2026 Daytona 500 on FOX: Preview and Full Schedule of Events
Get your motor running; it’s almost time for “the great American race.”
The 2026 NASCAR season gets off to a fast start with the Daytona 500, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2:30pm ET on FOX. The biggest storyline heading into the race is that defending champion William Bryon has the chance to make history as the first driver to win the Daytona 500 three times in a row. 2026 also marks the 25th anniversary of “Black Sunday,” the day racing legend Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the race. Ahead of this tragic anniversary, FS1 will air We've Lost Dale Earnhardt: 25 Years Later, a documentary about Earnhardt’s legacy, on Thursday, Feb. 12 at 10pm ET.
From the new points format to odds to a complete guide to all of the events taking place at Daytona this week, here’s a full preview of the 68th Dayton 500 and how to catch all the action with DISH. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best offer and subscribe to DISH today and follow this link for a look at the full NASCAR season.
Full Broadcast Schedule for 2026 Daytona Speedweek
With a full slate of events scheduled throughout the week, here’s what to expect each day at Daytona:
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Practice 1 (NASCAR Cup Series) - 10am ET on FS1
Qualifying - 8:15pm ET on FS1
Thursday, Feb. 12
Practice (Craftsman Truck Series) - 5pm ET on FS1
Duel 1 at Daytona - 7pm ET on FS1
Duel 2 at Daytona - 8:45pm Et on FS1
Friday, Feb. 13
Qualifying (Craftsman Truck Series) - 3pm ET on FS1
Practice (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) - 4:30pm ET on The CW
Practice 2 (NASCAR Cup Series) - 5:35pm ET on FS1
Fresh from Florida 250 (Craftsman Truck Series) - 7:30pm ET on FS1
Saturday, Feb. 14
Qualifying (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) - 10am ET on The CW
Daytona ARCA 200 (ARCA Menards Series) - Noon ET on FOX
Practice 3 (NASCAR Cup Series) - 3pm ET on FS1
United Rentals 300 (O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) - 5pm ET on The CW
Sunday, Feb. 15
Daytona 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) - 2:30pm ET on FOX
2026 Daytona 500 Preview
The 68th running of the Daytona 500 turns the ignition on a new era for NASCAR. With the return of “The Chase” format, NASCAR is returning to a fan-favorite format while maintaining its playoff structure over the last 10 races of the season. Instead of the win-and-in format for race winners, the 16-driver playoff field will be determined by who has the most total points following NASCAR’s return to Daytona at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 29. Points will then be reset, with the leader getting a 25 point cushion over the next driver, and, rather than elimination rounds, NASCAR’s champion will be determined by who has the most total points at the end of the 10 races that finish the season.
In terms of the point structure, the winner of the Dayton 500 – and all regular season races – will collect 55 points, an increase of 15 points from last season. According to NASCAR, “the remaining positions pay the same points (35 for second, 34 for third, 33 for fourth, etc.) and stage points are also the same (10 points for first, nine points for second, eight points for third, etc.).”
While Denny Hamlin fans may argue this change is a year too late, The Chase format rewards season-long consistency over individual race victories. DraftKings currently lists Hamlin as the favorite to win Daytona at +900 odds, followed by back-to-back Daytona champ William Bryon, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson at +1000; Joey Logano at +1200; Kyle Busch at +1400; Austin Cindric and Chase Elliott at +1600; and Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman at +1800.
As for full season odds, according to DraftKings, 2025 NASCAR Series Champion Kyle Larson is a 4-to-1 favorite to win his second-straight championship (third overall), followed by Denny Hamlin at +450; William Bryon at +550; Christopher Bell at +600; Ryan Blaney at +650; Chase Elliott at +750; and Chase Briscoe at +900.
