Daytona 500 Schedule 2017: TV Coverage, Live Stream for Great American Race
NASCAR will make a triumphant return Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, where Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will lead the Sprint Cup Series into a new season at the Daytona 500.
It's only fitting that a young star like Elliott and a walking legend such as Earnhardt lead the way into 2017—a calendar year viewed by many in the sport as the most critical in a long time.
Team owner Joe Gibbs recently described the tense atmosphere engulfing the sport as it heads into Sunday, per ESPN.com's Ryan McGee:
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"I've been in this business for more than 25 years now and there's never been a time when so many people in the industry have held so many meetings to try and determine how we should move forward. It's real teamwork. It's exciting. And it's also unprecedented. I can't wait to see where it takes us.
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The journey for the sport and its fans will begin Sunday in the wake of the Can-Am Duels late last week that handed out berths and set the starting order.
Below, let's take a comprehensive look at the critical details surrounding the Great American Race.
Viewing Details
Where: Daytona International Speedway
When: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Daytona 500 Lineup
| 1. | Chase Elliott |
| 2. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| 3. | Jamie McMurray |
| 4. | Denny Hamlin |
| 5. | Kevin Harvick |
| 6. | Clint Bowyer |
| 7. | Brad Keselowski |
| 8. | Kurt Busch |
| 9. | Matt Kenseth |
| 10. | Austin Dillon |
| 11. | Trevor Bayne |
| 12. | Danica Patrick |
| 13. | Aric Almirola |
| 14. | Ryan Newman |
| 15. | Joey Logano |
| 16. | Kyle Larson |
| 17. | Cole Whitt |
| 18. | Ty Dillon |
| 19. | Daniel Suarez |
| 20. | David Ragan |
| 21. | Kyle Busch |
| 22. | Michael McDowell |
| 23. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| 24. | Jimmie Johnson |
| 25. | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 26. | Kasey Kahne |
| 27. | Landon Cassill |
| 28. | DJ Kennington |
| 29. | Joey Gase |
| 30. | Michael Waltrip |
| 31. | Corey LaJoie |
| 32. | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
| 33. | Paul Menard |
| 34. | Erik Jones |
| 35. | Martin Truex Jr. |
| 36. | Ryan Blaney |
| 37. | Chris Buescher |
| 38. | AJ Allmendinger |
| 39. | Brendan Gaughan |
| 40. | Elliott Sadler |
Drivers to Watch
Denny Hamlin
NASCAR wouldn't mind a bit of history to start such a critical year.
That task falls to Denny Hamlin, who finished sixth last year in the standings after taking home first in the Daytona 500. There, he led 95 laps after starting 11th and took home the top prize, putting him in a position to be the first back-to-back winner since Sterling Marlin in 1995.
Hamlin finished last season with five consecutive top-10 finishes—form that has carried over to this year after he took the checkered flag in the second Can-Am Duel.
Even Earnhardt had to offer an old tip of the hat after Hamlin's strong showing:
Target on his back or not, Hamlin understands more than anyone what a repeat win would do for his momentum heading into the season, not to mention his career.
As for NASCAR itself, Hamlin finally morphing into a contender who can make a serious push for his first title is nothing short of a good thing. Establishing new superstars and household names in 2017 is something Hamlin would love to provide.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Speaking of Earnhardt, one of the sport's biggest names can't afford a repeat of last year.
Earnhardt remained in the headlines for all the wrong reasons a year ago, missing races and only registering seven top-10 finishes in the events he suited up for, winning zero.
The Daytona 500, at least in hindsight, provided a telling glimpse at the future for Earnhardt. There, he started third, managed to swipe the lead for 15 laps and wound up finishing 36th after colliding with a wall on the fourth turn and careening into the grass.
Now, Earnhardt not only has his eyes on a rebound, but he has also speculated about a potential farewell tour.
"To come back this year, win a championship, it would be hard not to hang it up," Earnhardt said, according to the Orlando Sentinel's George Diaz.
Someone like Earnhardt starting a possible retirement tour wouldn't hurt this season, either. It's something NASCAR can lean on while pointing out that he enters Sunday seeking his third victory at the major event.
With lessons learned from last year, Earnhardt's performance could once again tell the world how his ensuing season might unfold.
Chase Elliott
Elliott posted a top-10 finish last year and hasn't shown any signs of slowing.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver took the pole early this week before taking a checkered flag of his own in the first Can-Am Duel.
As McGee pointed out, this helped Elliott make some early history:
It's hard not to fall in love with a 21-year-old budding star who played a significant role in the series while racing late into November last year.
Combine last year with an early win ahead of the Daytona 500, and some have big ambitions for Elliott. A Fox analyst by the name of Jeff Gordon weighed in on the topic.
"Here is what is interesting. My very first Cup win was in a Duel," Gordon said, according to Fox Sports.com's Tom Jensen. "Chase's first NASCAR Cup win—in a Duel. I hope that is going to lead to Daytona 500 wins, Brickyard 400 wins and championships soon."
Elliott has the talent and momentum to make it happen Sunday. Him besting a field of veteran, experienced drivers and drawing parallels to someone such as Gordon are great ways to start the critical year off in a big way.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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