Back to News

February 15, 2024

Daytona 500

Daytona 500 live blog: All the updates from 2024 ‘Great American Race’

By Steve Luvender

NASCAR.com

Published:

17 Minute Read

Jimmie Johnson speaks with media after qualifying for the 2024 Daytona 500

We’re bringing you live updates leading up to Monday’s NASCAR Cup Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway – the Daytona 500 (4:00 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Bookmark this page and check back often as we chronicle the action from the 2.5-mile track down south.

DAYTONA: Full weekend schedule | Projected Daytona 500 results | Paint Scheme Preview | Odds to win | Changes to know for 2024

Overview:

  • The 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway hosts the 200-lap season-opener on Monday afternoon, delayed a day due to wet weather on Sunday. It’s NASCAR’s biggest race, and it kicks off the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season.
  • Team Penske’s Joey Logano (No. 22 Ford) and Front Row Motorsports’ Michael McDowell (No. 34 Ford) will lead the field to green in Monday’s “Great American Race” after turning in the top two speeds in Wednesday night’s qualifying session. The remainder of the field was determined Thursday night via the pair of 60-lap Bluegreen Vacations Duels.
  • How big is this race? Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the defending Daytona 500 winner – and last year’s victory earned him a playoff spot for the first time since 2017, in just the first race of the season.

All times listed are Eastern.

Monday, February 19

10:40 p.m., checkered flag: Thanks for following along with our live blog! Congratulations to William Byron, 2024 Daytona 500 champion. | Unofficial results

Confetti on William Byron's car
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

9:37 p.m., checkered flag: Welcome to history.

9:30 p.m., checkered flag: The celebration continues in the No. 24 team’s Victory Lane.

9:00 p.m., checkered flag: See where your driver ended up in the unofficial results.

8:52 p.m., checkered flag: Before tonight, William Byron had an average finish of 30.3 in the Daytona 500; he’d never finished better than 21st in six starts. Today was a little different.

8:50 p.m., checkered flag: They put in quite an effort.

8:35 p.m., checkered flag: It’s way too early to talk championship, but William Byron’s now locked into the playoffs. No. 24 in ’24?

Confetti on William Byron's car
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

8:22 p.m., checkered flag: First a Netflix star and now a Daytona 500 champion.

William Byron Daytona Victory Lane

8:19 p.m., checkered flag: Not bad for an iRacing driver-gone-pro, eh? It’s William Byron’s 11th career victory – and his biggest one yet.

8:15 p.m., checkered flag: Heartbreak.

Last-lap Daytona 500 crash start
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

8:08 p.m., checkered flag: Alex Bowman may have ended his streak of front-row starts at the Daytona 500 at six, but he posted a career-best second-place finish in the 500 behind his teammate.

8:07 p.m., checkered flag: William Byron led the field when the caution flew for the Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric crash that ended the race.

8:02 p.m., Lap 200: Checkered flag! William Byron has won the Daytona 500.

8:01 p.m., Lap 199: Caution No. 5 as Austin Cindric and Ross Chastain go for a spin with the white flag ready to fly. Their Daytona 500 hopes have come to an end a lap short while battling for the win.

8:00 p.m., Lap 198: It’s William Byron up front with the white flag coming soon!

7:58 p.m., Lap 196: Back to green with four laps remaining. Ross Chastain leads William Byron and Alex Bowman.

7:50 p.m., Lap 193: The red flag has been lifted. We’ll go back racing again shortly, minus a few fast cars.

Joey Logano damaged car
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

7:39 p.m., Lap 192: Among those involved (*inhales deeply*): Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, Chris Buescher, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Preece, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ty Gibbs, Anthony Alfredo and Daniel Suárez.

7:34 p.m., Lap 192: The red flag is out for cleanup.

7:30 p.m., Lap 192: Caution No. 4 and it’s the Big One. Like, really big. William Byron made contact with Brad Keselowski in second place and collected a bunch of cars. Whew.

7:28 p.m., Lap 189: Ross Chastain is back in the lead, battling hard with Joey Logano. This three-wide behind them can’t last forever, can it?

7:27 p.m., Lap 187: Daniel Suárez has become the 19th different leader today. Thirteen laps remain.

7:24 p.m., Lap 184: After pit stops, it’s Ross Chastain up front, leading defending winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – two highly aggressive drivers, facing off against two equally aggressive racers, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, on the outside. Buckle up!

7:22 p.m., Lap 182: The Toyotas stopped first, then the Fords, and now the bulk of the Chevrolets.

