Daytona 500 preview: NASCAR's biggest race kicks off new season
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season starts in typical fashion with the biggest race on the calendar.
Unlike most sports, which culminate in the biggest game or event of the year, NASCAR kicks off the campaign with its marquee race: the Daytona 500.
With inclement weather in the area, the 2024 edition has been rescheduled for Monday.
The richest payday. The biggest TV audience. The highest stakes. A chance to write your name in the history books. And if that isn't enough, a win secures your place in the playoffs after the first of 26 regular-season races.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the 66th running of the Great American Race.
When: Monday, Feb. 18, 4:00 p.m. ET
Where: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
Last year
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. prevailed for an underdog victory in last year's Daytona 500.
Stenhouse, then 35, hadn't won since 2017 before claiming the 2023 Daytona 500. That snapped a 199-race winless streak, the fourth-longest gap between wins in NASCAR Cup Series history.
It was also JTG Daugherty Racing's second-ever victory in the Cup Series, having last won with A.J. Allmendinger at Watkins Glen in 2014.
Stenhouse narrowly edged Joey Logano for the victory. A big crash on the final lap prevented the field from racing back to the finish line, and the winner was instead determined at the time of the caution.
It marked the third consecutive unexpected winner of the Great American Race after Austin Cindric and Michael McDowell earned their first career wins in the event in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Recent winners:
2023: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing)
2022: Austin Cindric (Team Penske)
2021: Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports)
2020: Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2019: Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2018: Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)
Top storylines
Defending champ looks for his 1st Daytona 500
Ryan Blaney emerged as the Cup Series champion in Phoenix and will look to start his defense on a high note.
The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford has finished in the top 10 in back-to-back Daytona 500s and nearly won in 2020 when he lost by 0.014 seconds.
With a win at Daytona and three at Talladega on his resume, Blaney is regarded as an elite driver at superspeedways. Even when he doesn't win, he's often in the mix in the final laps. Capturing his first Harley J. Earl Trophy immediately after winning the title would be a statement from Blaney.
New faces in new places
It's a new era for Stewart-Haas Racing, with Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola retiring from full-time driving. Entering the fold is rookie Josh Berry and Noah Gragson, who looks to make the best out of a second chance.
Seeing the most significant adjustments is Legacy Motor Club, which not only welcomed John Hunter Nemechek alongside Erik Jones but also changed manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota.
Spire Motorsports has two exciting rookies joining the team in Truck Series standouts Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar. And Daniel Hemric replaces Justin Haley at Kaulig Racing, who makes a bold move to Rick Ware Racing.
Veterans pursue the missing trophy
Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski have won everything in NASCAR. Both have a Cup Series title, plus crown jewel wins at Talladega, Charlotte, Darlington, and Indianapolis. But there's one glaring omission on both drivers' resumes: the Daytona 500.
Busch and Keselowski were in the mix a year ago but came up short. Keselowski enters his 15th Daytona 500, while Busch competes in his 19th. Can either veteran finally add the lone missing piece to their expansive trophy cabinets Monday?
Long shot to watch
One of Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski finished in the top six in five of six races at Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta last season. If that's what RFK Racing can accomplish with only two cars, what can it do with more help?
We'll get that answer Monday. Not only is RFK fielding a third entry with veteran David Ragan, but the team also has a blossoming alliance with Rick Ware Racing.
RWR's newest driver, Justin Haley, was recruited with help from Keselowski. Entering his first regular-season race with his new team, the 24-year-old provides one of Monday's most intriguing long shots in the field.
Haley is regarded as one of NASCAR's best up-and-comers on drafting tracks. He was excellent in the Xfinity Series at Daytona and Talladega with Kaulig Racing, and he's already collected a few top-10 results in the Cup Series at the tracks.
If Haley works closely with Buescher and Keselowski throughout the Daytona 500, expect the No. 51 Ford to be at the front often and in the mix for a massive upset victory.