NASCAR Cup Series America 250 Florida Duel at DAYTONA
Daytona International Speedway Track Length: 2.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
Thursday, February 12, 2026 2:30 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 7 p.m. ET (Duel 1) and 8:45 p.m. ET (Duel 2) Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance Per Duel: 150 miles (60 Laps)
DAYTONA 500
Daytona International Speedway Track Length: 2.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
Sunday, February 15 2:30 p.m. ETTV: FOX, 2 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 500 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 65), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 130), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200) The Purse: $31,045,575
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals 300
Daytona International Speedway Track Length: 2.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
Saturday, February 14 5 p.m. ET TV: CW, 4 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 300 miles (120 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 60), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 120) The Purse: $3,782,120
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250
Daytona International Speedway Track Length: 2.5 Mile Asphalt Oval
Friday, February 13 7:30 p.m. ET TV: FS1, 7:30 p.m. ET Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)
Distance: 250 miles (100 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 20), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 40), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 100) The Purse: $1,276,300
ARCA Menards Series Daytona ARCA 200
Feb 14 ARCA Race (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM at 12 p.m. ET)
Where To Watch NASCAR This Week:
Wednesday, February 11
NCS Practice 1 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 10 a.m. ET)
NCS Qualifying (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 8 p.m. ET)
Thursday, February 12
NCTS Practice (FS1 at 5 p.m. ET)
Duel at Daytona (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 7 p.m. ET)
Friday, February 13
NCTS Qualifying (FS1 at 3 p.m. ET)
NOAPS Practice (CW App at 4:30 p.m. ET)
NCS Practice 2 (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 5:30 p.m. ET)
NCTS Race (FS1, NRN, SiriusXM at 7:30p.m. ET)
Saturday, February 14
NOAPS Qualifying (CW App at 10 a.m. ET)
ARCA Race (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM at 12 p.m. ET)
NCS Final Practice (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM at 3 p.m. ET)
NOAPS Race (CW, MRN, SiriusXM at 5 p.m. ET)
Sunday, February 15
DAYTONA 500 (FOX, FOX Deportes, MRN, SiriusXM at 2:30 p.m. ET)
Quick Track Facts & Insights: Daytona
- Daytona International Speedway is a 483- acre complex located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 2.5-mile oval boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, earning it the title of “World Center of Racing.”
- The banking in the four turns at Daytona are 31 degrees, second only to Talladega (33 degrees) as the steepest turns in NASCAR.
- The name of the 29-acre lake located in the infield at Daytona International Speedway is Lake Loyd. Engineers dug the man-made lake to use the dirt to build the banking in the turns.
- In 2013, Daytona International Speedway underwent a $400 million renovation.
- Daytona International Speedway has approximately 101,500 permanent seats, 40 escalators, 17 elevators and 60 luxury suites.
- Did You Know? Daytona International Speedway has been featured in major motion pictures like Days of Thunder in 1990 and F1: The Movie in 2024.
NASCAR Cup Series
Daytona 500 Qualifying Races History: America 250 Florida Duel at DAYTONA
- Qualifying races determined the Daytona 500 lineup since the inaugural running in 1959
- The winner of the 1959 100-mile qualifying race (Bob Welborn) was the pole winner for the 500; Cotton Owens was the fastest in Time Trials at 143 mph
- The second 1959 qualifying race was a non-points Convertible race, won by Shorty Rollins; he started the Daytona 500 in second place
- 23 of the first 24 qualifying races paid points (all but the 1959 convertible race)
- Between 1959 and 1967, each race was 100 miles
- Between 1969 and 2004, each race was 125 miles
- Since the start of 2005, each race was 150 miles
- Since 2017, each Duel pays points similar to a stage in a race (10 for 1st, 9 for 2nd …1 for 10th)
- NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads all drivers in Duel wins with 12.
- A total of 14 active NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won a Duel race at Daytona. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano lead all active Cup drivers in Duel wins with three each.
- Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing are tied for the most Duel wins with 16 each.
