NASCAR at Daytona road course 2021: Start time, lineup, TV schedule and more for O’Reilly Auto Parts 253
After the annual race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, was canceled before the 2021 season began, NASCAR needed an alternative. The series found an easy solution — remain in Daytona Beach, Florida, for another week. Only this time, drivers will race on the road course at Daytona International Speedway instead of the oval.
The Cup Series began the season with an exhibition race on the Daytona road course — the Busch Clash, which Kyle Busch won when Chase Elliott took out leader Ryan Blaney on the final lap — before moving to the 2.5-mile oval for the 63rd Daytona 500. With NASCAR's most famous race under their belt, drivers will get another crack at the road course — this time for points and a playoff berth.
Here's all the information you need to get ready for Sunday's O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the road course at Daytona International Speedway:
START TIME: 3 p.m. ET. GREEN FLAG: Drivers are scheduled to take the green flag and begin the race at 3:20 p.m. ET.
TV: Fox. Pre-race broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. ET.
RADIO: Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. STREAMING: Fox Sports Go (must have TV provider) and FOX Sports app, YouTube TV (2-week free trial), Hulu + Live TV (7-day free trial), Sling TV (3-day free trial), fuboTV (7-day free trial).
RACE DISTANCE: 70 laps around the 14-turn, 3.61-mile road course for a total of 253 miles.
STAGE LENGTHS (laps per stage): Stage 1: 16, Stage 2: 18, Stage 3: 36.
NASCAR Cup Series drivers raced on the Daytona International Speedway road course for the first time last season. (Photo: Douglas DeFelice, USA TODAY Sports)
LAST TIME: Chase Elliott won NASCAR's inaugural race on the Daytona road course on Aug. 16, 2020. Elliott led 34 laps, including the final 13, and edged Denny Hamlin by a miniscule 0.202 seconds.
QUALIFYING: There was no on-track qualifying for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253. Instead, the lineup was determined by using NASCAR’s new competition-based formula:
- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
LINEUP: Elliott, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, earned the pole and will lead the field to green alongside Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell.
Here is the lineup for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 (car number in parentheses):
1. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
2. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford
3. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
5. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford
6. (37) Ryan Preece, Chevrolet
7. (7) Corey Lajoie, Chevrolet
8. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
9. (42) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
10. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
11. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
12. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
13. (41) Cole Custer, Ford
14. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota
15. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford
16. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet
17. (1) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet
18. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford
19. (19) Martin Truex Jr, Toyota
20. (77) Justin Haley, Chevrolet
21. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet
22. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
23. (52) Josh Bilicki, Ford
24. (8) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet
25. (53) Garrett Smithley, Ford
26. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford
27. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
28. (78) Scott Heckert, Ford
29. (00) Quin Houff, Chevrolet
30. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
31. (38) Anthony Alfredo, Ford
32. (21) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford
33. (6) Ryan Newman, Ford
34. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
35. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
36. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
37. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet
38. (96) Ty Dillon, Toyota
39. (15) James Davison, Chevrolet
40. (66) Timmy Hill, Ford
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