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Fire up the engines, queue the confetti machines and pop the champagne, it is time to celebrate the 75th Diamond Anniversary of NASCAR and no better place to ring in such a special time than the ‘World Center of Racing’ – Daytona International Speedway – with the biggest event of the season, the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Last weekend, NASCAR jump started the 2023 season with a return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum quarter-mile for a spectacular Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, that not only saw Martin Truex Jr. grabbing the checkered flag in a wild short track showdown, but also performances by Cypress Hill, Wiz Khalifa, Cheat Codes and Dixie D’Amelio.

Now the NASCAR Cup Series is headed to the sunny beaches of Central Florida to officially kick-off the 36-race points-paying championship season and will do it in style as multi-platinum recording artist Dierks Bentley will take the stage ahead of the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500. The 14-time Grammy-nominated entertainer will perform a setlist of hit songs just before drivers take the green flag.

“I’m ready to get back to Daytona with all the biggest NASCAR fans,” Bentley said. “The energy there is unmatched, and I know we will have a blast getting them ready for the race.”

And once that green flag waves it will be quite the race in Daytona. Last season’s DAYTONA 500 was action-packed with 104 green flag passes for the lead, and over 6,400 total green flag passes, but it was Team Penske’s Austin Cindric who crossed the finish line first, just 0.36-second ahead of runner-up Bubba Wallace driving for 23XI Racing – the third closest finish of the DAYTONA 500 since advent of electronic scoring in 1993. 

Cup Garage Spotlight: Fresh faces in new places

Much like the shuffling of a deck of cards, several drivers in the offseason made moves to different organizations, here is a quick look at some of the changes that took place and who to look for this season in the NASCAR Cup Series. 

23XI Racing tapped Tyler Reddick to pilot the No. 45 Toyota, alongside his teammate Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota this season. The organization will also be expanding to a third car on a part-time basis beginning with this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with driver Travis Pastrana behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota. Pastrana will be looking to make his NASCAR Cup Series and DAYTONA 500 career debut, and as a new team, Pastrana will have to either qualify or race his way into the Great American Race.

Richard Childress Racing swung for the fences and landed the hottest free agent on the market last season, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch. This season, Busch will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet collaborating with crew chief Randal Burnett, as the pair competes alongside teammate Austin Dillon in the famous No. 3 Chevrolet. Dillon is the most recent winner at Daytona International Speedway grabbing the checkered flag back in August to earn his spot in the 2022 Playoffs. 

The recently introduced Legacy Motor Club is all brand new for 2023 and has stacked quite the lineup this season. Veteran Erik Jones will return to the historic No. 43 Chevrolet and will have two new teammates to work with as Noah Gragson has moved up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to drive the No. 42 Chevrolet fulltime with crew chief Luke Lambert, and seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson has returned to the series as an owner/driver and will compete on a part-time basis starting with the DAYTONA 500. Johnson will have former series champion crew chief Todd Gordon calling the shots on top the pit box.

Speaking of moving up from the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has graduated Ty Gibbs to the NASCAR Cup Series after his impressive championship winning 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series run. Gibbs will pilot the No. 54 Toyota with crew chief Chris Gayle on the pit box this season, alongside a stable of veterans – Denny Hamlin (No. 11), Christopher Bell (No. 20) and last weekend’s 2023 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum winner Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19). 

Kaulig Racing has also called up A.J. Allmendinger to run fulltime this season in the NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 16 Chevrolet, joining his teammate Justin Haley, who will continue to drive the No. 31 Chevrolet. 

Joining Corey Lajoie over at Spire Motorsports this season will be Ty Dillon, who will jump behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet with crew chief Kevin Bellicourt. Lajoie will continue to be in the No. 7 with crew chief Ryan Sparks. 

Stewart-Haas Racing has also called upon Ryan Preece to take over the driving duties of the No. 41 Ford this season with crew chief Chad Johnston. He will be joined by SHR teammates Chase Briscoe in the No. 14, Aric Almirola in the No. 10 and veteran Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford. This will be Harvick’s final season in the NASCAR Cup Series. The California native has announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 season, upon where he will join the FOX Sports TV booth as a NASCAR analyst alongside Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer.

