Daytona 500 Race Preview

RACE INFO

DATE: Sunday, February 15, 2026

RACE: DAYTONA 500

TRACK: Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, FL)

TRACK LENGTH: 2.5 miles

TV: FOX (2:30 p.m. ET)

RADIO: MRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (2:30 p.m. ET)

JOE GIBBS RACING

DAYTONA 500 WINS: Joe Gibbs Racing's first win came in the 1993 DAYTONA 500 when Dale Jarrett wheeled the No. 18 Interstate Batteries entry to victory lane. Since then, Denny Hamlin has taken JGR to victory lane three times (2016, 2019, 2020) in the Great American Race.

JGR AT DAYTONA: Joe Gibbs Racing owns eight Cup Series wins at Daytona International Speedway. In 187 combined starts at the World Center of Racing, the organization has tallied 41 top-five finishes, 57 top-10s, five pole awards, and 2,166 laps led. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Dale Jarrett, Erik Jones, and Tony Stewart have all driven JGR entries to victory lane at the 2.5-mile facility.

2025 SEASON RECAP: Joe Gibbs Racing placed three drivers in the top five in the final standings last season with Denny Hamlin second, Chase Briscoe third, and Christopher Bell fifth. The organization’s drivers combined for 13 points-paying wins, 47 top-five finishes, 69 top-10s, 2,494 laps led, and 13 pole awards. Bell also added a non-points victory in the NASCAR All-Star Race and Ty Gibbs won the inaugural In-Season Tournament.

CHASE BRISCOE

No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE

BRISCOE AT THE DAYTONA: Chase Briscoe won the pole award and finished fourth in last year’s DAYTONA 500. The driver of the No. 19 has 10 starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway with two top-five finishes, three top-10s, and 84 laps led.

2025 SEASON RECAP: Briscoe had the best year of his Cup Series career in 2025 with career highs in nearly every statistical category and a third-place finish in the final standings. Briscoe won three races – Pocono Raceway, his second consecutive Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, and the annual playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 19 driver led all drivers with seven pole awards in addition to 15 top-five finishes, 19 top-10s, and 884 laps led.

MEET CHASE BRISCOE: Briscoe will sign autographs at the Bass Pro Shops in Daytona Beach, Florida (880 Checkered Flag Blvd Ste. N-100, Daytona Beach, FL 32114) on Friday, February 13, at 2:30 p.m. 150 wristbands will be distributed Friday at 9 a.m.

JAMES SMALL: 2026 will be James Small’s seventh season leading the No. 19 team and his second year with Briscoe behind the wheel. The first five years of his tenure as crew chief were spent with Martin Truex Jr. In 217 races atop the pit box, Small has led his drivers to 11 wins, 60 top-five finishes, 106 top-10s, 13 pole awards, and 4,677 laps led.

BASS PRO SHOPS: Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Newsweek as “America’s Most Trusted Retailer for Outdoor Gear". For more information or to shop online, visit www.basspro.com.