Daytona 500 primer: What to know about 2025 NASCAR Cup season opener

It won't be long before cars are on track at Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona 500 takes the green flag.

Here are key details for the season opener.

Time and date

The Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 16 on Fox.

The race is 200 laps around the 2.5-mile speedway.

This will be the 68th running of the race at Daytona International Speedway. William Byron won last year's race.

Non-chartered enteries

There are nine cars without charters that have announced plans to enter the event. Four will make the field.

Helio Castroneves is guaranteed a Daytona 500 starting spot through a new rule. NASCAR allows one provisional per race for world-class drivers provided a team requests it at least 90 days ahead of the event. Should Castroneves qualify on speed or earn a spot through his qualifying race, the provisional will not be available to any other competitor.

Teams at Daytona without a charter:

Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 56 car for Tricon Garage

Jimmie Johnson in the No. 84 car for Legacy Motor Club

Justin Allgaier in the No. 40 car for JR Motorsports

Chandler Smith in the No. 66 car for Garage 66

Anthony Alfredo in the No. 62 car for Beard Motorsports

Corey LaJoie in the No. 01 car for Rick Ware Racing

Helio Castroneves in the No. 91 car for Trackhouse Racing

BJ McLeod in the No. 78 car for Live Fast Motorsports

JJ Yeley in the No. 44 car for NY Racing

Track schedule (and where to watch)

All times Eastern

Wednesday, Feb. 12

10:05 - 10:55 a.m. — Cup practice (FS1)

8:15 - 10 p.m. — Cup qualifying (FS1)

Thursday, Feb. 13

4:05 - 4:55 p.m. — ARCA practice

5:05 - 5:55 p.m. — Truck practice (FS1)

7 p.m. — Cup qualifying race #1 (FS1)

8:45 p.m. — Cup qualifying race #2 (FS1)

Friday, Feb. 14

1:30 - 2:15 p.m. — ARCA qualifying

3 - 4:30 p.m. — Truck qualifying (FS1)

4:35 - 5:25 p.m. — Xfinity practice (CW Network)

5:35 - 6:25 p.m. — Cup practice (FS1)

7:30 p.m. — Truck race (FS1)

Saturday, Feb. 15

10 - 11:30 a.m. — Xfinity qualifying (CW Network)

12 p.m. — ARCA race (Fox)

3:05 - 3:55 p.m. — Cup practice (FS2)

5 p.m. — Xfinity race (CW Network)

Sunday, Feb. 16

2:30 p.m. — Daytona 500 (Fox)

Setting the field

There are multiple layers to setting the Daytona 500 field.

Single-car qualifying will take place Feb. 12. The fastest two cars will lock in starting spots on the front row.

Also, the two fastest cars without a charter will be guaranteed a starting spot.

The field is divided into two 60-lap qualifying races on Feb. 13. The rest of the field will be set after those races.

One non-chartered car from each qualifying race will make the field.

Joey Logano won the pole for last year's race and Michael McDowell was second. Last year marked only the second time in 10 years that Hendrick Motorsports did not win the Daytona 500 pole.

Past Daytona 500 winners

Denny Hamlin is a three-time winner, scoring wins in 2016, '19 and '20. Jimmie Johnson won the race in 2006 and '13.

Current Cup drivers with one Daytona 500 win are: William Byron (2024), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2023), Austin Cindric (2022), Michael McDowell (2021), Austin Dillon (2018) and Joey Logano (2015).