The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has not yet begun, but the sanctioning body is already providing some important information about future schedules. NASCAR has revealed the date of the 2026 Daytona 500.
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The announcement took place on Jan. 13 as NASCAR announced that this season's Daytona 500 has already sold out. The press release included the detail that the 68th iteration of the race will be on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
This is an important piece of information considering the time it takes for NASCAR to release the schedule each season. Working out deals with new markets, identifying the best dates for specific races, and putting the playoff puzzle together just takes time.
Releasing the date of the first race of the season gives fans time to prepare and plan for the trip to Florida. They can build vacations around the biggest event on the NASCAR schedule, one that attracts standout racers from other motorsports series.
The 68th running of The Great American Race is set for Feb. 15, 2026. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/JHd7wuIOSh
— Daytona International Speedway (@DAYTONA) January 13, 2025
Of course, 2026 is way off in the distance. Right now, NASCAR's teams are focused on the 2025 season and the opportunity to kick off the year with a win.
William Byron did this last season as he won the Daytona 500 for the first time and locked up a spot in the playoffs. He narrowly beat teammate Alex Bowman, who did not secure his playoff berth until Chicago in July.
Byron now has the opportunity to become the first driver since Denny Hamlin in 2019-20 to win consecutive Daytona 500s. He will pursue this goal in front of packed grandstands as Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR celebrate 10 straight seasons of Daytona 500 sellouts.
"The Daytona 500 continues to be a spectacle of elite racing and entertainment, and the consecutive sellouts just prove this event is one of a kind," said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway, in a press release. "You can quite literally feel the atmosphere from the moment Speedweeks begins.
"The crowd is buzzing with excitement and every team, from the driver to the crew chief, is eager to get their season started. It all comes to a head when that green flag drops on Sunday, Feb. 16, and I can't wait to see what this year's Daytona 500 has in store for us."