ONES TO WATCH
HOT
William Byron
Won the last two Daytona 500s — no driver
has won three straight
Won the pole for the 2019 Daytona 500
Three wins at Daytona in 16 starts including
first Cup win (Aug 2020)
Five wins on drafting tracks in 40 starts
COLD
Kyle Larson
12 starts with four top-10s — best finish 7th (twice: 2016, 2019)
Finished outside the top-10 in the last four 500s
Daytona is his only track with 2+ starts without a top-5 (0 for 23)
Ran out of fuel as the leader on the last lap of the 2017 500
SLEEPER
AJ Allmendinger
12 starts with five top-10s — best finish 3rd (twice: 2009, 2017)
Top-10 in four of his last five 500 starts Six top-10 finishes in his last nine Daytona starts
HOT
Ryan Blaney
Top-10 in six of the last nine 500s including two runner-ups
Won a stage in four of the last eight 500s including Stage 2 the last two years
Led in eight of the last nine 500s including the last four
Two wins at Daytona in 21 starts (most recent: August 2025)
Five wins on drafting tracks in 52 starts
COLD
Tyler Reddick
Finished 2nd in 2025 — only finish better than 27th in seven starts
Failed to finish in five of seven 500 starts
Never led in the Daytona 500 in seven starts
SLEEPER
Chase Briscoe
Top-10 in three of the last four Daytona 500s
Won the last drafting track race at Talladega in October
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
69th O’REILLY SERIES RACE AT DAYTONA 5th DIFFERENT TITLE SPONSOR IN SERIES HISTORY
14 FULL-TIME DRIVERS CHANGED TEAMS
17 JR MOTORSPORTS WINS IN 2025
NEW TITLE SPONSOR AND SERIES CHANGES
O’Reilly Auto Parts takes over from Xfinity as title sponsor, becoming the fifth different title sponsor in series history: Budweiser, Busch, Nationwide, Xfinity & O’Reilly
This will be the 69th NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Daytona, 6th-most all-time
Daytona has been on the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule every year since the inaugural 1982 season, hosting the opening race each year
2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule breakdown
Track Names Track Names
8 1.5 mile tracks Las Vegas (2), Charlotte (2), Kansas, Texas, Chicagoland, Homestead-Miami
6 drafting races Daytona (2), EchoPark (2), Talladega (2)
5 short tracks Martinsville (2), Bristol (2), Iowa
4 road courses COTA, Watkins Glen, Naval Base Coronado, Sonoma
3 1-mile Phoenix (2), Dover
7 others Darlington (2), Rockingham, Nashville, Pocono, Indianapolis, St. Louis
CONNOR ZILISCH’S MOVE TO CUP SERIES
2025 Rookie of the Year Connor Zilisch, who won 10 races last season, moved to Cup Series and will only run parttime in JR Motorsports’ #1 this season
Connor Zilisch led the series with 10 wins, 20 Top 5s, 23 Top 10s, an 8.0 avg finish & eight poles last season
Connor Zilisch won the Fastest Lap Award seven times last season, Justin Allgaier was second with six
Most wins by rookies:
Driver Wins Season
Connor Zilisch 10 2025
Christopher Bell 7 2018
Greg Biffle 5 2001
Kyle Busch 5 2004
Carl Edwards 5 2005
CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS AND TEAM CHANGES
Top Championship Favorites
2 Jesse Love Defending
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion
7 Justin Allgaier 2024
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion
Won at least one race in record-tying nine consecutive seasons
Made postseason in 10 consecutive seasons
Allgaier led the series with 15 stage wins last season
Allgaier’s 28 career wins are 9th on the all-time wins list and one away from tying Matt Kenseth
21 Austin Hill
Won four races in three consecutive seasons 14 career wins is 2nd among current full-time drivers Never finished worse than 6th in final points standings
41 Sam Mayer
Won at least one race in three consecutive seasons Eight career wins is 3rd among current full-time drivers HFT switched from Ford to Chevrolet
1 Carson Kvapil
Finished 4th in points in rookie season, three runner up finishes
Will run full season in JRM-prepared cars
54 Taylor Gray
Earned first-career win at Martinsville last fall
Led JGR drivers with 15 Top 10s last season
Crew chief Jason Ratcliff is all-time wins leader with 59