Locked In: Qualifying on the front row for DAYTONA 500 has its benefits

Start your engines and make sure you don’t miss Busch Light Pole Qualifying for the DAYTONA 500 on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. The fastest two drivers in Busch Light Pole Qualifying will be locked into the DAYTONA 500. While some competitors will argue their starting spot is of no consequence in the DAYTONA 500, the pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other position. 

The DAYTONA 500 pole or first starting position has a winning percentage of 14.06%. The most recent driver to win the DAYTONA 500 from the pole is NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett in 2000. NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) and Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) are the only two drivers to accomplish the feat of winning the DAYTONA 500 from the pole more than once.

This week, seven former DAYTONA 500 pole winners are entered in the event – Kyle Larson (2022), Chase Elliott (2016, 2017), Alex Bowman (2018, 2021), Austin Dillon (2014), Martin Truex Jr. (2009), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2020), William Byron (2019) – and will once again try to lock themselves in on the front row.

NASCAR Hall of Famers Bill Elliott (1985-87, 2001), Cale Yarborough (1968, ’70, ’78, ’84) and Buddy Baker (1969, ’73, ’79, ’80) lead the NASCAR Cup Series in DAYTONA 500 poles with four each. 

Larson will attempt to become the sixth driver to win back-to-back DAYTONA 500 poles

Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Kyle Larson won his first DAYTONA 500 pole last season, and now returns to the World Center of Racing to attempt to win consecutive poles in the Great American Race. 

If Larson pulls off the feat, he will join Fireball Roberts (1961-1963), Buddy Baker (1979-1980), Bill Elliott (1985, 1986, 1987), Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990) and Chase Elliott (2016-2017) as the sixth different driver to win back-to-back poles for the DAYTONA 500.

Alex Bowman looks to extend record of starts on DAYTONA 500 front row

Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman will look to extend his NASCAR Cup Series record of five consecutive starts on the front row of the DAYTONA 500 this week in the Busch Light Pole Qualifying on Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. 

In Bowman’s last five DAYTONA 500 starts he has lined-up in second in 2022, on the pole in 2021, second in 2020 and 2019, and again on the pole in 2018.

Prior to Bowman reaching five straight, the previous record of consecutive front row starts in the DAYTONA 500 was three and it had occurred five times – Fireball Roberts (1961-1963), Richard Petty (1966-1968), Bill Elliott (1985-1987), Ken Schrader (1988-1990), Dale Earnhardt (1994-1996).

Plus starting up front has its perks, not only are you locked into the race, but your chances of winning are much higher as well. A total of 16 of the 64 DAYTONA 500s (25%) have been won from the front row – nine from the pole or first starting position and seven from the second-place starting position.

How the DAYTONA 500 starting lineups will be decided

Setting the field for the DAYTONA 500 is unlike any other race in the world, and that is one of the reasons why this event holds so much prestige.

Single-car qualifying on Feb. 15 (8 p.m. ET on FS1) will have two rounds, with the top 10 qualifiers in Round 1 moving on to the second round. The fastest two cars in Round 2 will lock in as the front-row starters for Sunday’s DAYTONA 500 (Feb 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The rest of the starting grid will be decided by the Bluegreen Vacation Duels.

First, the single-car qualifying results will set the lineups for the Bluegreen Vacation Duels races on Thursday evening. Cars finishing first, third, fifth, seventh, etc. in single-car runs will comprise the field for Duel 1. The cars in even-numbered finishing positions in single-car qualifying will comprise the field for Duel 2.

Then the results from the Bluegreen Vacation Duels will set the starting lineup for the DAYTONA 500.

If more than 40 cars are entered for the race, the two fastest open cars, without a charter, in single-car qualifying will lock their way into the race regardless of the results of Thursday’s Duels. The final two spots of the 40-car field will be determined by the best finishers of the qualifying races.

Hot Streak: Chevrolet looks to win their 11th consecutive DAYTONA 500 pole

Chevrolet drivers will be looking to keep the streak of consecutive DAYTONA 500 pole wins alive this weekend as they look to make it 11 straight poles for the Great American Race – extending their race record. 

DAYTONA 500 pole winners from the last 10 seasons:

Prior to this current streak of DAYTONA 500 poles by Chevrolet, the longest streak of consecutive DAYTONA 500 poles by a manufacturer was four straight by Pontiac from 1960-1963 and Chevrolet from 2008-2011. 

In total, seven different manufacturers have won the pole for the DAYTONA 500, led by Chevrolet with 30; followed by Ford (12), Pontiac (eight), Mercury (five), Dodge (four), Oldsmobile (three), Plymouth (two). 

Dueling for a good spot in the DAYTONA 500

On Thursday, Feb. 16, NASCAR Cup Series drivers that do not qualify on the front row (first & second) of the DAYTONA 500 will have the opportunity to compete for their starting position in the Great American Race in the Bluegreen Vacations Duels (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) – two 60 lap (150-mile) qualifying races. The qualifiers will be divided up evenly into each Duel event depending on their qualifying position.

This season 42 teams will vie for just 40 eligible spots. The 36 of the 40 eligible spots are already taken by the Charter cars leaving just six spots for the Open teams. The Open teams hoping to make the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 are: 

• Legacy Motor Club – No. 84 Chevrolet with driver Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Todd Gordon
• 23XI Racing – No. 67 Toyota with driver Travis Pastrana, crew chief Eric Phillips
• Beard Motorsports – No. 62 Chevrolet with driver Austin Hill, crew chief Darren Shaw
• TMT Racing – No. 50 Chevrolet with driver Conor Daly, crew chief Tony Eury Jr.
• Front Row Motorsports – No 36 Ford with driver Zane Smith, crew chief Chris Lawson
• Kaulig Racing – No. 13 Chevrolet with driver Chandler Smith, crew chief Eddie Pardue

From 1972 to 2004 the Duels were scheduled for 50 laps each and during that time frame eight of the Duel events had a driver lead 100% of the laps from flag-to-flag – NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip was the first to accomplish the feat in 1988; he was later joined by Dale Earnhardt (1991,1998), Davey Allison (1991), Ernie Irvan (1996), Bill Elliott (2000), Ricky Rudd (2000) and Jeff Gordon (2002). The race was moved to 60 laps in 2005 and ever since the most a driver has led in a Duel event is 86.7% (52 laps of the scheduled 60) by Aric Almirola in 2021.

A total of 47 different drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations Duels, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt with 12 Duel victories – seven more than the next competitor. 

A total of 12 active drivers have won at least one of the Duel events at Daytona, led by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (2008, 2014, 2017) and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (2009, 2013, 2016) with three victories each. The other 10 active Duel winners are Chase Elliott (2017, 2018), Joey Logano (2019, 2020), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2019), Jimmie Johnson (2010, 2015), Ryan Blaney (2018), William Byron (2020), Austin Dillon (2021), Aric Almirola (2021), Brad Keselowski (2022) and Chris Buescher (2022).

No greater victory than the Great American Race

Known as the biggest race in NASCAR, the DAYTONA 500 holds a special place in every stockcar driver’s heart. It’s an instant catapult to fame for the victor. It’s the pinnacle of a racer’s career, the crowning achievement that all other drivers aspire to possess, and fans and media admire. The NASCAR Cup Series season-opener is unlike any other event and holds the prestige among its competitors due to its ever-changing difficulty to master, much less finish. And this year’s Great American Race will undoubtedly bring all the action and excitement we have all grown to love and feverishly anticipate.

In total, 41 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won a DAYTONA 500, and seven of the 41 are active this weekend:

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the NASCAR Cup Series in DAYTONA 500 victories with seven trophies – (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981). Richard’s father, Lee Petty, won the inaugural DAYTONA 500 on February 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by two feet in an Oldsmobile.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in DAYTONA 500 wins with three trophies (2016, 2019, 2020). Team Penske’s Austin Cindric won last season’s DAYTONA 500 becoming the first rookie in series history to win the notable event. NASCAR Hall of Famer Lee Petty, who won the inaugural DAYTONA 500 (1959), and Trevor Bayne, the 2011 DAYTONA 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the race in their first appearance.

Austin Cindric looks to join Sterling Marlin in rare achievement

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric returns to Daytona International Speedway as the defending DAYTONA 500 winner and this weekend will look to add his name to the list of multiple Great American Race winners. If he does win this weekend, he will join Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995) as just the second driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to score their first two wins in the DAYTONA 500.

Last season’s DAYTONA 500 victory was Austin Cindric’s first career NASCAR Cup Series win, and in doing so, he became the first rookie in series history to win the event.

First-time Cup Series winners at Daytona happen often

They say you always remember the ‘first-time’ and Daytona International Speedway has been known for making memories that last in the NASCAR Cup Series.