7:20 p.m., Lap 178: Ah, here come the pit stops. No mistakes here, drivers and crews. This one’s for all the money.

7:09 p.m., Lap 165: Joey Logano, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski and Chase Briscoe have led a charge of Fords back to the point. Remember, pit stops are coming up soon.

7:07 p.m., Lap 163: Kyle Busch has made contact with the wall after a lane change. We’ll see if it impacts the No. 8 in the closing laps.

Kyle Busch hits wall

7:05 p.m., Lap 160: Consider the fuel window open – for regulation distance, at least. One more pit stop tonight, if all goes as planned.

6:59 p.m., Lap 153: Ah, yes, there he is. Three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin has picked his way to the lead. It was only a matter of time. He’s the 17th different leader today.

6:57 p.m., Lap 150: We’ve reached the three-quarters mark of the scheduled distance. It’s been an awfully green race so far, but things are quite intense throughout the pack right now. Kyle Busch leads the bottom lane, while Corey LaJoie’s got a line of cars behind him on the outside.

6:50 p.m., Lap 140: Three-wide through the field! AJ Allmendinger has now found himself out front for the first time today, leading Corey LaJoie.

6:46 p.m., Lap 136: The green flag is out again! It’s time for the final stage of the Daytona 500. Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace lead the field.

6:42 p.m., Lap 134: Uh oh. Kyle Busch has made an extra pit stop after the left-front tire wasn’t properly attached. The wheel stayed on the No. 8 car, but had it fallen off, it would have been a much bigger issue.

6:34 p.m., Lap 131: Caution No. 3 for the end of Stage 2.

6:33 p.m., Lap 130: On the final lap of Stage 2, Ryan Blaney makes a move on his Team Penske teammate to take the lead … and the stage win.

Ryan Blaney pass Austin Cindric Daytona 500
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

6:27 p.m., Lap 123: 2022 Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric now leads, becoming the 14th different leader today. Stage 2 ends in eight laps.

6:24 p.m., Lap 117: The rest of the field has pitted to complete the pit cycle with 14 laps remaining in Stage 2. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott now lead.

6:18 p.m., Lap 111: Half the field has peeled off the track for pit stops. Josh Berry went for a spin into his pit stall, and that’ll cost him a lot of time. Luckily for the rookie, the stage ends soon and he’ll get a chance to catch up to his competitors.

6:17 p.m., Lap 109: Kyle Busch is the new leader with pit stops looming. The leading Fords – Todd Gilliland, Joey Logano and Justin Haley – dropped to the bottom lane to prepare for an easier pit entry.

6:10 p.m., Lap 101: We’re halfway home! Todd Gilliland leads Joey Logano on the outside line, while Toyotas Martin Truex Jr. and Tyler Reddick control the inside.

Todd Gilliland leads Joey Logano
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

6:05 p.m., Lap 95: As we near the halfway point of Stage 2 (and the race!), this is a good time to remind you to evaluate your Fantasy Live lineup and make any adjustments necessary. Garage the cars that are out of contention: Jimmie Johnson, Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon, Kaz Grala, Harrison Burton and Carson Hocevar.

6:02 p.m., Lap 91: Joey Logano continue to leads the outside line, but the Todd Gilliland-led inside line can’t seem to match the outside’s speed.

5:48 p.m., Lap 72: Move Joey Logano to P1 after a push from Chase Briscoe, who quickly fades back. Justin Haley follows Logano to second.

5:46 p.m., Lap 71: Green flag to start Stage 2! Kyle Larson and Josh Berry lead the field back to speed.

5:44 p.m., Lap 69: You won’t see Kyle Busch at the front of the field at the restart – the No. 8 is serving an end-of-line penalty for a safety violation. He’ll top off on fuel.

5:40 p.m., Lap 67: Well, that was a fun stage. An interesting mix of strategies have put the Chevrolets on top so far. Cars are headed to pit road once again for tires and fuel.

Stage 1 Daytona 500 finish 2024
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

5:37 p.m., Lap 66: Caution No. 2 for the end of Stage 1.

5:36 p.m., Lap 65: Chase Elliott made a move past Kyle Busch and held teammate Kyle Larson at bay to claim Stage 1. The Kyles are no match for the 2020 series champ, clearly.

5:34 p.m., Lap 63: Kyle Busch cycles to the top spot, leading a pack of seven Chevrolets who’ve executed pit stops to perfection. Two laps remain in Stage 1.

5:32 p.m., Lap 61: The Gragson-led pack has hit pit road, minus David Ragan and Ryan Preece, who inherit the lead. Will they try to stretch fuel for five laps and finish out the stage? Meanwhile, Kyle Busch leads a charging train of Chevrolets approaching the pair quickly.

5:28 p.m., Lap 56: The majority of the cars are now stopping for fuel with under 10 laps to go in Stage 1, mainly split by manufacturers. An octet of Fords remain on track, led by Noah Gragson.

5:26 p.m., Lap 52: Second-place starter Michael McDowell seems to have trouble on his Ford. He’s running laps several seconds off the pace and no longer runs on the lead lap.

5:22 p.m., Lap 48: Remember when I said on Lap 9 how topping off under caution could pay dividends later? The lack of a fuel stop under caution is hurting Ryan Blaney. Though he pitted with his Team Penske teammates under green, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano had topped off under caution. That means Cindric and Logano needed far less time on pit road to reach a full tank, while Blaney had to wait longer – now he’s detached from his teammates and a lap down.

5:20 p.m., Lap 45: Rookie Josh Berry briefly made his way to the point, giving way to Chase Elliott leading a single-file line.

5:16 p.m., Lap 40: Joey Logano, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Christopher Bell and Daniel Hemric have ducked to pit road for fuel with 25 laps to go in Stage 1.

5:11 p.m., Lap 33: The pack appears to have returned to full song. Sorry, Allmendinger fans.

5:07 p.m., Lap 30: Interestingly, 35th-place AJ Allmendinger – who served a pass-through penalty on the restart – is running lap times nearly two seconds a lap faster than the pack … by himself. Clearly, most cars are in fuel-saving mode. Allmendinger is 17 seconds behind the field, and it’s conceivable he catches everybody else, at the expense of his fuel savings.

4:54 p.m., Lap 14: Austin Dillon has headed behind the wall.

4:52 p.m., Lap 12: Back to green! Christopher Bell leads the field alongside Ryan Blaney.

4:48 p.m., Lap 9: Much of the field pits to top off on fuel during the caution. It’s not quite enough to reach the end of the 65-lap Stage 1, but any bit of fuel taken now means time saved on pit road later – especially if a green-flag stop is needed.

4:44 p.m., Lap 7: Carson Hocevar, Harrison Burton and Kaz Grala are out of the race. Austin Dillon and Jimmie Johnson’s teams are attempting repairs on pit road, losing laps in the process.

4:39 p.m., Lap 6: Caution No. 1 for a multi-car crash. Brad Keselowski sent John Hunter Nemechek for a push, sending Nemechek’s No. 42 sliding into Harrison Burton. Carson Hocevar, Ryan Preece, Austin Dillon, Kaz Grala and Jimmie Johnson are among those collected in the aftermath.

No. 21 crash
Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

4:35 p.m., Lap 1: Green flag! The Daytona 500 is underway.

4:34 p.m.: Front row starters Joey Logano and Michael McDowell are both chasing their second 500.

Michael McDowell putting helmet on head
Brittney Wilbur | NASCAR

4:25 p.m.: Cars are rolling, making pace laps.

4:20 p.m.: When The Rock tells you to fire the engines, you fire up those engines.

4:15 p.m.: Nothing quite like that Daytona 500 flyover. Season’s here, folks.

4:07 p.m.: The 82nd Airborne Division All-American Chorus has just stunned with a beautiful performance of the national anthem. Getting those chills yet?

4:00 p.m.: Let’s do this! The Daytona 500 is about to begin. Follow along here on our live blog and our Race Center live leaderboard – and, of course, on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

3:31 p.m.: Almost time to get going! If you’re itching to get pumped up, tune in to our pre-race show, live right now.

12:39 p.m.: It’s looking good out there!

11:30 a.m.: Another game to pass the time is our new season-long NASCAR survivor pool-style game, 36 for 36, where you select one of 36 full-time Cup Series cars exactly once for each of the 36 points-paying races this season. This year, the r/NASCAR subreddit is competing collectively against Jayski’s Dustin Albino, NASCAR.com’s Cameron Richardson and me. I chose Noah Gragson for Daytona, meaning I now cannot pick the No. 10 for the rest of the season.

We have a printable version of the board if you want to play along. (It’s easy. You should!) I’m not saying you should use the printer at your place of work to print out your copy, but I’m not going to stop you, either.

