Daytona International Speedway 2025 NASCAR Track Profile

[Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today, or buy one at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]

Daytona is where is all started for NASCAR, and Daytona International Speedway is host of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious stock car race in the world. The 2.5-mile superspeedway is known for pack racing, with the draft being the most essential tool used by drivers. While the overall speed of a racecar does play a factor, winning often comes down to who can dance through the draft and avoid trouble.

Because of that, Daytona is one of the tracks where almost anyone who takes the green flag has a chance of winning. In fact, the most recent winner, Harrison Burton, was 34th in points when he survived the melees and utilized the pushes to score his first career Cup win.

There have been six different winners at Daytona in six races since NASCAR went to the Next Gen car in 2022. And despite these races being a jump ball, there are still the usual suspects who have a knack for the pack.

Although they haven’t won in the Next Gen era, Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell have been consistent threats. Busch has led in all six of those races, has the best average finish in that span (9.3) and came close to winning in three of the past four. Bell, meanwhile, has posted three third-place finishes in that time.

Brad Keselowski and 2015 Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano can often be seen at the front, as they’re the only two drivers to lead over 100 laps in the past six races combined. Logano’s teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney have also both won on the high banks and are contenders each trip.

And as always, keep an eye on Rick Hendrick’s stable of drivers, as HMS horsepower can keep his cars up front.

Daytona International Speedway track info

Site: Daytona Beach, Florida

Laps: 2.5-mile tri-oval

Banking/Turns: 31 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees

2025 Dates: Feb. 16; Aug. 23

Distance: February - 200 laps, 500 miles; August - 160 laps, 400 miles

2024 race winners

February: William Byron

August: Harrison Burton

Scouting report

On one hand, Daytona is starting to develop a lot of character with a surface that was last repaved in 2010; there are some bumps and it generates tire wear. On the other, the current Cup Series car makes a lot more grip than its predecessor – and the current rules package keeps cars wadded up in a tight pack that makes it challenging to pass. That’s why manufacture strategies have become so prevalent. It’s also why a big crash is inevitable at the end when everyone is locked in place.