In total 17 different drivers have scored their first NASCAR Cup Series career pole at Daytona International Speedway and 23 different drivers have won their first race in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 2.5-mile track. 

Daytona International Speedway has seen a first-time winner in at least one of its NASCAR Cup Series races in the last five consecutive seasons (2018-2022).

Of the 64 DAYTONA 500 races in the books, nine times a driver has posted his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory with a win in the event; the most recent to accomplish the feat was Team Penske’s Austin Cindric last season.

Three other drivers posted their career-first NASCAR Cup Series victory in (points-paying) qualifying races at Daytona: Johnny Rutherford (1963), Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).

Looking at the entry list for this season’s DAYTONA 500, 15 drivers will be attempting to earn their first series win this weekend – Harrison Burton, Conor Daly, Ty Dillon, Ty Gibbs, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst, Austin Hill, Corey Lajoie, B.J. McLeod, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Preece, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, and Cody Ware.

Defending series champion Joey Logano looking to join elite list this weekend

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion and Team Penske driver Joey Logano has the opportunity to become just the sixth different driver in series history to win the DAYTONA 500 as the defending series champion. 

Five reigning NASCAR Cup Series champions have gone on to win the DAYTONA 500 the season after winning the championship – all now NASCAR Hall of Famers: Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).

Denny Hamlin looks to tie Cale Yarborough for second-most DAYTONA 500 wins

If Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020) wins the DAYTONA 500 this season he will tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984) for the second-most DAYTONA 500 victories all-time with four each. 

Only six drivers all-time in the NASCAR Cup Series have scored three or more DAYTONA 500 victories, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty with seven wins in the Great American Race (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981); followed by Cale Yarborough (1968, 1977, 1983, 1984), Bobby Allison (1978, 1982, 1988), Dale Jarrett (1993, 1996, 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999, 2005) and Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020).

Legacy Motor Club’s driver Jimmie Johnson can become the seventh driver to win three DAYTONA 500s this weekend. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has two DAYTONA 500 wins to his name, hoisting the trophies in 2006 and 2013. 

Martin Truex Jr. brought his broom to sweep the start of the season

After his big win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum last weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. has the opportunity to add his name to some shorts lists if he can continue his winning ways in Daytona.

Truex is looking to become the first driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win the Busch Light Clash, then go on to win the DAYTONA 500 pole, the Duel he will be entered in and then the ‘Crown Jewel’ the DAYTONA 500 to start the season. 

Only two drivers have come close to accomplishing the feat, winning everything but the Clash. Cale Yarborough (1984) and Bill Elliott (1985) won the DAYTONA 500 pole, won the Duel race they were entered in and then went on to win the DAYTONA 500 all in the same Speedweeks.

Truex could also become the sixth different driver to win the Busch Light Clash and DAYTONA 500 in the same season; joining Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000), Jeff Gordon (1997), and Denny Hamlin (2016). 

2023 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Class: Gibbs & Gragson

This season two drivers will compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series – Ty Gibbs and Noah Gragson.

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year point system mirrors the points structure that awards the season-long championship, including stage points and Playoff points, with the eventual Sunoco Rookie of the Year earning the most points throughout the season.

As is the case with the season-long points structure, a race win will earn a Sunoco Rookie 40 points and five Playoff points. A second-place finish will earn a Sunoco Rookie 35 points; a third-place finish nets 34 points, and so on. A Sunoco Rookie who wins a stage will earn 10 points and one Playoff point.

Ty Gibbs, from Charlotte, North Carolina, is the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, and the talented young racer has been tapped to drive the No. 54 Toyota this season with crew chief Chris Gayle for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Gibbs and Gayle are fresh off of winning the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship together, where the duo amassed seven wins.

Noah Gragson, from Las Vegas, Nevada, has joined the recently formed Legacy Motor Club after an impressive 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports, where he finished runner-up in the points and posted a season-high eight wins; including tying Sam Ard’s record of four consecutive victories. The 24-year-old, Gragson, will wrestle the No. 42 Chevrolet this season with crew chief Luke Lambert in his corner.

Both Gibbs and Gragson have made starts at Daytona in the NASCAR Cup Series, and both have posted their best finishes at the 2.5-mile track in last season’s summer race, with Gragson finishing fifth and Gibbs in 13th.

NASCAR PR