The Daytona 500’s start time will move up an hour, to 1:30 p.m. Sunday because of inclement weather expected to reach Florida’s Surf Coast later in the day.
NASCAR announced the change a year after William Byron won a weather-delayed race that took nearly eight hours to complete. Only twice since 2019 has the race run as scheduled, in 2022 and 2023.
The delays can heavily impact TV ratings.
The 2025 race drew a reported 6.761 viewers, up 13% from 5.3 million in 2024 when nearly six millions watched Byron win on Monday after a Sunday rainout. Michael McDowell’s 2021 win drew only 4.908 million viewers after weather led to a finish after midnight.
On Sunday, gates and hospitality will now open at 9 a.m., and the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone will open at 8:30 a.m.. Parking lots will open at 6 a.m.
A sellout crowd will still be treated to a pre-race performance by Miranda Lambert and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flyover at the conclusion of the National Anthem.
The 41-car field will be led by first-time Daytona 500 pole-sitter Kyle Busch in Row 1 with Chase Briscoe, who won the pole in 2025.
Broadcast networks remain unchanged. The race will be live on Fox, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com.