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The Daytona 500 is the most prestigious event in NASCAR, kicking off the Cup Series season with high-speed action at Daytona International Speedway. The 500-mile race, held annually since 1959, features 40 cars battling on a 2.5-mile tri-oval track.
The 2024 Daytona 500, the 66th running of the event, saw William Byron secure his first victory in the race, driving the No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports. The race featured a major crash involving 23 cars and 41 lead changes among 20 drivers.
Looking ahead, the 2025 Daytona 500 marks the 67th edition of the event, scheduled for February 16, 2025. This race will introduce multiple new teams, including Haas Factory Team, JR Motorsports, and Tricon Garage, along with the highly anticipated Cup Series debut of Shane van Gisbergen.
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As we approach the 2025 race, here are five of the most significant records in the race’s history.
#5 Fastest pole speed
In 1987, Bill Elliott set the all-time fastest pole speed at the Daytona 500, qualifying at 210.364 mph in his No. 9 Ford Thunderbird with a lap time of 42.782 seconds. Elliott also holds the record for the fastest qualifying speed at Talladega, reaching 212.089 mph. However, NASCAR introduced restrictor plates after a 1987 crash at Talladega, where Bobby Allison’s car tore through the fence at over 200 mph, injuring fans.
“Somebody will ask about those speeds back then, and I guess now it sounds crazy. I mean, we were going really, really fast,” Elliott recalled via ESPN
Today, pole speeds range between 180 and 190 mph. Kyle Larson set the slowest pole speed in 56 years at 181.025 mph in 2023.
#4 Most Daytona poles
Cale Yarborough holds the record for the most pole positions at Daytona with 13 across points races, including eight in the July 4 Firecracker 400. He won four races from the pole, including the 1968 Daytona 500 with Wood Brothers Racing.
During his Hall of Fame induction, Yarborough reflected on his journey, saying:
“I sure hoped I was going to get to this point because working in the back of the fields in that hot sun would make you want to do something else. I always dreamed of… ending up where I have ended up tonight.”
#3 Largest field
The 1960 Daytona 500 featured the largest field in race history with 68 cars. Junior Johnson won, beating Bobby Johns by 23 seconds, while Richard Petty and his father Lee Petty finished third and fourth, respectively.
Johnson’s success was due to his discovery of drafting, a NASCAR tactic where a car closely follows another to reduce air resistance and gain speed. Talking about it, Dale Jarrett (commentator for NBC) said (via NASCAR interview in 2010):
“I’m sure that a lot of drivers had felt things with the air not knowing exactly what to do or how to use it, and then Junior taught them exactly what this was about,”.
#2 Fastest Daytona 500
The fastest Daytona 500 occurred in 1980 when Buddy Baker won at an average speed of 177.602 mph despite five caution flags. He drove the No. 28 “Gray Ghost” Oldsmobile, prepared by Waddell Wilson.
Baker’s record remains intact, largely due to NASCAR’s introduction of mandatory stage breaks in 2017, making such high speeds unlikely in today's races.
Buddy Baker won the 1980 Daytona 500, with crew chief Waddell Wilson. He won his first in 1967 at Charlotte and had 16 victories before teaming up with Wilson. Their partnership also led to a Talladega win that same season, bringing Baker’s career total to 19 wins.
#1 Most records held
Richard Petty holds the record for the most Daytona 500 wins, with seven victories. He also leads in most points race wins (10), starts (74), top-five finishes (28), top-10 finishes (37), and top-20 finishes (48).
His 1979 Daytona 500 victory was historic, as it was the first live-televised NASCAR race. The race ended dramatically when Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison crashed on the final lap, allowing Petty to win. An after-race fight between Yarborough and the Allisons became one of NASCAR’s most famous moments.
“You got to see everything that the Cup series produced. It was an interesting race that came down to the very last lap,” Petty recalled in an interview with Charollete Observer.
After Petty, Cale Yarborough is the driver who has the most number of wins in the Daytona 500. He comes at a close second after Petty with four wins.
