The 2018 NASCAR season gets underway on Sunday with the 60th running of the Daytona 500, the first Monster Energy Cup race of the year (2:30 p.m. ET, Fox, Fox Sports Go).
Denny Hamlin, the winner of the 2016 Daytona 500, starts in second position on Sunday after two wins and 22 top-10 finishes in a 2017 season that saw him finish sixth in the point standings. This will be his 13th Daytona 500.
“If you look at the starting grid from the Daytona 500 five years ago and you look at it today, it’s just amazing how much the image of NASCAR has changed,” Hamlin told the Associated Press on Friday.
One of those changing faces is that of Alex Bowman, who takes over the No. 88 car of the retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. and has the pole position on Sunday at the Daytona 500.
Fox will televise Sunday’s race with Mike Joy on the play-by-play along with three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon and 1989 winner Darrell Waltrip in the booth, and Larry McReynolds as in-race analyst. Jamie Little, Regan Smith, Vince Welch and Matt Yocum will provide updates from Pit Road throughout the race.
Pre-race coverage begins at 11 a.m. with race coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. The green flag is set for 2:49 p.m. Online streaming is available through Fox Sports Go.
Daytona 500 Sunday schedule
11 a.m.: NASCAR Raceday (Fox; John Roberts, Jeff Hammond, Bobby Labonte)
1 p.m.: Fox NASCAR Sunday (Fox; Chris Myers, Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon)
2:30 p.m.: Daytona 500 race (Fox)
2:49 p.m.: Green flag