Track: Daytona International Speedway
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Track length: 2.5 miles
When: Sunday, 1:30 p.m. ET
Where to tune in: FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Race purse: $30,331,250
Race distance: 200 laps | 500 miles
Stages: 65 | 130 | 200
Defending winner: William Byron, February 2024
Starting lineup: Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric on front row
Prestige on the line in the “Great American Race”
Chase Elliott knows the weight that comes with winning the Daytona 500. The son of two-time Daytona 500 champion Bill Elliott has seen firsthand that the “Great American Race” is, perhaps, the most special event on the entire NASCAR calendar.
Still in search of his own Harley J. Earl Trophy after nine prior attempts, he also knows what wait comes with winning the Daytona 500 — and that it will be worth the wait if he ever lands in Victory Lane.
“It means a great opportunity to submit your name in the history books of the sport,” Elliott said Wednesday, with a clear view of that trophy ahead of him during Daytona 500 Media Day.
MORE: Meet the field for the 2025 Daytona 500 | Full 2025 schedule
The Daytona 500 just means more.
Forty-one drivers will have that same opportunity Sunday afternoon when the green flag flies for the 67th annual running of the “Great American Race” (1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). A handful — like Elliott, Todd Gilliland and Ryan Blaney — have an even deeper appreciation for their chance at glory after watching their fathers pursue it themselves.
David Gilliland was the polesitter for the 2007 Daytona 500. Dave Blaney nearly scored the victory in 2012 after a lengthy red flag. Today, their sons have their eyes set on a win that could ultimately change their lives.
“Personally, this race means the most by far of anything,” Todd Gilliland said. “I think it’s the biggest race in the whole world. I do think a lot of that comes from growing up around the race track. And I think one of my earliest memories is my dad being on the pole in that 2007 Daytona 500. Just feeling the energy, being down on pit road at such a young age, I think made me (realize) that’s a feeling I want to feel one day. And then once I ran my first Daytona 500, it was amazing. It was everything I’ve hoped for. So just to be able to come back, it’s really hard. There’s so much pressure, so much anticipation.”
Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, felt that same rush growing up before running his first 500 in 2015. Ten years later and now married, Blaney wants nothing more than to walk out of the 2.5-mile mecca of motorsports as a different kind of champion.
“I think it would just mean a lot to me personally to have my family here because Dad spent so many years trying to win it,” Ryan Blaney said. “And I’ve spent so many years (trying), so having that all come full circle I think would be pretty big.”
Other past champions of the sport have been searching for their Daytona 500 glory even longer. Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup champ, is 0-for-19 in the “Great American Race.”
“Two years ago, we led mile-marker 500, but unfortunately, we were coming to the yellow (flag),” Busch said. “Been right there. Been close. Finished second, finished third, finished fourth, all the top five spots. There’s definitely some angst over trying to win this one.”
The relief, glory and immortality that comes with hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy makes the wait worth it for those who finally win.
From atop the pit box …
What do crew chiefs have in focus to win Sunday’s race?
Simplistic as it sounds, to win the race, one must have enough fuel to get to the checkered flag. But it’s the driver who spends the least time on pit road who will have the best opportunity to win the Daytona 500.
To do so, drivers will need to burn fuel efficiently while racing two- and three-wide in the pack at 190 mph. Race in the throes of the pack, and the turbulent air of the draft will aid the driver’s ability to conserve Sunoco gasoline. But the deeper they’re mired in the field, the more difficult it is to work back to the front of the field.
Billy Scott, crew chief of Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota at 23XI Racing, explained that maximizing the pit cycle by spending the least amount of time refueling will be the key to winning.
“That’s the hardest part is finding the balance,” Scott told NASCAR.com Saturday. “You want to save fuel, certainly, and everybody’s doing it to some level. But you also don’t want to get so far back that you come off pit road behind everybody. It’s a tough balance. The drivers have a big part in that, perfecting their ability to save it. A lot of it, though, just comes down to execution on the cycle.”
Circumstances also demand effective relationships between the driver, crew chief and spotter to ensure the driver is abreast of how much fuel he or she can afford to use.
“Communication is the key at these races right now,” No. 8 crew chief Randall Burnett told NASCAR.com Friday. “So the driver knows where he’s at relative to other guys, the amount of fuel savings, getting on and off pit road and executing a clean race.”
History tells us…
Don’t panic if your driver doesn’t lead early. According to Racing Insights, the eventual winner of the Daytona 500 did not lead for the first time until Lap 157 or later in seven of the last eight runnings of the “Great American Race.” Four of the last eight winners didn’t lead for the first time until Lap 200 or later.
He may not be the favorite to win, but watch out for …
ERIK JONES. He appeared to be the winner of the second Duel at Daytona on Thursday night … until video showed the caution came out just before Jones’ No. 43 Toyota got to the start/finish line on the final lap, inches behind Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford. Jones has won at Daytona before — albeit in the 400-mile summer race back in 2018. He’s also carrying the number Richard Petty made famous, in part, by winning seven Daytona 500s. After a strong showing from the Toyotas on Thursday, perhaps Jones can restore glory to the No. 43 all over again in the “Great American Race” on Sunday.
Speed reads
Our biggest pieces of the Speedweeks — get covered for race day from all angles.
• Racing Insights: Full finishing order projections for Sunday’s “Great American Race” | Read article
• JRM to make Cup debut: Earnhardts savor moment as Allgaier races into Daytona 500 | Read article
• Try, try again: Brad Keselowski zones in on ‘last crown jewel’ in Daytona 500 | Read article
• Now boarding: Daytona Beach International Airport sparks NASCAR season each year | Read article
• Built by hands: Sculptor John Lajba on the intricate details of Daytona’s Earnhardt, France family statues | Watch video
• NASCAR Classics: Revisit thrillers from past Daytona 500s | Visit NASCAR Classics
• Paint Scheme Preview: New schemes aplenty ahead of new season | Pick your favorite
