The Daytona 500 is an annual American stock car race sanctioned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and held every February at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. [1] [2] It was first held in 1959 after NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. wanted to take the sanctioning body away from the Daytona Beach and Road Course and onto a permanent racing facility to allow NASCAR races to continue being held in Daytona Beach. [3] [4] The event is the premier and final race of the three-week Speedweeks series of races and has been the first points-paying round of the NASCAR Cup Series since 1982. [2] [3] It usually covers 200 laps over a total distance of 500 mi (800 km), [1] but accidents and other incidents have meant that the race has been extended through the use of overtime rules on 12 occasions. [5] Each winning driver is presented with a replica of the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane, [6] an estimated $2.5 million in prize money, [a] [9] a championship ring as well as a black leather jacket, [10] and their car is put on display in race-winning condition in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America museum adjacent to the track for 12 months until the following year's Daytona 500. [11] [12]
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In the 67 editions of the Daytona 500 that have occurred as of the 2025 race, 43 different drivers have won. [13] The winner of the first race was Lee Petty in 1959, and the most recent victor was William Byron in 2025. [1] Richard Petty holds the record for the most victories with seven, with Cale Yarborough in second place with four wins. [14] Four drivers have won the event twice in a row, but no one has won three or more consecutively. [1] Trevor Bayne and Bobby Allison are the youngest and oldest Daytona 500 winners, winning at the ages of 20 years and 1 day in 2011 and 50 years, 2 months, and 11 days old in 1988, respectively. [15] [16] Petty also holds the distinction of having the longest time between his first and last wins, 17 years between the 1964 and 1981 races. [17] Buddy Baker and Junior Johnson set the record for the fastest and slowest race-winning average speeds of 177.602 mph (285.823 km/h) in 1980 and 124.740 mph (200.750 km/h) in 1960, respectively. [14] Chevrolet have won the most races as a manufacturer with 27 since their first in 1960, followed by Ford in second with 17 victories. Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful race teams with ten wins in total. [18]
