NASCAR at Daytona road race: How to watch, track info, starting order

NASCAR will be back at Daytona International Speedway this Sunday for its next Cup Series race at the Daytona road course. The race starts at 3 p.m. on FOX.

Last weekend’s Daytona 500 was delayed for nearly six hours due to rain, but this weekend’s weather looks promising with a mostly sunny forecast Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Prior to the Daytona 500, which was won in surprising, last-lap passing fashion by Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell, 21 Cup drivers raced on the Daytona road course for the exhibition Busch Clash race, which also ended with a late-lap upset. Kyle Busch passed Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott coming to the checkered flag after the race leaders made contact on the final turn on the road course.

“You have to learn from it,” said Elliott, who won last year’s points race on the Daytona road course.

Elliott said he didn’t intentionally crash Blaney in the Clash and was trying to race beside him when the two made contact. He said he’ll still do whatever it takes to challenge for the win this weekend.

“It’s like I said after the race: If I’m not trying to win, then what am I doing?” Elliott said. “And I think that’s pretty cut-and-dry. So if the lane’s there for me and you’re coming to the checkered flag, I think you have to give yourself a chance to win in that situation.”

Blaney said last week that he would make the same move if the roles are reversed this week. It could be another match-up of the off-track friends for the finish.

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Busch and Martin Truex Jr. could also be names in the mix at the checkered flag after strong performances in the Clash. Truex crashed from the lead late in the race after hitting dirt on the course, but NASCAR has made modifications to the backstretch chicane and installed additional lighting to help prevent cars from sliding on the dirt.

This weekend will also mark the next on-track meeting of Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski after the drivers wrecked each other from the lead in the final seconds of the Daytona 500. Logano said he planned to speak with Keselowski before this weekend’s race.

“We’re still teammates,” Logano said Friday. “We will have to figure this out. We may not have to agree on everything, but we at least have to find a way to move forward.”

Elliott is starting on the pole for Sunday’s race with McDowell in the front row.

NASCAR this weekend: How to watch the race at Daytona

• Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 At Daytona
• When: Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.
  
  
• How to watch/listen: FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 70 laps, 252.7 miles on the 14-turn, 3.61-mile road course
• Stages: laps 16, 34, 70
• Last year’s winner: Chase Elliott

NASCAR Cup at Daytona RC starting lineup

This story was originally published February 21, 2021 at 7:00 AM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription