This week’s race: Daytona 500

What: 200 laps (500 miles)

Where: Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile banked, tri-oval in Daytona Beach, Fla.

When: 1 p.m. Sunday

TV: Fox

Radio: Motor Racing Network

Last year’s winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Also this week: NextEra 250, Camping World Truck Series, Daytona International Speedway, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fox Sports 1.

▪ Alert Today Florida 300, Xfinity Series, Daytona International Speedway, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Fox Sports 1.

Worth mentioning: Singer/songwriter Phillip Phillips will sing the national anthem before Sunday’s 57th annual Daytona 500. The Season 11 winner of “American Idol” spent the summer on a co-headline tour with O.A.R. before setting out on a national headline tour this past fall.

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not

HOT

Jeff Gordon: Will start from the pole in what will be the final Daytona 500 of his NASCAR career.

Jimmie Johnson: Joins Hendrick Motorsports teammate on the front row – the fourth hime HMS has swept the 500 front row.

Matt Kenseth: Won his first Sprint Unlimited race Saturday night, making it two in a row for Joe Gibbs Racing drivers.

Austin Hill: Kicked off the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season by leading every lap in his win at New Smyrna.

Carl Edwards: In his first season with JGR, he finished third in the Unlimited and locked himself into the 500 field with a strong qualifying effort Sunday.

NOT

Stewart-Haas Racing: None of its four drivers advanced to the final round of Daytona 500 qualifying.

Reed Sorenson: Wrecked his primary car in Sunday’s qualifying.

Clint Bowyer: Already has been caught up in two wrecks in Speedweeks.

Jim Utter

This story was originally published February 19, 2015 at 7:54 PM with the headline "This week’s race: Daytona 500."