10:35 a.m.: Five drivers are scheduled to race 800 miles today between the Daytona 500 and the Xfinity Series season opener that follows. Anthony Alfredo, AJ Allmendinger, Riley Herbst, John Hunter Nemechek and Daniel Suárez are pulling double duty.

9:30 a.m.: Happy race day – for real this time! With your extra time today before the start of the Daytona 500 at 4:00 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), make sure you’ve finalized your Fantasy Live picks. Start the season out on the right note, you know?

Sunday, February 18

4:50 p.m.: Now, when Austin Cindric says the car’s driving like a rocket ship, it’ll really mean something.

4:00 p.m.: It’s all business for BK.

3:35 p.m.: A meeting of the No. 51 drivers – Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) and Justin Haley.

3:20 p.m.: Drivers, meet campers!

1:55 p.m.: Hey, those pit crew members need to pass the time somehow, too.

12:50 p.m.: Looks like John Hunter Nemechek has decided to instantly add some value to collectibles fans are buying at the merch hauler.

12:20 p.m.: Chris Buescher is back in Daytona. Driver No. 17 had been back home in North Carolina for much of the weekend to welcome his new baby boy into the world. Welcome back!

11:45 a.m.: Add Harrison Burton to the list of campground-roving drivers.

11:34 a.m.: You’ve got some time to spare today, so you should check out Zack Albert’s piece on the magic of Daytona’s Turn 4 tunnel. (Can confirm. It’s a transformative experience.)

11:31 a.m.: Sounds like Todd Gilliland is joining Zane Smith in the camping area.

11:10 a.m.: Careful with this one, Anthony. You’ve got that No. 62 car to drive tomorrow.

10:50 a.m.: The drivers will need to pass the time somehow, right? Rookie Zane Smith has decided to peruse the Daytona campgrounds and catch up with fans.

9:30 a.m.: It’s gonna be a ‘no’ from Mother Nature today. The Daytona 500 has been postponed until Monday at 4 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Radio), following the conclusion of the Xfinity Series season opener.

Saturday, February 17

10:35 a.m.: Good morning, speedy people! The final practice session scheduled for today has been canceled due to wet weather. The next time Cup cars take to the track will be tomorrow for the Daytona 500 itself.

Friday, February 16

6:30 p.m.: Cup Series cars take to the track again tomorrow for the last time before Sunday’s Daytona 500. Final practice takes place at 10:30 a.m. on FS1.

6:25 p.m.: That’ll do it for the first practice session. Denny Hamlin set the fastest single lap at 45.575 seconds, leading a train of eight Toyotas.

6:00 p.m.: David Ragan’s pulling double duty … in the same practice session. Driver No. 60 will make some laps in teammate Chris Buescher’s No. 17 while Buescher’s back home in North Carolina until Sunday to welcome another tiny Buescher into the world.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Buescher (@c_buescher)

6:00 p.m.: Drafting groups have organized by manufacturers, and the line of eight Toyotas have set the fastest times so far, followed by Fords then Chevrolets.

5:35 p.m.: Who’s ready for a little practice? Follow along for the next 50 minutes on FS1 or our leaderboard. It’ll be the first shakedown at speed for numerous backup cars after last night’s incidents in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels.

Thursday, February 15

10:30 p.m.: Next up for the Cup Series is the first of two practice sessions tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. ET, televised on FS1.

10:20 p.m.: With that, the lineup is set for the 66th Daytona 500 — short J.J. Yeley and BJ McLeod.

10:16 p.m.: It’ll be a grind for numerous teams preparing backup cars or completing repairs to their primary cars following the Duel 2 pileup.

10:15 p.m.: A little help from a teammate.

10:05 p.m.: Despite lacking single-car qualifying speed, it appears the Toyotas sure race well in the pack, with Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell sweeping the Bluegreen Vacations Duels both in a Camry.

9:52 p.m.: It came down to the final inches of racing, but Kaz Grala finished just a car length ahead of BJ McLeod. Grala will make his third Daytona 500, while McLeod will head back to the house.

9:51 p.m.: Christopher Bell, with a move over teammate Denny Hamlin on the backstretch, hangs tough to win Duel 2; he’ll start fourth Sunday.

9:51 p.m.: Final lap for Denny Hamlin, who’s making his Toyota awfully wide, blocking multiple lanes.

9:50 p.m.: Despite the crash damage, BJ McLeod is still very much in contention, battling against fellow bubble driver Kaz Grala with two laps to go. Reminiscent of Duel 1, no?

