 2012 champ taking over the No. 6 for RFK, Austin Cindric hopping in his No. 2 at Penske, fellow rookie Harrison Burton in the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing machine, Matt DiBenedetto in the Camping World Truck Series and fan-favorite Ryan Newman looking for a ride. A lot to absorb, and still a lot of unknowns. After a rough outing at The Clash, however, RFK got back on the horse and swept Thursday night’s Duel races. | Kes clicking with new crew chief McCall
5. Getting back to how strong the competition is across the board in 2022, not only is the Next Gen set to even the playing field a bit – the Cup Series talent level itself is honestly kind of bananas. If we were ever to come across a season with more than 16 winners and see a regular-season victor left out of the playoff field, it’s this year. In fact, that’s exactly what we envision happening in our 2022 Cup race winner picks. All 16 winners of 2021 races have a feasible path to winning again this year – as well as drivers who didn’t win last year such as Harvick, Chase Briscoe, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suárez. Factor in a handful of flukey winners and we could be talking 20-plus different trophy-claimers in 2022 – especially if no driver or team gets the upper hand on the Next Gen early on and it’s tough to establish any stretches of dominance. One of the most anticipated seasons in NASCAR history has finally arrived and it should be a thrill ride from start to finish. Buckle up.
Daytona 500 coverage
The 2022 Daytona 500 is sure to be one for the ages – get caught up on the Great American Race quickly.
– Right on the money: How The Money Team Racing cashed a Daytona 500 ticket in quick fashion | Read more
– Class photos: Meet the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series field with their Daytona cars | See the field
– At-track action: See photos from on the ground at Daytona International Speedway| See the photos
– RFK strong out the gate: Buescher, Keselowski sweep Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona | Read more
– Reigning supreme: 2021 winner Michael McDowell paces third practice for the Daytona 500 | Read more
– You’re in the big show: Kaz Grala, Greg Biffle snap up Daytona 500 berths in Duel qualifiers | Read more
– Starting where he finished: Defending champion Kyle Larson earns Busch Light Pole for 2022 Daytona 500 | Read more
– Welcome to Sunday: Noah Gragson, Jacques Villeneuve jubilant after clinching Daytona 500 starting spots | Read more
2022 Team previews
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series is as deep as it’s ever been – see what teams have in store for this season.
– 23XI Racing: Kurt Busch, Bubba Wallace | Watch
– Hendrick Motorsports: Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson | Watch
– Joe Gibbs Racing: Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. | Watch
– Kaulig Racing, Petty GMS Racing, Richard Childress Racing: AJ Allmendinger, Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick | Watch
– RFK Racing: Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski | Watch
– Stewart-Haas Racing: Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, Kevin Harvick | Watch
– Team Penske, Wood Brothers Racing: Ryan Blaney, Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano | Watch
– Trackhouse Racing: Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez | Watch
Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week – get covered for race day from all angles.
– Power Rankings: Next Gen era is here – who will flex first? | Latest rankings
– Paint Scheme Preview: 2022 Daytona 500 offers fresh looks for this season | See them all
– Preview Show: Next Gen car, same Daytona 500 | Watch the show
– Fantasy Fastlane: Will Haley be a comet that rises at Daytona once again? | Top plays, sleepers
Catch the pack
Read up on the top headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.
– We picked ’em: Predicting every 2022 NASCAR Cup Series race winner | See the picks
– Speaking of picks … : 2022 NASCAR.com staff predictions: Best race, sleepers, champions, more | See the selections
– Reddick is ripe: Kyle Larson, Austin Cindric calling it: Tyler Reddick will win – soon | Read more
– Sign here and here: Rick Hendrick says expect Elliott, Byron contract updates ‘pretty soon’ | Watch the video
– No Christmas cards this year: Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney remain frosty while putting Clash crash behind them | Read more
– MTJ out?: Letarte ‘struggling’ to see Martin Truex Jr. in playoffs | Watch the video
– Intimidation factor: There’s something in the air at Daytona Hamlin can feel | Read more
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
– Play it LIVE: Full guide to 2022 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
– What are the odds?: Betting odds for 2022 Daytona 500 | See them here
– Going all the way: NASCAR betting: 2022 Cup Series championship odds | See them here
– Fantasy advice: Our Preview Show team tells you who to use in your Daytona lineups | Watch the video
– Go the random route: Use our Daytona 500 Results Generator to guide your picks (don’t really do this) | Simulate results now
– Superspeedway savants: Hamlin, Logano battle in Daytona 500 featured matchup | Read more
Shades of Daytona
There’s always something special about the Daytona 500 – take a look back at the race’s history.
– Ah, the memories: Memorable Great American Race moments in the Daytona 500 | See the list
– Victory Lane: Complete Daytona 500 winner history | See the list
– Great American starters: Every Daytona 500 pole winner in history | See the list
– What a shock: Daytona 500 surprise winners | See the list
– By an inch: Closest finishes in Daytona 500 history | See the list
– Close, but no cigar: Best drivers to never win the Daytona 500 | See the list
– State of affairs: Which state has won the most Daytona 500s? | See the list
– One year ago: Michael McDowell misses last-lap crash, scores first victory in Daytona 500 | Full race recap
Fast facts
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
– Reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson has never finished in the top five at a superspeedway.
– Brad Keselowski‘s seven superspeedway wins are most among active drivers – only one of them came at Daytona, however.
– Greg Biffle‘s most recent Cup start came in 2016 with what is now RFK Racing. His first career win came for the team at Daytona in 2003.
– Ryan Blaney has a top-six finish in three of the last four Daytona races; he’s the most recent winner here.
– Chase Elliott only has three top 10s in 12 Daytona starts – and they came in the three most recent races at the track.
Say what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.
– “I was close to winning in 2017. I crossed the line coming to the white as the leader and then ran out of fuel so, that was really cool. I remember the emotions of that while I was running, like wow I could really win the 500 and then not winning it fuels me to want to win it in my future because before that race and every race since then I have been not even close. I would love to do it and hopefully I can continue to learn more about this race. I mean you could luck into winning here for sure, but I feel like I have a lot more to learn.” – Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
– “It went from puke to puke; puking nervous to puking excited at the end.” – Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet after making the field for the 2022 Daytona 500 at the last second
– “I think change is good and everyone is on the same playing field right now and we are learning as fast as we can. I like the situation that RCR is in as a whole and truthfully, I think Tyler (Reddick) and I work really well together, and our teammate growth is growing. I think that is a great position to be in. He drives a certain way and I drive a certain way and we can kind of build off of that to elevate our team fast. So, I think it’s been, since I have been here, in the best position RCR has been in from our standpoint.” – Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
– “Well, he won’t get fired, which is good. Got a little job security there.” – RFK Racing co-owner and No. 6 RFK Ford driver Brad Keselowski after winning his Duel race
– “I grew up watching the July races. This was our family vacation in the summer, and we would camp off Turn 1 before the camping out there was nice. It was like a mud pit out there, and the motor homes would be stuck. I remember that, those summer races were tough because it rained every day and the races were always delayed. But that’s what we loved. Like we rode our bikes around and I got in trouble for … I can say this now. I think my Statute of Limitations has run out. I got in trouble for riding my bike on the track. That security guard was not happy with me. Those memories, man, just my friends and family and other motor homes, that’s what I remember, and then the cool factor of now racing in the Daytona 500. I remember every part of my first 500, every moment and how nervous I was, and we finished ninth because we stayed out of trouble.” – Ross Chastain, driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet