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The Cup Series calendar kicks off with a flourish on Sunday afternoon with the running of the 68th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Forty-one drivers will prance across the track, hoping to strike gold in one of American stock car racing’s crown jewel events. The cast of characters set to take part in the festivities is a notable one, with multiple-time Daytona 500 champions Denny Hamlin, William Byron and Jimmie Johnson sharing the asphalt with veterans yet to hoist the prize, like Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Busch will start the day on the pole, having burst past his foes in Wednesday’s qualifying. His trophy cabinet beckons with gold — Busch is a two-time Cup Series champion and 63-time race winner. Still, it’s hard to imagine he’ll have many better opportunities to contend for the sport’s greatest prize than in 2026.
The Sporting News is tracking live updates from the Daytona 500. Follow below for highlights, live results and more from an enchanting day at the races at Daytona International Speedway.
STREAM: Watch the Daytona 500 live with Fubo (free trial)
Daytona 500 results
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This section will be updated after the race has concluded.
Daytona 500 live updates, results, highlights from 2026 race
(All times Eastern)
2:16 p.m.: And here we go! We’re off from Daytona! Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe lead the group from the front row!
2:15 p.m.: Puka Nacua is driving in the ceremonial pace car. The Cup Series chariots are officially on the track. Bart Simpson will wave the green flag to formally kick off the 2026 Cup Series season.
2:05 p.m.: The starter’s orders have been offered. Here comes the 68th running of the Daytona 500!
1:55 p.m.: The national anthem has been delivered and the cars are out on pit road. We’re mere moments from the start of today”s contest.
1:30 p.m.: Plenty of activity inside the track at present. We’re 15 or so minutes out from the waving of the green flag.
1:15 p.m.: This is the final Cup Series start in Jimmie Johnson’s career, he announced on Saturday. Can he make it a memorable one?
How to watch the Daytona 500 in 2026
Daytona 500 start time
The 2026 Daytona 500 is set to kick off at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon. The contest was initially slated to start one hour later. However, with the threat of rain looming, race organizers opted to push the start time.
What channel is the Daytona 500 on?
- TV channel: Fox
- Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo
Fox will handle broadcasting duties for the 2025 Daytona 500, per usual. The booth will be filled with racing luminaries, both in the form of longtime duo Mike Joy (lap-by-lap), Clint Bowyer (analyst), and Kevin Harvick (analyst), as well as guest commentator Larry McReynolds.
The race will also be live-streamed on FoxSports.com, as well as Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Daytona 500 starting lineup
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
| 1. | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2. | Chase Briscoe | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3. | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 4. | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 5. | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 6. | Carson Hocevar | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 7. | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 8. | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 9. | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 10. | Michael McDowell | 71 | Spire Motorsports |
| 11. | John Hunter Nemechek | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 12. | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 13. | Shane van Gisbergen | 97 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 14. | Josh Berry | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
| 15. | Daniel Suarez | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 16. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | Hyak Motorsports |
| 17. | Casey Mears | 66 | Garage 66 |
| 18. | Tod Gilliland | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 19. | Ryan Preece | 60 | RFK Racing |
| 20. | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 21. | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 22. | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 23. | Cole Custer | 41 | Haas Factory Team |
| 24. | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 25. | Noah Gragson | 4 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 26. | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 27. | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 28. | Riley Herbst | 35 | 23XI Racing |
| 29. | Corey Heim | 67 | 23XI Racing |
| 30. | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 31. | Jimmie Johnson | 84 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 32. | Connor Zilisch | 88 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 33. | Cody Ware | 51 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34. | Ty Dillon | 10 | Kaulig Racing |
| 35. | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 36. | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 37. | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 38. | B. J. McLeod | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 39. | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 40. | Justin Allgaier | 40 | JR Motorsports |
| 41. | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
