Daytona 500 weekend schedule released; extra Cup Series practice added

NASCAR officials released the weekend schedule Thursday for the annual Speedweek festivities at Daytona International Speedway, revealing details on four season-opening races and an expanded practice schedule for the Daytona 500 main event Sunday, Feb. 16.

The schedule arrived in conjunction with NASCAR officials announcing adjustments to the practice and qualifying procedures for its three national series, in addition to the release of race-weekend schedules for the first portion of the 2025 calendar. The schedule for Daytona’s season-opening event, however, has typically had its own distinct traits, and this year’s version keeps up that tradition.

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NASCAR officials announced that a 50-minute pre-qualifying practice for the Cup Series has been added to the schedule for Wed., Feb. 12 — officially opening on-track activity for the week at 10 a.m. ET. Daytona 500 Media Day will follow from noon to 7 p.m. ET, with Busch Light Pole Qualifying for the “Great American Race” set for 8:15 p.m. ET that evening.

Cup Series director Brad Moran said Wednesday that competition officials opted to add the 50-minute session to allow teams to have extra preparation before qualifying and to provide rookies and new team/driver combinations with more time for at-track orientation.

“With the Daytona 500 being the biggest race of the NASCAR season and our first race, we felt that the extra practice would be good,” Moran said. “We have new drivers coming up that are going to be running Cup full-time as well as some drivers who might just show up to run the Daytona 500. It’s a good opportunity to get out on the track, get some track time, shake the cars down prior to qualifying that night, a little more content for the fans and just to get us set up for a great week of racing with everything going on. It’s just going to set the tone for the entire week.”

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The 67th Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will mark the culmination of a week full of season-opening events, with the lid lifted on the 2025 slate for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Friday, Feb. 14, plus the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday, Feb. 15. The complete TV broadcast schedule for the week’s on-track activity at the 2.5-mile speedway will be announced later.

2025 DAYTONA SPEEDWEEK SCHEDULE

(All times Eastern)

Wednesday, Feb. 12

10:05-10:55 a.m. — Cup Series opening practice

Noon-7 p.m. — Daytona 500 Media Day

8:15 p.m. — Cup Series pole qualifying

Thursday, Feb. 13

4:05-4:55 p.m. — ARCA Menards Series practice

5:05-5:55 p.m. — Craftsman Truck Series practice

7 p.m. — Cup Series: Duel 1 qualifying race (60 laps, 150 miles)

8:45 p.m. (approx.) — Cup Series: Duel 2 qualifying race (60 laps, 150 miles)

Friday, Feb. 14