The Daytona 500 lasts 500 miles, which is 200 laps and is held anually in Dayton Beach, Florida. The first race took place in 1959. It is very crucial because it is the most important race for all NASCAR drivers. It also opens the Sprint Cup Series. If you win the Daytona 500, you are given the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane and the car driven is displayed in a museum for one year. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the champion of 2014. Earnhardt is looking to become the fourth driver to win the race two consecutive times.
Richard Petty has won seven Daytona 500's, which is the most ever. Current racer Jeff Gordon has three titles to his name. Petty Enterprises has won the title nine years, but Hendrick Motorsports has eight Daytona 500 wins to their team name and are looking to expand this year.
As far as manufacturers go, Chevrolet has won 23 Daytona 500's, while cars driving Ford have won just 13 times.
The Great American Race will feature 43 drivers. Here is a list of the top drivers and some information on those participating in the Daytona 500.
Jeff Gordon starts at the final row for his last Daytona 500. He is looking to put a great ending to the first chapter of his final season. He has won this race three times and could expand it to four.
Jimmy Johnson starts off in second. He won the Budweiser Duel on Thursday and was practically impossible to move around. Johnson has already won two 500's and might just swipe his third.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., son of Dale Ernhardt, the famous number three will start the race in third. He won the race last year and is looking to defend his title. Both Johnson and Earnhardt are on the same team and are shop mates. It only makes sense that the two will work together to secure top sports.
Kyle Busch, brother of indefinitely suspended Kurt Busch, will start in fourth place. He has been very aggressive, but will need to stay under control to keep out of a crash. He should be more patient and smart rather than aggressive.
However, it was later reported that Busch would not race because of a right leg injury that sent him to the hospital. Matt Crafton will replace him.
Joey Logano is just as aggressive as Busch. He will push and shove and does not make friends. It will be great to see him right behind Busch, another aggressive driver in fifth place.
Carl Edwards starts in sixth and is representing his new team, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota). Lately, he has struggled to win much of anything, but he always is in the hunt. This might just be his year.
Tony Stewart will start in seventh and is looked upon as one of the top racers. However, he has never won the Daytona 500. He is hungry this time around, and he is poised for a comeback season. If he wants to get it done, this would be the time and place to start.
Greg Biffle starts in eighth. He has been a contender at Daytona the past few years. His team, Roush Fenway Racind (Ford), has brought in multiple "young guns" that could help carry Biffle to the first place finish.
Clint Bowyer will begin in ninth. He raced his way into the Daytona 500 after a scary crash in qualifying. He has talent, but he will have to rely on his team, Michawl Waltrip Racing (Toyota), to influence him to use his drafting abilities to his advantage.
Kevin Harvick will start in 11th place and has been very quiet lately, but he is looking to change that on Sunday.
Kasey Kahne will begin in 13th place and has struggled getting in multiple wrecks in big moments. He is also with Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) and will have to rely on Johnson, Gordon or Dale Jr. to help him get through to the finish line.
Jamie McMurray has a speedy car, is very talented and will start in 15th. Back in 2010, he won in Daytona. Who knows, maybe he will win again, five years later.
Danica Patrick rolls in starting in 20th. She wrecked three cars and got into it with Denny Hamlin. When it comes to the race, she is just as serious as the other guys. In 2013, she finished in eighth place.
Starting in 24th was Kurt Busch, brother of Kyle, but his worst dream has set into play. He will not race because he was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for domestic violence against his former girlfriend. His future is in jeopardy and the Delaware attorney general will decide whether to formally charge him for domestic abuse. Regan Smith will replace Busch and start in 24th place.
Austin Dillon will start in 30th place. He gained ton of national attention when he won the pole for this race last year. Fans and racers would go crazy if he won the Daytona 500 in Dale Earnhardt's famous number three car.
Starting right behind Dillon is brother Ty Dillon at 31st. In his case, he is aggressive and has nothing to lose. As a matter of fact, he is much more aggressive than his brother, which could propell him to the top.
Michael Waltrip starts in 34th place. He has won the race two times in his career and will get one more shot to make it three. Waltrip is replacing Brian Vickers, who is ill and needs to recover. Because he is racing; he will not be broadcasting at all.
Matt Kenseth has also won this race two times. He also won the Sprint Unlimited and is the biggest threat to Hendrick Motorsports. Kenseth starts in 35th and could win his third Daytona 500 if he gets help from his teammates.
At 42 out of 43 sits, Denny Hamlin, after being rough and tangled with Patrick, has dropped down to the back. He has an awful habit of getting in wrecks at Daytona. He needs to stay away from Patrick and maybe hang low to make a late run.
Brad Keselowski is starting towards the back at 39, after awful runs in the duels. He will need his teammate, Logano, to find him and help him get to the front via drafting.
The youngest to win the Daytona 500 was Trevor Bayne in 2011. He was 20 years and one day old. The oldest to win the race was Bobby Allison in 1988. He was 50 years and 73 days old.
Kid Rock will do a concert before the race and Phillip Phillips will sing the national anthem. After, Vince Vaughn, an actor, will command the drivers to start their engines at 1:19 PM EST. The drivers will take the green flag a 1:31 PM.
Full starting lineup for Daytona 500:
Jeff Gordon
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Matt Crafton (subbing for Kyle Busch)
Joey Logano
Carl Edwards
Tony Stewart
Greg Biffle
Clint Bowyer
Martin Truex Jr.
Kevin Harvick
Ryan Blaney
Kasey Kahne
Reed Sorenson
Jamie McMurray
Mike Wallace
Landon Cassill
Justin Allgaier
Cole Whitt
Danica Patrick
Paul Menard
Ryan Menard
Michael McDowell
Regan Smith (subbing for Kurt Busch)
JJ Yeley
David Gilliland
Michael Annett
David Ragan
Kyle Larson
Austin Dillon
Ty Dillon
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Aric Almirola
Michael Waltrip
Matt Kenseth
Johnny Sauter
Trevor Bayne
Sam Hornish Jr.
Brad Keselowski
AJ Allmendinger
Casey Mears
Denny Hamlin
Bobby Labonte