Previewing the 66th Running of the Daytona 500 – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –The start of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series is officially here and with it comes the biggest race of the season – the Daytona 500.

For 66 years, drivers have been making the pilgrimage to the Daytona high banks to win the sport’s most prestigious race and write themselves into the record book as Daytona 500 champion. Many have attempted it, but only a select few have been able to hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy in victory lane at the end of the day. Some go their entire careers without being able to accomplish that feat.

Will we see a new face in victory lane on Sunday, or will it be one of the grizzled veterans flexing their muscles to make another trip to that hallowed ground? 500 miles will tell the tale.

By the Numbers

What: 66th Annual Daytona 500, NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 1 of 36

Where: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida (Opened: 1959)

TV/Radio: FOX, 2:30 pm ET / MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Channel 90

Track Size: 2.5-mile tri-oval

Banking: 31 degrees in turns, 18 degrees in tri-oval, 6 degrees on straightaways

Race Length: 200 laps, 500 miles

Stage Lengths: First two stages – 60 laps each, Final stage – 80 laps

Pit Road Speed: 55 mph

Pace Car Speed: 70 mph

2023 Daytona 500 Winner: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – No. 47 JTG Daugherty Chevrolet (Started 31st, 10 laps led)

2023 August Daytona Winner: Chris Buescher – No. 17 RFK Racing Ford (Started 11^th , two laps led)

Track Qualifying Record: Bill Elliott (42.783 seconds, 210.364 mph – 02/15/1987)

Top-10 Driver Ratings at Daytona:

1. Kyle Busch – No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet – 90.7
2. Joey Logano – No. 22 Team Penske Ford – 89.3
3. Austin Cindric – No. 2 Team Penske Ford – 89.1
4. Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – 87.9
5. Jimmie Johnson – No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota – 86.8
6. Ryan Blaney – No. 12 Team Penske Ford – 83.5
7. Chase Elliott – No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – 80.7
8. Brad Keselowski — No. 6 RFK Racing Ford — 79.3
9. Bubba Wallace — No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota — 79.1
10. John Hunter Nemechek — No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota — 79.0

Speedweeks Recap

It has already been an eventful few days at the World Center of Racing, with pole qualifying on Wednesday night, followed by the Bluegreen Vacation Duels to set the remainder of the field on Thursday night.

Joey Logano…