Daytona 500 2017
Live Text
Sort by
Halfway through the first stage of the race we have our first caution as Corey LaJoie messes up his pit-lane entry. All four Stewart-Haas Fords pit. Looks like right-side tyres are needed throughout.
Dale Jr is leading a single-file line of cars on the outside of the track in 8th. He'll need some big help here to get back towards the lead. Perhaps Danica Patrick, right behind him, will be that help.
Elliott takes back the lead in his #24 on lap 24. Logano is in front of the pack but a lap behind after tyre troubles early on.
Kevin Harvick is currently leading in the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Elliott just behind.
To add to Suarez's worries, he's somehow got a flat right-front tyre. Matt Kenseth will also return to the pits to change his left-side tyres. Joe Gibbs Racing has already encountered a problem in its pit strategy.
Six cars enter the pits - all Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing. Rookie Erik Jones of FRR just missed his pit box and had to reverse back in. The other Toyota rookie, Daniel Suarez in the #19 JGR, has been penalised for speeding on pit row.
Logano is a lap down and will have to wait for a caution to get back onto the lead lap.
Joey Logano comes into the pits with a loose wheel. He had exactly the same problem in The Duel qualifying race on Thursday.
Twitter
Ryan Blaney, in 17th, has already moved up 24 positions - the highest mover so far. Jimmie Johnson must be hoping for the same as he is down in 36th right now.
Keselowski's form on restrictor-plate tracks of this type is telling. Expect the #2 Team Penske to keep pushing forwards.
Twitter
Jamie McMurray has taken the lead, pushing himself right in front of polesitter Elliott. Looks like Brad Keselowski of Team Penske is making serious moves up the field though.
As expected, Elliott and Dale Jr are helping each other out with some Hendrick drafting at the front of the grid as Clint Bowyer looks to get his nose in front in the Stewart-Haas #14 Ford.
Lights green
Green flag! The Daytona 500 is underway.
The green flag will fly after three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon's next lap of the track.
Johnson, however, won last year's final Cup race at Homestead-Miami after starting last on the grid, so qualifying positions aren't everything.
Other notable qualifiers include rookies Ty Dillon and Daniel Suarez in 17th and 18th, respectively. Jimmie Johnson is down in the 12th row after a difficult qualifying stint for him, having crashed out in the Duels.
Twitter
Autosport
Last year's winner, Denny Hamlin, will start third after winning his Duel race. Jamie McMurray will join him on the second row of the field. Here's what happened in the Duels if you need a quick reminder: 
Information
Chase Elliott and his Hendrick Motorsports team-mate Dale Earnhardt Jr take to the first row. Elliott qualified on pole after setting the fastest time in last week's session, while on his return Earnhardt took second.
It's worth noting that the qualifying session only dictated who would start on the first row. The rest of the qualifying positions were decided by the Duels - two qualifying races - which took place on Thursday.
It's worth noting that the qualifying session only dictated who would start on the first row. The rest of the qualifying positions were decided by the Duels - two qualifying races - which took place on Thursday.
Twitter
While the pace car - a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for those interested - leads the cars around the circuit, let's have a quick rundown of the qualifying order.
Twitter
Information
Owen Wilson has just given the "start your engines" command and the field fires up.
Twitter
Curiously, repairing a fault which hasn't been caused by an accident has no time limit attached to it. Expect the 'damaged vehicle policy' to affect the outcome of a race just as much as the new competition-caution rule.
Another important rule change here is that teams are now forbidden from replacing body parts that are damaged due to an accident. Teams will be allowed five minutes in pit-road to repair any bits of damaged sheet metal. Essentially, if teams have to bring a car into the garage to repair it, that car is out of the race.
Twitter
Twitter
Bonus points will be awarded to those who finish from first to 10th place after each stage. Of course, the race winner is determined by the driver who finishes first at the end of the final stage. Most importantly for fans, the caution periods bring the field back together, ensuring close racing throughout but also increasing the chances for a big accident.
At the end of each stage there will be a yellow flag, which will affect pit strategies as drivers can enter pit-lane during this caution.
There are a whole host of rule changes this season, some of which also carry over to NASCAR's Xfinity Series and the Camping Truck Series. Firstly, races will be split into three sections. The Daytona 500 will be split into two stages of 60 laps and a final 80 lap stage.
Jeff Gordon, who raced in 805 races over his 14 year career at NASCAR's highest level, will drive the pace car today. Gordon also took over driving Dale Jr's #88 car for eight races during the second half of the 2016 season.
Twitter
Twitter
Owen Wilson - the voice of Lightning McQueen in the Cars films - is one of a number of famous faces soaking up the atmosphere on the grid. It's a pleasant, sunny afternoon at Daytona - but Wilson's hat doesn't exactly shout "ka chow"...
Autosport
His return is not something just playing on the minds of those in the crowds, either. Earnhardt revealed earlier in the week that he plans to delay talks about any further NASCAR deal with Hendrick Motorsports until he's been able to evaluate his health. 
Dale Jr suffered concussion after a hard crash at Michigan in 2016. His return to NASCAR begins here at Daytona, and he'll be watched intently by the sold-out crowd.
Defending Daytona 500 champion, Denny Hamlin, also collected a huge round of applause. Of course, returnee Dale Earnhardt Jr and his team-mate Chase Elliott, who starts on pole, generated the most noise.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Lap:
