Daytona 500 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Daytona 500

NASCAR Cup Series
Venue	Daytona International Speedway
Location	Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
First race	1959 (1959)
Distance	500 mi (800 km)
Laps	200 Stages 1/2: 65 each Final stage: 70
Previous names	Inaugural 500 Mile International Sweepstakes (1959) Second Annual 500 Mile International Sweepstakes (1960) Daytona 500 presented by STP (1991–1993) Daytona 500 presented by Dodge (2001) Daytona 500 presented by Toyota (2007) Daytona 500 (1961–1990, 1994–2000, 2002–2006, 2008–present)
Most wins (driver)	Richard Petty (7)
Most wins (team)	Hendrick Motorsports (10)
Most wins (manufacturer)	Chevrolet (27)
Circuit information
Surface	Asphalt
Length	2.5 mi (4.0 km)
Turns	4

The Daytona 500 is a super exciting NASCAR Cup Series car race. It's 500-mile-long (805 km) and happens every year at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. This race is the first of two big Cup races held at Daytona each year. It's also one of three races in Florida.

The Daytona 500 is known as the most important and famous race in NASCAR. It offers the biggest prize money! Even though it's the first race of the year, it's a huge event. Most sports have their biggest championships at the end of the season. For many years, the Daytona 500 had the highest TV ratings for any car race in the U.S. It's often called "The Great American Race" or the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing."

The race is usually held in mid-to-late February. Since 1997, the winner gets the Harley J. Earl Trophy. The winning car is even displayed for a year at the Daytona 500 Experience museum.

How the Daytona 500 Started

Aerial view of Daytona International Speedway

The Daytona 500 grew out of shorter races. These older races took place on the Daytona Beach and Road Course. This course used both the sandy beach and a nearby highway. The first 500-mile (805 km) stock car race at Daytona International Speedway was in 1959. It has been held every year since then. By 1961, people started calling it the Daytona 500.

Daytona International Speedway is 2.5 miles (4 km) long. So, a 500-mile race needs 200 laps to finish. The race is considered official if it reaches at least halfway (100 laps). Sometimes, the race has been shortened because of rain. This happened in 1965, 1966, 2003, and 2009. In 1974, it was shortened due to an energy crisis.

Since 2004, a rule called the "green–white–checkered finish" has been used. This rule means the race can go longer than 500 miles. This has happened many times, including in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023. The 2023 race was the longest Daytona 500 ever, lasting 212 laps (530 miles).

William Byron is the two-time defending winner of the race.

