Daytona 500 Wiki (2024)

FAQs

How long is each lap in the Daytona 500? ›

The track at Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles. To win the Daytona 500, a driver must be the first one to finish 200 laps, which would be 500 miles.

This prestigious 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series season opener is a yearly spectacle held each February at the Daytona International Speedway. Professional racers navigate 200 laps in a demanding test of speed and endurance that takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete.

The inaugural Daytona 500 was held in 1959 coinciding with the opening of the speedway and since 1982, it has been the season-opening race of the Cup series.

In the 66 editions of the Daytona 500 that have occurred as of the 2024 race, 43 different drivers have won. The winner was the first race was Lee Petty in 1959, and the most recent victor was William Byron in 2024.

NASCAR stopped disclosing the winner's prize after 2015 when Joey Logano walked away with $1.58 million. Pockrass reported in 2023 that the winner was likely to get somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million, noting that a portion of the purse goes to the Cup Series' 36 charter teams.

In NASCAR races, the pace car's speed limit will depend on the track. It is 70mph for the Daytona International Speedway.

All you need to know is Indy is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. Daytona is 17th. Last year's Indy 500 drew 5.6 million TV viewers, versus 4.8 million for Daytona. Get your facts right.

Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles (4 km) long and a 500-mile race that requires 200 laps to complete.

As the name suggests, the Daytona 500 is 500 miles long (200 laps total). The race takes around 3 1/2 hours to complete.

ISC owns 12 NASCAR venues, including Daytona International Speedway, home of NASCAR's marquee race, the Daytona 500.

How much did it cost to build Daytona Speedway? ›

Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval, with a length of 2.660 mi (4.281 km), compared to the Daytona International Speedway, which is 2.500 mi (4.023 km) long. The total peak capacity of Talladega is around 175,000 spectators, with the main grandstand capacity being about 80,000.

It was held on Monday, February 19, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. It was the first race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. It was originally supposed to be run on February 18, but was postponed due to rain.

Despite no wins, Earnhardt finished the season fifth in the final standings with 7 top fives and 16 top tens, with an average finish of 12.1. On February 15, 1998, Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 in his 20th attempt after failing to win in his previous 19 attempts.

The timing of the Daytona 500 contributes significantly to its importance. It serves as the season opener for the NASCAR Cup Series, setting the tone for the entire racing season. As the first race on the calendar, it generates immense anticipation and excitement among fans and teams.

How many laps is the DAYTONA 500? Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles (4 km) long and a 500-mile race that requires 200 laps to complete.

The 833 laps equal 2,965.48 miles, which would take you on a drive from Daytona Beach to Los Angeles, then north up to San Francisco, ending roughly in Santa Rosa, California.