It’s been 14 weeks since Joey Logano won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship in Phoenix and now it’s finally time to start the 2025 campaign with the Daytona 500.
We’ve covered driver movement, previewed the season as a whole and kept track of a pretty significant lawsuit in the offseason, but now let’s focus on the “Super Bowl of motor racing events.”
Live69 updates
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM MST
It’s getting crowded out there
Chase goes to the top of three lanes early in this stage #di9
— No. 9 Team (@Hendrick9Team) February 17, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 6:23 PM MST
🟩 🟩 STAGE 3 BEGINS 🟩 🟩
Ryan Blaney leads the way.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 6:09 PM MST
🟩 ⬜️ 🟩 ⬜️ STAGE 2 ENDS 🟩 ⬜️ 🟩 ⬜️
The Team Penske fords have been dominant, leading 87 OF 130 laps so far, as Ryan Blaney wins Stage 2 with Austin Cindric and a resurgent Joey Logano lurking.
Team Penske sweeps the stages (Logano S1, Blaney S2).
1. Blaney
2. Cindric
3. Elliott
4. Bowman
5. Gilliland
6. Buescher
7. Jones
8. Logano
9. Wallace
10. Busch— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 17, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM MST
Joey Logano on the move
From the tail end of the lead lap with engine trouble to running between P10-15 with 10 to go in Stage 2
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM MST
Should have some hard racing to the end of Stage 2
Most…but not all…are good on fuel to the end of the stage. Much like stage one you’ll see some drop back trying to save.
— Marty Snider (@heymartysnider) February 17, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:46 PM MST
Daytona 500 is official
Not that there’s anymore rain anticipated…
#NASCAR … Halfway in the Daytona 500
1 – Preece
2 – Gragson
3 – Bowman
4 – Cindric
5 – McDowell
6 – Buescher
7 – Elliott
8 – Gilliland
9 – Bell
10 – Blaney— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) February 17, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:38 PM MST
Joey Logano’s car seemingly fixed
The culprit was a paper bag getting through the grill and into the throttle assembly. They fixed it on pit road, got the wave around and he is back up to speed.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM MST
🟩 🟩 🟩 GREEN FLAG 🟩 🟩 🟩
Lap 87 with Austin Cindric leading the way
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:27 PM MST
🟨 🟨 🟨 YELLOW FLAG 🟨 🟨 🟨
Lap 83 for debris on the track. Good news for Joey Logano, who is having engine trouble and was 20 mph off the pace.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM MST
Update on those who are in/out
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM MST
🟩 🟩 🟩 GREEN FLAG 🟩 🟩 🟩
Ryan Blaney leads the field to green on Lap 77.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:13 PM MST
🟨 🟨 🟨 YELLOW FLAG 🟨 🟨 🟨
Lap 71, they made one corner before a wreck. Joey Logano reporting his car had no power, which stacked up the field behind him and caused everyone behind to take evasive action.
Involved: Chastain, Castroneves, Busch, Herbst, Truex, Allgaier, Johnson
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:09 PM MST
🟩 🟩 🟩 GREEN FLAG 🟩 🟩 🟩
Joey Logano leads the field to green on Lap 71 to begin the second 65-lap stage.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:07 PM MST
On-board looks at what brought out the caution
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 5:03 PM MST
Time for yellow-flag pit stops
Lap 68Four tires and fuel for just about everyone per Larry McReynolds on the Fox broadcast
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:57 PM MST
🟩 ⬜️ 🟩 ⬜️ STAGE 1 ENDS 🟩 ⬜️ 🟩 ⬜️
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Logano
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Keselowski
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Blaney
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Stenhouse Jr.
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Bell
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM MST
🟨 🟨 🟨 YELLOW FLAG 🟨 🟨 🟨
Lap 63. Denny Hamlin checked up, went down to the apron, causing Zane Smith to get out of shape and collect Josh Berry as well.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:48 PM MST
10 laps to go in Stage 1
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Logano
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Keselowski
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Blaney
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Stenhouse
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Gilliland
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:39 PM MST
A.J. Allmendinger with engine trouble
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:36 PM MST
After 40 laps (100 miles)…
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Elliott
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Logano
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Busch
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Cindric
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Lajoie
Fastest lap: Cody Ware deep in the pack
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:22 PM MST
🟩 🟩 🟩 GREEN FLAG 🟩 🟩 🟩
We’re back to racing on Lap 24, with Joey Logano leading the field to green.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:18 PM MST
No pit stops until the stage ends or another wreck
… hopefully.
They should be able to run hard once this stage goes back to green. Should be good on fuel to the end.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:17 PM MST
🟨 🟨 🟨 RED FLAG LIFTED 🟨 🟨 🟨
Cars back (again) on track hoping to get underway after a more-than four-hour delay
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:54 PM MST
Cars back to pit road
Paul Wolfe telling Joey Logano over team radio that this cell is about five miles wide and they don’t expect to lose the track.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:52 PM MST
More bad news
NASCAR is going to keep the caution out as this light shower moves in.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:32 PM MST
🟨 🟨 🟨 RED FLAG LIFTED 🟨 🟨 🟨
Drivers back in their cars and leaving pit road under the yellow flag
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:22 PM MST
Bowman the Showman: man of the people
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:16 PM MST
Daytona 500 radar update
5 PM @Daytona update – 61°F, SW wind, 6 mph
Race remains red flagged 🟥
Track drying continues. Rain upstream is weakening as it approaches the Atlantic coast. We’ll continue to monitor thru the rest of race day & all of the night.
Thx to the RaceWeather team of mets and… pic.twitter.com/eDxNYQXGNo
— RaceWeather (@RaceWeather) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM MST
We may get racing this hour
UPDATE: NASCAR has issued a call for drivers to report to their cars at 5:25 p.m. ET.