Exciting Race Moments

• 1959: Lee Petty, a famous racing dad, won the very first Daytona 500.
• 1960: Junior Johnson used a clever trick called "drafting" to win. He won even with an older, slower car!
• 1961: This was the first time the race was officially called the Daytona 500.
• 1965: The first Daytona 500 that was cut short by rain.
• 1966: Richard Petty became the first driver to win the race twice.
• 1967: Mario Andretti, a famous IndyCar driver, won his only NASCAR Cup Series race here.
• 1969: LeeRoy Yarbrough used a "slingshot" move on the last lap to win.
• 1971: Richard Petty won his third Daytona 500.
• 1972: A. J. Foyt led almost the entire race and won by nearly two laps!
• 1973: Richard Petty won his fourth Daytona 500.
• 1974: The race was shortened to 180 laps because of an energy crisis. Richard Petty won his fifth Daytona 500.
• 1976: This race had one of the most famous finishes ever! Richard Petty and David Pearson crashed on the last lap. Pearson managed to get his car moving again and limped across the finish line to win.
• 1979: This was the first Daytona 500 shown live on national TV. On the last lap, leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed and then got into a fight! While they were arguing, Richard Petty, who was behind them, drove past to win. This race made NASCAR very famous.
• 1980: Buddy Baker won the fastest Daytona 500 ever before the new "stage cautions" were added in 2017.
• 1981: Richard Petty won his seventh Daytona 500. He is the only driver to win in three different decades.
• 1982: The Daytona 500 became the first race of the NASCAR season, a tradition that continues today.
• 1983: Cale Yarborough crashed his main car in qualifying. He then won the race in a backup car that was on display at a restaurant!
• 1984: Cale Yarborough became the second driver to win the race four times.
• 1985: Bill Elliott was dominating the race, but NASCAR made him stop for a long pit stop. He still managed to come back and win!
• 1987: Bill Elliott set an all-time speed record in qualifying at over 210 mph (338 km/h).
• 1988: This race saw a big crash involving Richard Petty, but he walked away safely. Bobby Allison and his son Davey finished first and second, a special moment for the family.
• 1990: Dale Earnhardt was set to win, but on the last lap, he ran over a car part and blew a tire. This allowed Derrike Cope, a less known driver, to win in a huge upset!
• 1992: Davey Allison won his only Daytona 500.
• 1993: Rusty Wallace had a scary flip on the back straightaway. Dale Jarrett won the race on the final lap.
• 1994: Sterling Marlin won his first ever Cup race by saving fuel. Sadly, two drivers died in practice accidents during Speedweeks that year.
• 1995: Sterling Marlin became only the third driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s.
• 1997: Jeff Gordon became the youngest winner at 25 years old. Dale Earnhardt had another bad luck moment, flipping his car but still finishing the race.
• 1998: Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying! It was a huge moment for NASCAR fans.
• 2001: This day is known as "Black Sunday" because Dale Earnhardt tragically died in a crash on the final lap. Michael Waltrip won the race, his first career win, but it was overshadowed by the sad news.
• 2003: Michael Waltrip won his second Daytona 500, which was the shortest ever due to rain.
• 2004: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500, six years after his father's win.
• 2005: The race started later so it could finish under the lights. Jeff Gordon won his third Daytona 500 in a thrilling finish.
• 2007: Kevin Harvick won by just 0.02 seconds in a very close finish.
• 2011: Trevor Bayne, at just 20 years old, became the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever.
• 2012: Rain delayed this race to Monday night, making it the first Daytona 500 to start in prime time. During the race, Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer, causing a big fire and a long delay. Matt Kenseth won the race, which ended very late on Tuesday morning.
• 2013: Danica Patrick made history by becoming the first woman to win the pole position for the Daytona 500. Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500.
• 2014: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his second Daytona 500. The race was delayed for over six hours due to heavy rain.
• 2016: Denny Hamlin won by an incredibly close 0.010 seconds, the closest finish in Daytona 500 history!
• 2017: This was the first race with new "stage caution" breaks. Kurt Busch won after many drivers ran out of fuel near the end.
• 2018: Austin Dillon won in the famous #3 car, 20 years after Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s win in the same car.
• 2019: Denny Hamlin won his second Daytona 500. The race had several big crashes near the end, forcing it into overtime.
• 2020: The race was postponed by a day due to rain. Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 in a very close finish. The win was overshadowed by a serious crash involving Ryan Newman on the final lap, but he recovered.
• 2021: Michael McDowell won his first career Cup race in a dramatic last-lap crash.
• 2022: This race featured the new "Next-Gen" car. Austin Cindric won in only his eighth Cup start, becoming the second youngest winner.
• 2023: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won after a wild double-overtime finish with many crashes.
• 2024: William Byron won the race.
• 2025: William Byron won his second Daytona 500 in a row.

How Drivers Qualify

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is special. The first two starting spots are decided by a timed qualifying session. This session is held a few days before the main race. The rest of the starting spots are decided by two shorter qualifying races. These races are called the Duels at Daytona.

The top drivers from these Duel races who haven't already qualified get spots in the Daytona 500. The remaining spots are filled by the fastest cars that didn't make it through the Duels. Sometimes, a past NASCAR champion who hasn't qualified can also get a special spot.

