The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is here and the festivities will begin with the 68th Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15. From there, NASCAR will head to Atlanta and Austin as it moves through a 36-race schedule that culminates with the crowning of a champion on Nov. 8 at Homestead-Miami.

In his 35 years of running the NASCAR Racing Experience, CEO Bob Lutz had never been around the Daytona International Speedway. That all changed last week.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2026) — NASCAR today announced the launch of the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O‘Reilly Auto Parts, a strategic reframing of its longstanding grassroots racing platform designed to more clearly reflect the vital role local short tracks play in communities across the United States and Canada.

SportsLine's Mike McClure, a DFS pro with over $2 million in winnings, gives his top daily Fantasy NASCAR picks for the 2026 Daytona 500 on Sunday

In the old system, drivers were highly incentivized to do whatever it took to win a race. Now, consistency matters more.

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart returns to Daytona with Ram to compete in the Truck Series on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1).

Earnhardt Jr., who won two Daytona 500s and a total of 10 races at Daytona and Talladega, called out the current superspeedway package on Tuesday's episode of the "Dale Jr. Download."

Austin Hill put in another dominant effort at Daytona as he scored the win in the United Rentals 300 despite numerous challenges in the closing laps.