Coverage of the #DAYTONA500 continues live on FOX.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 2:47 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 2:36 PM MST
More encouraging scenes as we wait to go racing at Daytona
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM MST
THIS angle of the Thunderbirds flyover 👀
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 2:10 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:57 PM MST
Welcome sights and sounds at Daytona
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:47 PM MST
They’ve fired up the jet dryers
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:35 PM MST
Good news, bad news
Rain is clearing coming up, but more is trailing it…
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:25 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:14 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:13 PM MST
How reporters pass the time
We hear there was a pretty good basketball game that just wrapped 👀
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 1:01 PM MST
A good time to screen ‘Days of Thunder’
Who could forget Cole Trickle’s epic comeback win at the 1990 Daytona 500?
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:52 PM MST
Potential rain delay timeline
Here’s the rain delay plan at the #DAYTONA500:
— #NASCAR expecting it to rain for awhile (2-3 hours?)
— After it clears, they’ll try to dry the track (2-2.5 hours typically) and get the race in.
— Possible late night ahead. Gonna try and nap in my car now, see ya later.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:49 PM MST
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:37 PM MST
Initial storm cell has blown through
Track drying has begun as the TV picture has improved considerably.
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:27 PM MST
The wind and rain are picking up
#NASCAR … reports that rain is picking up in Turns 1 and 2. Teams can cover the cars.
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) February 16, 2025
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:22 PM MST
🟥 🟥 🟥 RED FLAG 🟥 🟥 🟥
Cars have returned to pit road on Lap 11
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:18 PM MST
The weather doesn’t look promising…
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Sun, February 16, 2025 at 12:17 PM MST
After 10 laps …
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Byron
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Cindric
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TDillon
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Briscoe
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Logano
Kyle Busch is among the biggest gainers in the field, while Ryan Blaney has fallen 14 spots
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Daytona 500 TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Sunday
2:30-6 p.m.: Daytona 500 (Fox, Fox Sports app)
Daytona 500 race details
Track: Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval) in Daytona Beach, Florida
Banking: Turns – 31 degrees | Tri-oval – 18 degrees | Backstretch – 3 degrees
Race length: 200 laps for 500 miles
Stage lengths: Stage 1 – 65 laps | Stage 2 – 65 laps | Stage 3 – 130 laps
Daytona 500 starting lineup
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No. 19 Chase Briscoe
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No. 2 Austin Cindric
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No. 23 Bubba Wallace
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No. 43 Erik Jones
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No. 24 William Byron
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No. 17 Chris Buescher
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No. 10 Ty Dillon
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No. 11 Denny Hamlin
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No. 1 Ross Chastain
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No. 22 Joey Logano
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No. 45 Tyler Reddick
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No. 01 Corey LaJoie
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No. 16 A.J. Allmendinger
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No. 34 Todd Gilliland
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No. 3 Austin Dillon
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No. 12 Ryan Blaney
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No. 9 Chase Elliott
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No. 42 John Hunter Nemechek
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No. 40 Justin Allgaier
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No. 20 Christopher Bell
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No. 8 Kyle Busch
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No. 5 Kyle Larson
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No. 54 Ty Gibbs
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No. 35 Riley Herbst
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No. 71 Michael McDowell
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No. 88 Shane van Gisbergen
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No. 60 Ryan Preece
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No. 51 Cody Ware
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No. 4 Josh Berry
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No. 41 Cole Custer
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No. 47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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No. 4 Noah Gragson
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No. 77 Carson Hocevar
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No. 6 Brad Keselowski
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No. 7 Justin Haley
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No. 99 Daniel Suarez
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No. 38 Zane Smith
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No. 48 Alex Bowman
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No. 56 Martin Truex Jr.
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No. 84 Jimmie Johnson
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No. 91 Helio Castroneves
Daytona 500 qualifying format
The biggest race on the NASCAR calendar also features a unique qualifying format not used on any other race weekend. On Wednesday night all entered cars will turn one lap at top speed, the order of which is determined by a Tuesday night draw of numbers. The top 10 drivers then go into a shootout with the top two times from that session setting the front row for Sunday’s race.
The remaining cars are dropped — as evenly as possible, along with the top two qualifiers — into two 60-lap qualifying “duels” to be run Thursday night that set the field from spots three through 40. The finishing order for the first duel determines the inside row slots and the finishing order from the second duel sets the outside.
Top drivers and best bets for the Daytona 500
Restrictor plate racing presents a randomizing element that makes handicapping the results challenging, and that’s reflected in BetMGM’s odds. Three drivers enter the week with identical 12-to-1 odds and 10 drivers come in at 20-to-1 or better.
Best odds to win the 67th Daytona 500
Ryan Blaney +1200
Joey Logano +1200
Brad Keselowski +1200
Kyle Busch +1400
Denny Hamlin +1500
Hélio Castroneves in the field; Jimmie Johnson attempts to qualify
Due to a new rule this year, a provisional is granted for a “world-class driver” who does not run the Cup series full time to join the field for any event as the 41st car. Teams must put in the request at least 90 days ahead of time and only Trackhouse Racing did so on behalf of four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves. Castroneves will still attempt to qualify for the race and if he posts one of the top 40 times, there will be only 40 cars running on Sunday. If he doesn’t make it on time, the Daytona 500 will have its largest field in 10 years.
Seven-time series champion and winner of the 2006 and 2013 Daytona 500s Jimmie Johnson will attempt to make the field in a third entry for the Legacy Motor Club team that he owns. Johnson, 49, has run in the event twice since retiring from full-time racing in 2020, with a best finish of 28th.
