Top Daytona 500 Storylines: From a 3-Peat Attempt to a Hotshot Rookie and the Curse of the Pole Position

The 2026 Daytona 500 takes place on Sunday from Daytona International Speedway, and William Byron going for a 3-peat is among the biggest things to watch for.

Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, Austin Cindric, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford and Ryan Preece, driver of the #60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford race during the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2025. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Great American Race turns 68 years old this year when the Daytona 500 takes place on Sunday afternoon from Daytona International Speedway. It’s also nicknamed the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing, making it apropos that it takes place a week after The Big Game and with many sports fans still wanting a major event to watch on Sundays.

The 2026 Daytona 500 is loaded with intriguing storylines but none more so than the one involving the two-time defending champion, William Byron. He kicks off our list of the top narratives involving the Daytona 500 2026.

Can Byron Pull off a Historic 3-Peat?

Last year saw Byron become the fifth driver to win consecutive Daytona 500 races, and no one has ever claimed the checkered flag three years in a row. Denny Hamlin came closest in 2021 when he finished fifth, while the other back-to-back winners, and their placements in the third race, were Richard Petty (7th, 1975), Cale Yarborough (36th, 1985), and Sterling Martin (40th, 1996).