8 Sammy Smith
Won one race in three consecutive seasons
Set career bests in Top 5s, Top 10s and AVG finish in 2025
New crew chief Cory Shea won twice in 2025
20 Brandon Jones
Won twice in 2025, his most in a single season since 2020
Seven career wins is 4th among current full-time drivers
00 Sheldon Creed
15 career runner-up finishes
88 Rajah Caruth
Took over Connor Zilisch’s #88 car
Won one Craftsman Truck Series race in two consecutive seasons
17 Corey Day
Driving full-time for Hendrick Motorsports
Scored career-best 4th at Las Vegas last October
18 William Sawalich
Two career runner-up finishes
Improved in second half of 2025: First 18 starts – 24.5 avg finish, last 13 starts – 11.2 avg finish
24 Harrison Burton
Moved from AM Racing to Sam Hunt Racing
Four career wins is 5th among current full-time drivers
Manufacturer Performance
Chevrolet won 26 times in 2025, the most ever in a season
Chevrolet led 3,919 of 5,323 laps last season (74%)
Toyota only had six series win in 2025, their fewest since their first season in 2007
AM Racing and Hettinger Racing are the only Ford teams expected to compete in 2026
2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
32nd Season • 27th Daytona Race • 2/13/2026
2026 is the 32nd season for the Truck series
This will be the 27th Truck Series race at Daytona (one race every season since 2000)
Daytona has been the season opening race every year since 2000
MAJOR RULE CHANGES AND NEW FORMAT
The Chase returns for 2026, final seven races of 2025, top-10 drivers in points after New Hampshire make the Chase
Race winners will now receive 55 points for a win (up from 40), all other race points remain the same
Playoff points no longer exist
If qualifying in cancelled 2025 points will be used to determine the line up for the first three events
There will be an OEM provisional allowing an addition four entries (37th-40th) from new OEM (RAM) for the first three races if those trucks do not qualify for the race
2026 Chase tracks:
Track Description
Bristol Half-mile high banked short track
Kansas 1.5-mile oval
Charlotte 1.5-mile oval
Phoenix 1 mile oval
Talladega Drafting track
Martinsville Half-mile flat short track
Homestead 1.5-mile oval
HISTORIC DAYTONA RETURN FOR RAM
RAM’s Return to NASCAR Competition
June 8th 2025 Dodge announced its return to NASCAR at Michigan Raceway
August 23rd 2025 Kaulig Racing announced partnership with RAM to field five full time trucks
October 2025 Daniel Dye, Brenden Queen and Justin Haley announced as full time drivers NEW
January 13th 2026 Tony Stewart named first driver of All Star truck in Daytona
January 26th 2026 RAM Race for the seat premiered, launching the search for the next full-time driver from 15 contestants
RAM becomes the first “New” OEM to join the truck series since Toyota in 2004
Dodge (RAM) NASCAR History:
Series Years Active Driver Championships Wins
Truck Series
1995-2011, 2012-2013 (limited), last
race 2016 2 (Bobby Hamilton 2004, Ted Musgrave 2005) 66
Cup Series 1950-1985, 2001-2012 5 (David Pearson 1966, Bobby Isaac 1970, Richard Petty 1974-1975,
Brad Keselowski 2012) 218
O’Reilly
Series 1982-1986, 2002-2018 1 (Brad Keselowski 2010) 44
CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITES FOR 2026
Christian Eckes’ Return to Trucks
Christian Eckes #91
Returns to the Truck series after one season in NOS
Nine career NTS wins in 116 starts
Won four races in 2024 and four in 2023 his last two full time NTS season
Made the post season in every season he was full time in NTS
Full time in NTS 2020, 2022-2024
Won four races in each full-time season with McAnally Hilgemann Racing
Finished 3rd in 2024 Championship standings
Raced full time for Kaulig Racing in 2025 with 15 top-10 and a best finish of 3rd
Justin Haley’s Return
Justin Hayley #16
Three NTS wins all came in his last full time NTS season in 2018
Wins in NTS, NOS and NCS
Full time NCS 2022-2025, full time NOS 2019-2021
Championship Contenders
Kaden Honeycutt #11
Made the post season in his first full time NTS season
Truck #11 truck won 12 races with Corey Heim and Scott Zipadelli in 2025
