How to Watch the Daytona 500: Schedule, Date, TV Info, Lineup

How to watch Daytona 500: Schedule, date, TV info, tickets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It’s time for NASCAR’s biggest race.

With Super Bowl LVII in the rearview mirror, the sports world can turn to the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing” for another huge event.

Forty of the world’s best drivers will hit the track this week at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile tri-oval where speeds reach upwards of 200 mph. Winning the Great American Race changes a driver’s career forever, with their name forever etched in the history books.

Here’s everything you need to know for the season-opening Daytona 500 in 2023:

When is the Daytona 500 in 2023?

The Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Before the race on Sunday, there were several other on-track events – qualifying, practice and qualifying races.

All cars hit the track for qualifying on Wednesday, where each driver got two laps around the track. The two fastest drivers -- Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson -- will start on the front row, while the rest of the field raced for their starting spot on Thursday. There were two 60-lap races – dubbed as the “Duels” –  to set the 40-man starting lineup, while two drivers were sent home.

With the full lineup set, there were practice sessions on Friday and Saturday before the race on Sunday.

What is the Daytona 500 starting lineup?

The starting lineup for the 2023 Daytona 500 was officially set on Thursday night in the Duels, which were won by Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. They will start third and fourth, respectively, behind Bowman and Larson.

Entering the week, there were six drivers fighting for the final four "open" spots in the race. Two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and rallycross champion Travis Pastrana locked themselves into the race during qualifying by virtue of their speed. In the Duels, Zane Smith and Conor Daly claimed the final two spots while Chandler Smith and Austin Hill were eliminated from contention and won't race Sunday.

Here’s the full starting lineup:

1. Alex Bowman (fastest qualifying speed, 17th in Duel 1)
2. Kyle Larson (second-fastest qualifying speed, sixth in Duel 2)
3. Joey Logano (Duel 1 winner)
4. Aric Almirola (Duel 2 winner)
5. Christopher Bell (second in Duel 1)
6. Austin Cindric (second in Duel 2)
7. Ryan Blaney (third in Duel 1)
8. Chase Elliott (third in Duel 2)
9. Chris Buescher (fourth in Duel 1)
10. Brad Keselowski (fourth in Duel 2)
11. Michael McDowell (fifth in Duel 1)
12. Corey LaJoie (fifth in Duel 2)
13. Kevin Harvick (sixth in Duel 1)
14. Todd Gilliland (seventh in Duel 2)
15. Bubba Wallace (seventh in Duel 1)
16. Martin Truex Jr. (eighth in Duel 2)
17. Zane Smith (eighth/highest-finishing open car in Duel 1)
18. Denny Hamlin (ninth in Duel 2)
19. Harrison Burton (ninth in Duel 1)
20. Ryan Preece (10th in Duel 2)
21. William Byron (10th in Duel 1)
22. Noah Gragson (11th in Duel 2)
23. Ross Chastain (11th in Duel 1)
24. Daniel Suarez (12th in Duel 2)
25. Erik Jones (12th in Duel 1)
26. Tyler Reddick (13th in Duel 2)
27. Austin Dillon (13th in Duel 1)
28. Justin Haley (14th in Duel 2)
29. A.J. Allmendinger (15th in Duel 1)
30. Chase Briscoe (15th in Duel 2)
31. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (16th in Duel 1)
32. B.J. McLeod (16th in Duel 2)
33. Ty Gibbs (19th in Duel 1)
34. Conor Daley (17th/highest-finishing open car in Duel 2)
35. Cody Ware (20th in Duel 1)
36. Kyle Busch (19th in Duel 2, will drop to rear after going to backup car)
37. Ty Dillon (21st in Duel 1)
38. Riley Herbst (20th in Duel 2)
39. Jimmie Johnson (fastest qualifying speed among open cars, 14th in Duel 1)
40. Travis Pastrana (second-fastest qualifying speed among open cars, 21st in Duel 2)

What is the Daytona 500 schedule in 2023?

Friday, Feb. 17 (FS1 and streaming)

• Practice: 5:30 p.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com

Saturday, Feb. 18 (FS1 and streaming)

• Practice: 10:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FoxSports.com

Sunday, Feb. 19 (FOX and streaming)

• Daytona 500: 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FoxSports.com

• Daytona 500: 2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FoxSports.com
• Green flag: 3:14 p.m. ET

How to buy tickets for the Daytona 500

Tickets for the Daytona 500 – and all events throughout the week – are available for purchase online here. On that site, you can find info about parking, interactive fan experiences and more.

Who won the Daytona 500 last year?

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 last year as a rookie for his first career win.

RETWEET to congratulate @Team_Penske’s @AustinCindric on winning the #Daytona500!

What a way to kick off your rookie season in the @NASCAR Cup Series!

(Via NASCAR) pic.twitter.com/VqFNxJLHzp

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 20, 2022

Several other active drivers have won the Daytona 500: Denny Hamlin (2016, 2019, 2020), Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Kevin Harvick (2007), Joey Logano (2015), Austin Dillon (2018), Michael McDowell (2021).

Who is favored to win the Daytona 500?

Considering the amount of accidents at superspeedway tracks, it can be tough to pick a favorite for Daytona. But even with the volatility of the event, the sport’s best drivers often find their way to the front of the field.

Hamlin, with three Daytona 500 wins, is one of the best drivers in the history of the race. He’s won three of the last seven years and led 302 total laps since 2016 – 129 more than the next closest driver (Ryan Blaney, 173).

Beyond Hamlin, Bubba Wallace (two second-place finishes), Austin Dillon (2018 winner) and Blaney (two second-place finishes) have had recent success in the Daytona 500.

Here are the favorites to the Daytona 500 entering the weekend, courtesy of our partner, PointsBet:

• Ryan Blaney, +1200
• Denny Hamlin, +1200
• Chase Elliott, +1300
• Joey Logano, +1300
• Kyle Larson, +1400
• Kyle Busch, +1500
• William Byron, +1600
• Bubba Wallace, +1800
• Ross Chastain, +1800
• Brad Keselowski, +2000
• Austin Cindric, +2500
• Tyler Reddick, +2500
• Kevin Harvick, +2500
• Alex Bowman, +2500
• Martin Truex Jr., +2800
• Aric Almirola, +2800
• Christopher Bell, +2800
• Austin Dillon, +3000

Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.