NASCAR at Daytona Weekend Schedule and Highlights

The NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series head to Daytona International Speedway this weekend. For the Cup Series, the race marks the end of the regular season, while Xfinity drivers still have three events left — Daytona, Portland International Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway.

Meanwhile, the Craftsman Truck Series takes a week off before returning to action next weekend as the Playoffs open at Darlington Raceway.

Cup Series Highlights

With only one race remaining in the regular season, Tyler Reddick (15th) and Alex Bowman (16th) are in the Playoffs based on points. However, a new winner at Daytona could shake things up.

Richard Petty won his 200th career race at Daytona on July 4, 1984. He also holds the record for most wins in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Denny Hamlin leads all active Cup Series drivers in Daytona 500 wins with three (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2019, Feb. 2020). Byron has two Daytona 500 wins (2024, 2025) and one Coke Zero Sugar win in Aug. 2020.

Kyle Busch leads all active Cup Series drivers with 40 starts at Daytona. He is followed by Denny Hamlin (39), Joey Logano (33), Brad Keselowski (32) and Michael McDowell (28).

Chase Elliott (Feb. 2016, Feb. 2017, July 2018) and Alex Bowman (Feb. 2018, Feb. 2021, Feb. 2023) lead all active series drivers at Daytona with three poles each.

Xfinity Series Highlights

This weekend will mark the 68th Xfinity Series race held at Daytona International Speedway.

Eight drivers have already clinched a spot in the 12-driver playoff field – Connor Zilisch, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Jesse Love, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, and Nicholas Sanchez. That leaves four spots up for grabs.

The following drivers would advance into the Playoffs with a win: Carson Kvapil, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Ryan Sieg, Christian Eckes, Dean Thompson, Daniel Dye, Brennan Poole, Jeremy Clements, William Sawalich, Anthony Alfredo, Matt DiBenedetto, Parker Retzlaff, Kyle Sieg, Blaine Perkins, Ryan Ellis.

 Carson Kvapil is the highest driver in the Xfinity standings without a win.

 Since 2005, more than half (22 of 40) of the Daytona races have gone to overtime.

Friday, August 22

3 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying
Impound – Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
CW App

5:05 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying
Impound – Single Vehicle/1 Lap/2 Rounds
truTV/MRN/SiriusXM
Post Qualifying: NASCAR Press Pass

7:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Powered By Coca-Cola
Stages 30/60/100 Laps = 250 Miles
Purse: $9,797,935
CW/MRN/SiriusXM
Post Xfinity Race: NASCAR Press Pass

Saturday, August 23

7:30 p.m.: Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400
Stages 35/95/160 Laps = 400 Miles
Purse: $9,797,935
Peacock/NBC/HBO Max/MRN/SiriusXM
Post Cup Series Race: NASCAR Press Pass

All times are Eastern

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Angie Campbell
Angie Campbell
A native of Charlotte, NC, Angela (Angie) was first introduced to racing by her father. An avid fan of NASCAR, she found a way to combine her love of racing with her passion for writing. Angie is also an award-winning member of the National Motorsports Press Association. Follow her on Twitter @angiecampbell_ for the latest NASCAR news and feature stories.

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