| Race details[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 14–15, 2021 | ||
| Location | Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (800 km) | ||
| Average speed | 144.416 miles per hour (232.415 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 47.056 | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 98 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 34 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 4.830 million[12] | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | MRN | ||
| Booth Announcers | Alex Hayden, Jeff Striegle, and Rusty Wallace | ||
| Turn Announcers | Dave Moody (1 & 2), Mike Bagley (Backstretch) and Kyle Rickey (3 & 4) | ||
The 2021 Daytona 500, the 63rd running of the event, was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on February 14–15, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 200 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) asphalt superspeedway, it was the first race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. In one of the biggest surprise upsets in Daytona 500 history, Michael McDowell, driving for Front Row Motorsports, won after Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski wrecked battling for the lead on the final lap.[13][14] McDowell was a 100–1 underdog, making his 358th Cup Series start and driving for a team with only two previous Cup Series victories.
- ^ "2021 schedule". Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ "Daytona International Speedway". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ "Entry List" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "First Practice Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ "Qualifying Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 10, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
- ^ "Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Starting Lineup". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. February 11, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Second Practice Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ "Daytona 500 Results". NASCAR.com. NASCAR. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Points standings" (PDF). Jayski.com. Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Daytona 500 TV viewers in the U.S. 2021".
- ^ "Daytona 500 2021 Results: Michael McDowell Wins After Avoiding Final-Lap Crash". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ "Michael McDowell emerges with Daytona 500 victory after massive crash on final lap". USAToday.com. Retrieved February 15, 2021.