Watching the Race on TV

The Daytona 500 was the first 500-mile car race ever shown live on TV from start to finish. This happened in 1979 on CBS. For many years, different TV channels shared broadcasting the race. Since 2007, Fox has been the main broadcaster for the Daytona 500.

Over the years, the race has started later in the day. This is partly to make it easier for people on the West Coast to watch. Because of this, many Daytona 500 races have finished under the lights at night. The 2012 race was even postponed to Monday night because of rain, making it the first Daytona 500 to be a night race. The 2014 race also had a very long rain delay, finishing late at night. The 2025 race also had rain delays.

Daytona 500 Winners

For NASCAR Grand National winners at Daytona from 1949 to 1958, see Daytona Beach and Road Course.

‡ – This was the fastest Daytona 500 before the "stages" rule was added in 2017. It was set by Buddy Baker in 1980.

† – This is the fastest Daytona 500 since the "stages" rule was added. It was set by William Byron in 2024.

Drivers with Multiple Wins

Teams with Multiple Wins

Car Manufacturers with Wins

Sponsors with Multiple Wins

Daytona 500 Records

Prerace ceremonies before the 2008 Daytona 500.

Winning Two Years in a Row

• Drivers who won two Daytona 500s in a row:
  • Richard Petty (1973, 1974)
  • Cale Yarborough (1983, 1984)
  • Sterling Marlin (1994, 1995)
  • Denny Hamlin (2019, 2020)
  • William Byron (2024, 2025)

• Teams that won two Daytona 500s in a row:
  • Petty Enterprises (1970, 1971) and (1973, 1974)
  • Harry Ranier & J. T. Lundy (1983, 1984)
  • Morgan–McClure Motorsports (1994, 1995)
  • Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (2003, 2004)
  • Hendrick Motorsports (2005, 2006), (2013, 2014), (2024, 2025)
  • Joe Gibbs Racing (2019, 2020)

Winners from the Pole Position

Some drivers have won the Daytona 500 after starting in the very first spot (pole position):

• 1962 – Fireball Roberts
• 1966 – Richard Petty
• 1968, 1984 – Cale Yarborough
• 1980 – Buddy Baker
• 1985, 1987 – Bill Elliott
• 1999 – Jeff Gordon
• 2000 – Dale Jarrett

Family Winners

Racing families have a special place in Daytona 500 history:

• Petty Family: Father Lee won in 1959. His son Richard won seven times!
• Allison Family: Father Bobby won three times. His son Davey won in 1992. In 1988, Bobby and Davey finished first and second, which was very cool!
• Earnhardt Family: Father Dale won in 1998. His son Dale Jr. won in 2004 and 2014.
• Waltrip Family: Brothers Darrell (1989) and Michael (2001, 2003) have both won.

First-Time Winners

For some drivers, the Daytona 500 was their very first NASCAR Cup Series win:

• 1963 – Tiny Lund
• 1967 – Mario Andretti (his only Cup Series win!)
• 1970 – Pete Hamilton
• 1990 – Derrike Cope
• 1994 – Sterling Marlin (his first two wins were both Daytona 500s!)
• 2001 – Michael Waltrip (he won after 462 races without a win!)
• 2011 – Trevor Bayne (he was a rookie and the youngest winner ever!)
• 2021 – Michael McDowell (he won after 357 races without a win!)
• 2022 – Austin Cindric (he was the second youngest winner!)

Youngest and Oldest Winners

• Youngest Winner: Trevor Bayne in 2011 (he was 20 years and 1 day old).
• Oldest Winner: Bobby Allison in 1988 (he was 50 years and 73 days old).

Images for kids

• 

  Trevor Bayne, driving the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, won the 2011 Daytona 500.

• 

  The start of the 2015 Daytona 500

• 

  President Trump at the 2025 Daytona 500

External links

• Daytona 500 from NASCAR.com
• Daytona International Speedway race results at Racing-Reference

id:Daytona International Speedway#Daytona 500

See also

In Spanish: 500 Millas de Daytona para niños