9:49 p.m.: Denny Hamlin has made his way to the front after a series of aggressive moves past Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell. Hamlin knows his way around this place.

9:45 p.m.: Michael McDowell leads the field back to green with eight laps to go.

9:31 p.m.: The red flag is out for track cleanup following the 10-car crash. Thirteen laps remain in the second duel.

9:28 p.m.: BJ McLeod’s car has damage, which could spell good fortune for Kaz Grala, who was well behind the crash when it happened.

9:25 p.m.: Caution No. 1, and it’s a big one. With a push from Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch bumped William Byron, sending Byron’s car into Ryan Blaney. Chase Briscoe, Bubba Wallace, Riley Herbst, Noah Gragson and Justin Haley were among those involved.

9:24 p.m.: It’s not looking good for Kaz Grala’s hopes of making the “Great American Race.” After mechanical woes in single-car qualifying, his struggles continue into the duels; he’s lost the draft after pit stops.

9:23 p.m.: That’s it for pit stops until Sunday. Michael McDowell and Denny Hamlin are up front.

9:20 p.m.: On Lap 41, the first batch of cars hits pit road — a mix of Chevrolets and Toyotas. The second batch — Fords, primarily — follow the next lap.

9:12 p.m.: BJ McLeod is the story of the second duel so far; he runs third at halfway. Pit stops will come soon.

9:06 p.m.: Bubba Wallace, with a push from Christopher Bell, has moved to the lead on Lap 25. And how about BJ McLeod? The underdog is hanging tough in sixth.

8:58 p.m.: Fourteen laps in, the lead has changed a few times. Riley Herbst and AJ Allmendinger run side by side up front. On the bubble watch, BJ McLeod runs 10th, while Kaz Grala is at the back of the pack.

8:47 p.m.: We’re green in the second duel! A pair of Daytona 500 champions — Michael McDowell and Austin Cindric — lead the field to the start of a 60-lap sprint. Follow along with our Live Leaderboard.

8:30 p.m.: Ready to do it again? Duel 2 will start shortly to set the outside of Sunday’s starting grid.

8:21 p.m.: Joey Logano’s pole-winning car finished Duel 1 in a single piece, so that familiar yellow Ford will pace the field Sunday.

8:20 p.m.: How about Carson Hocevar? The rookie crossed the finish line fourth among some Cup Series juggernauts.

8:14 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson has raced his way into the Daytona 500, taking advantage of a desperate move by J.J. Yeley that didn’t pan out in the No. 44’s favor. Yeley won’t advance to race Sunday.

8:14 p.m.: Tyler Reddick takes Duel 1 with a bold move on the last lap after starting 19th. Where did he come from?

8:13 p.m.: ⚪️ Final lap in Duel 1. Kyle Larson leads teammate Chase Elliott, while Yeley and Johnson continue to duke it out for the final transfer spot.

8:12 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson and J.J. Yeley are battling side by side at the back of the pack for a spot in the Daytona 500. Johnson’s car doesn’t seem quite as nimble as it did before the crash.

8:10 p.m.: Back to green-flag racing with six laps remaining in Duel 1. It’s Kyle Larson and Daniel Suárez up front.

8:00 pm.: Caution No. 1: A stack-up with 11 to go sends Daniel Hemric nose-first into the wall, also collecting Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and Jimmie Johnson. This is a major risk to Johnson’s hopes of making the Daytona 500. Johnson’s car is still moving, but he’ll need to stay ahead of J.J. Yeley in the closing laps.

7:56 p.m.: Most of the remaining cars pit on Lap 43. Martin Truex Jr. had a slow stop, and Ross Chastain will need to serve a pass-through penalty for speeding.

7:52 p.m.: On Lap 40, a quartet of Toyotas peels off for their pit stop, leaving a pack of Chevrolets and Fords — plus Martin Truex Jr.’s Toyota — on track, still awaiting service.

7:37 p.m.: One-third of Duel 1 is in the books. Defending Daytona 500 champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is leading.

7:32 p.m.: Polesitter Joey Logano has dropped to the end of the draft pack. He’s guaranteed to lead the field to green Sunday … as long as he keeps the car in one piece tonight. In other words, this could be a strategic decision.

7:25 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson’s wasting no time slicing through the field in his Toyota debut. He’ll need to race his way in; meanwhile, his teammate Erik Jones has moved to the lead.

7:21 p.m.: It’s time to set the field for the Daytona 500! Joey Logano leads the first 60-lap to the green. Follow along with our Live Leaderboard.

MUST WATCH