Five top-10 finishes in the final eight races of 2025 driving #52
Four career top-3 finishes, three came in the second half of 2025
Ty Majeski #88
2024 Champion , one of two past Champions running full time in 2026
Fifth full time season with ThorSport all with crew chief Joe Shear
Finished second in Championship in 2025 despite going winless
Layne Riggs #34
Three wins in 2025 the second most behind Corey Heim
Finished 2025 with five top-5s in the final six races
Five NTS wins in 54 starts
Chandler Smith #38
Two wins and 16 top-10s in 2025
Started 2025 with six straight top-10s including a win at Bristol
Daytona Spoilers
Truck #7 Michael McDowell
2021 Daytona 500 Champion
Six NCS poles on drafting tracks in the last two years
Made two truck starts in 2025, both on drafting tracks
Truck #25 Tony Stewart
2002, 2005, 2011 NCS Champion
49 NCS wins including four at Daytona
Five NCS drafting track wins
Making his first NTS start since 2005 and his first NASCAR race since NCS Homestead 2016
Truck #45 Ricky Stenhouse Jr
2023 Daytona 500 Champion
All four NCS wins have come on drafting tracks
Two NCS wins at Daytona
Making NTS Debut
Truck #75 Corey Lajoie
Driving the truck that finished first at Daytona in 2025
10 of his 11 NCS top-10s came on drafting tracks
Seven top-10s in nine NTS starts in 2025
2026 Driver Rundown (Full season entries):
Truck #9 Grant Enfinger – Third season with CR7, made the post season seven of the last eight years
Truck #10 Daniel Dye – Returns to NTS with Kaulig and RAM after one full time NOS season
Truck #11 Kaden Honeycutt – Moves to TRICON Garage after racing for Niece and Halmar Friesen Racing in 2025
Truck #12 Brenden Queen – First full time NTS season, 2025 ARCA series Champion
Truck #13 Cole Butcher – First full time NTS season
Truck #14 Timothy “mini’ Tyrrell “The Seat” Driver selected from 15 contestants in a gong show style competition
Truck #15 Tanner Gray – Seventh straight season with TRICON Garage.
Truck #16 Justin Haley – Returns full time to NTS for the first time since 2018 driving Kaulig RAM
Truck #17 Gio Ruggiero – Second season full time with TRICON Garage
Truck #18 Tyler Ankrum- Eighth full time season, third with McAnally-Hilgemann
Truck #19 Daniel Hemric – Second full time season with MHR after returning last year for the first time since 2016
Truck #25 Free agent Truck – Tony Stewart will drive in Daytona
Truck #26 Dawson Sutton – Second full time season
Truck #33 Frankie Muniz – Second full time season
Truck #34 Layne Riggs – Third full time season
Truck #38 Chandler Smith – Fourth full time season in Trucks, and his second straight with FRR
Truck #44 Andres Perez – Took over this truck late in 2025, second full time season in NTS
Truck #52 Stewart Friesen – 10th full time season, missed final nine races of 2025 due to injury
Truck #62 John H Nemechek – This truck will be a full time entry in 2026
Truck #76 Spencer Boyd – 8th full time season, Nathan Nicholson to drive road course events
Truck #81 Kris Wright – 49 NTS starts but this will be his first full time season
Truck #88 Ty Majeski – 2024 Champion, moves from #98 along with crew chief Joe Shear
Truck #91 Christian Ekes – Fifth full time season in NTS, returns after racing full time in NOS in 2025 for Kaulig
Truck #98 Jake Garcia – Moves from #13, fourth full time season and third with ThorSport
Truck #99 Ben Rhodes – 11th full time season, all with ThorSport. 2021 and 2023 champion
2026 Rookie Class
Truck #12 Brenden “Butterbean” Queen
2025 ARCA Menards Series Champion
2024 CARS Late Model Stock Tour Champion
Three time Langley Track Champion 2020-2022
Truck #13 Cole Butcher
Canadian Late Model standout
Oxford 250, RedBud 400 and Winchester 400 winner
Southern Super Series Champion
Made NTS series debut in 2025 in #62 HFR finished 23rd at Bristol
Truck #14 Timothy “Mini” Tyrell
Winner of RAM race for the seat
Competed in CARS Late Model Stock tour since 2018, five wins
Finished 3rd in CARS tour Championship in 2024 behind Brenden Queen and Connor Hall
2019 CARS rookie of the year at age 15
NASCAR
http://www.nascar.com/
Photos & Graphics Courtesy of NASCAR