The 68th running of The Great American Race returns Feb. 15, 2026
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2025) – Daytona International Speedway announced today that tickets are now on sale for NASCAR’s 2026 season opener the DAYTONA 500. The 68th running of The Great American Race takes to the track on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
“The DAYTONA 500 is the crown jewel race on the NASCAR schedule and we’re ready to invite everyone back to The World Center of Racing with tickets officially going on sale,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “This iconic race continues to be a captivating event for fans that travel all over the world and we know that it’s going to be another unforgettable event here next February.”
This past February, fans were able to witness another thrilling edition of the DAYTONA 500. A caution with five laps to go sent the 67th DAYTONA 500 into overtime. On the final lap in overtime, William Byron claimed his second straight DAYTONA 500 victory by avoiding a crash on the backstretch and propelled past everyone from ninth to first place in an unbelievable finish. This served as the record 10th DAYTONA 500 win for Hendrick Motorsports, the most for any team in DAYTONA 500 history.
Though fans will have to wait until next year for the 68th running of The Great American Race, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, NASCAR racing will be back at Daytona International Speedway in just a couple months.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend returns on Aug. 22-23, in the regular season finale for the NASCAR Cup Series, where those in attendance can witness all the intensity of superspeedway racing at DAYTONA in the last chance for drivers to make the Playoffs. Last August, Harrison Burton shuffled up the Playoff picture as he earned his first career Cup Series victory and the historic Wood Brothers Racing team’s 100th career Cup Series victory. With the final playoff spots up for grabs and the unpredictability of superspeedway racing, anything can happen at DAYTONA.
To purchase tickets to the 2026 DAYTONA 500, or to find more details regarding the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 race weekend, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. Some of the exciting racing events include January’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and Roar Before The Rolex 24, February’s DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, March’s Bike Week At DAYTONA Presented By GEICO, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, the August Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend, and much more. The Speedway grounds are also used extensively for other events that include concerts (Welcome to Rockville, Heroes Honor Festival, etc.), sporting events (DAYTONA Soccer Fest, CLASH DAYTONA, etc.) civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
