Daytona 500 Evolves From Raw Speed to Survival

NASCAR's biggest race is now more about avoiding crashes than pure horsepower.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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The Daytona 500, NASCAR's premier event, has evolved over nearly 70 years from a race focused on raw speed to one that is more about survival and avoiding crashes. While top speeds remain staggering, the race has seen the rise of drafting, slingshot passes, tandem drafting, and pack racing that has made the final laps a chaotic scramble to the finish line rather than a showcase of the fastest cars.

Why it matters

The changes to the Daytona 500 over the decades reflect the broader evolution of NASCAR racing, as the sanctioning body has tried various rules and regulations to keep cars from becoming dangerously fast and to prevent major crashes. This has transformed the race from a pure test of speed to one that requires drivers to carefully navigate the pack and time their moves to perfection in order to have a chance at victory.

The details

In the early days of the Daytona 500, drivers were astonished by the high speeds of the new superspeedway, with pole speeds reaching 140 mph. But over time, innovations like the draft and slingshot passes changed the nature of the race. As speeds continued to climb, NASCAR introduced restrictor plates and other rules changes to limit top speeds, leading to the pack racing and chaotic finishes seen today. Drivers now have to balance speed, fuel conservation, and careful positioning to have a shot at winning, rather than just running flat-out every lap.

  • The first Daytona 500 was held in 1959.
  • In 1974, David Pearson used the slingshot pass to win the Firecracker 400 at Daytona.
  • In the past 21 Daytona 500s, the final green-flag stretch has been 2 laps or less in 17 races.

The players

Bill France Sr.

The founder of NASCAR who designed the Daytona International Speedway layout in the late 1950s.

Charles Moneypenny

Worked with Bill France Sr. on the design of the Daytona International Speedway layout.

Junior Johnson

A pioneering NASCAR driver who discovered the benefits of drafting and lock-step driving with another car.

David Pearson

A NASCAR legend who used the slingshot pass to win the 1974 Firecracker 400 at Daytona.

Richard Petty

A seven-time NASCAR champion who called Pearson's slingshot pass in 1974 "dangerous."

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What they’re saying

“I feel like it's a little harder to show your skills as a speedway racer with this car than what it used to be, and that's just the way this car is.”

— Ryan Blaney

“Last year I thought for sure we were going to win it, just where we were and who we were racing and I was positioning ourselves and then you just crash. That's just the Daytona 500 nowadays. Getting crashed is a large possibility.”

— Denny Hamlin, 3-time Daytona 500 winner

“The storm is brewing. You know it and you start to realize where you are and what can and can't happen. The worst, honestly, is if you're fourth row back, kind of locked in on the bottom maybe, and you realize that I'm probably not gonna win from where I'm at and I'm probably gonna crash. You start to realize that.”

— Joey Logano, 2015 Daytona 500 winner

What’s next

The 2026 Daytona 500 will be held on February 16, 2026, where drivers will look to navigate the pack racing and avoid the chaotic crashes that have become a hallmark of the event in recent years.

The takeaway

The Daytona 500, once a pure test of raw speed, has evolved into a race that requires drivers to carefully manage their position in the pack, time their moves precisely, and above all, survive the inevitable crashes that occur in the frantic final laps. This transformation reflects the broader changes in NASCAR racing as the sanctioning body has tried to balance safety, competition, and entertainment.