The Daytona 500 — 'The Great American Race' — opens the NASCAR Cup Series season every February at Daytona International Speedway. Unusually for a sport, NASCAR's biggest, richest race is its first. This countdown targets the expected race day; confirm with NASCAR.
First run in 1959, the Daytona 500 is 200 laps around a 2.5-mile superspeedway — 500 miles of high-speed, pack racing. Winning it is the crown jewel of a NASCAR career.
The race traditionally runs on the Sunday of Presidents' Day weekend in mid-February. This countdown tracks the expected date — check NASCAR's schedule for confirmation.