Daytona 500 Start Time Moved Up One Hour Amid Weather Concerns

The starting time for Sunday's Daytona 500 has been moved up to 1:30 p.m. in anticipation of bad weather, event organizers announced on Saturday. The original start time was slated to be 2:30 p.m. The opening time for gates and hospitality is now 9:00 a.m. while the Hard Rock Bet Fanzone opens at 8:30 a.m. All of the pre-race festivities, including a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird flyover and an infield concert from country music star Miranda Lambert, are still expected to proceed as scheduled. The latest forecast from AccuWeather predicts showers to begin in Daytona Beach at 9:00 a.m. Sunday. From there, the skies are projected to stay clear until 6:00 p.m., when thunderstorms are expected to begin. The 68th Daytona 500 will be the first official race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe are starting on the front row as both look for their first victory in the Great American Race. To do so, they'll have to beat William Byron, who's won the last two runnings of the Daytona 500.