Hendrick Motorsports storms into the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 15, eyeing a momentous milestone as William Byron attempts an unprecedented third consecutive victory. The team, renowned for its legacy of dominance and led by top drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, and Corey Day, approaches the NASCAR Cup Series opener with momentum and the ambition to further solidify its record-breaking status.
Kyle Larson Looks to Maintain Defending Champion Status
Kyle Larson, originating from Elk Grove, California, starts the new Cup season as the reigning champion, aiming to repeat a feat last accomplished by Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Larson, entering his 13th Daytona 500 attempt, previously achieved a seventh-place best finish at this legendary race in both 2016 and 2019. The No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet driver earned pole position and led 67 laps at the preseason Clash at Bowman Gray, signaling the team’s strong early pace. Notably, Larson is on the verge of becoming just the fifth driver to achieve a career grand slam in crown jewel events should he win at Daytona, joining an elite group that includes Dale Jarrett, who last accomplished the defending champion’s Daytona victory in 2000.
Larson’s recent performance on drafting tracks underscores his strength, finishing second by just two points in this category for 2025 and averaging an 11.14 finish over his last seven starts on such circuits. His focus remains fixed on teamwork and meticulous execution across every superspeedway, vital for success at Daytona.
“For me, the mindset is the same as it is at any superspeedway, executing as a team. Not just as a specific team, but as an organization, focusing on how you execute throughout the race: fuel mileage and fuel saving, executing green-flag stops, positioning yourself after the cycle, and then making good decisions from there. I feel like we understand the recipe to run well at superspeedways, and I think we’ve done a good job over the last three or four years. Last year, we finally got rewarded for being up front, so it was great to see the checkered flag at every superspeedway, which was something really unique for me. Hopefully this year is even better, and we can get that first superspeedway win, especially starting off at Daytona. I’d love that. It’s great to begin the season with the biggest race of the year, and it would be amazing to cap off last year by turning that momentum into a win in the DAYTONA 500.”
– Kyle Larson, Driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet
Chase Elliott Seeks To Rewrite Daytona 500 Narrative
Chase Elliott, hailing from Dawsonville, Georgia, will contest his 11th Daytona 500 fresh off a strong performance streak on drafting circuits. Despite never securing a points-paying victory on Daytona’s oval, Elliott came agonizingly close as the runner-up in 2021 and narrowly missed out after running out of fuel in 2017. As the youngest Daytona 500 pole winner, Elliott also boasts two Duel at Daytona victories and four Cup wins on drafting tracks—including two at Atlanta and two at Talladega.
In 2025, the 2020 Cup Series champion finished in the top 10 in three of the last four drafting-track events, clinching a win at Atlanta. His crew chief, Ormond Beach’s Alan Gustafson, is tied for the most Daytona 500 poles for a crew chief in history. Elliott’s prospects remain high with consistent speed and a history of success at similar venues.
“We’ve had some really close opportunities to win, that we didn’t capitalize on for one reason or another, but a lot of things have to go your way in that race to ultimately change that narrative. From my perspective, just to have another opportunity with a great team, and to know going in, ‘hey, we’re going to have a car capable of winning,’ you know, that’s really all you can ask for from where I sit. So, I’ve been fortunate to have that feeling every time I’ve been with Hendrick Motorsports over the years.”
– Chase Elliott, Driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet
William Byron Eyes Historic Three-Peat at Daytona
William Byron, the Charlotte, North Carolina native, stands on the threshold of making Daytona 500 history as the youngest driver ever to win back-to-back events—and he now has the chance to become the first ever to claim three straight wins. Byron’s stronghold at Daytona is unmatched by his contemporaries, with three Cup Series wins at this venue, including his first in August 2020. His five victories at drafting-style tracks tie him for second all-time among Hendrick drivers, trailing only the legendary Jeff Gordon.
Byron’s impressive run of form, paired with crew chief Rudy Fugle—who enters their sixth season and 175th start together—establishes the No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet as a potent threat. The duo’s notable chemistry and consistency has translated into 15 wins, making them the third-longest active Cup Series pairing. Byron’s reputation as the only repeat winner at drafting tracks in the last dozen events strengthens his bid for history this weekend.
“I don’t know yet. I think it’d be huge. It would just be something that you’re proud of that you were able to every year find, kind of a new way to do it because there’s been two of them so far and both of them were really different and I think the third one, if that happened, would take a different form. Figuring out how to reinvent yourself within that race, I think that would be the biggest thing that sticks with you, probably. Sort of what it means to everyone on the team too. I think the team guys take a lot of pride in bringing a really good car and all the preparation that goes into that.”
– William Byron, Driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet
Alex Bowman Extends Front Row Qualifying and Top-10 Streak
Alex Bowman, representing Tucson, Arizona, brings the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet to Daytona with a reputation for qualifying excellence and race-day consistency. Bowman has started on the front row six times in the Daytona 500, including three poles—just one shy of the event record held by Bill Elliott, Buddy Baker, and Cale Yarborough. His active three-year top-10 finish streak at the event, all alongside crew chief Blake Harris, leads the field.
Last year, Bowman narrowly missed a Daytona victory, finishing second to teammate Byron, and closed out the 2025 season 13th in points. His six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 2025 helped him clinch the final playoff berth for the second straight season—his fifth career appearance.
“There’s a lot of excitement around Daytona; we’ve had a lot of good runs there the last couple of years. Being a crown jewel event, the one that kicks off our season, it’s a big deal. At the same time, it is just another race and having a solid run would be a great way to kick off the season. We have a lot of new faces on the 48 team, most of them have worked together in the past and I’m excited to get to work with everyone.”
– Alex Bowman, Driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet
Corey Day Launches Full-Time Campaign with Hendrick in NOAPS
Corey Day, at just 20 years old from Clovis, California, embarks on his first full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Series campaign with Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 17 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet. This marks Hendrick’s first complete NOAPS season since 2006. In 2025, Day competed in 11 NOAPS races, posting two top-10 finishes and a career-best fourth at Las Vegas.
Day’s maiden Daytona experience came in the 2025 ARCA Series with Spire Motorsports, where he finished 22nd. His readiness is further underlined by multiple offseason sprint car wins, including consecutive victories at the USAC Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura Raceway. The young prospect acknowledges both his anticipation and nerves heading into his superspeedway debut at Daytona in this new series.
“Daytona will be my first superspeedway in the (NOAPS) car and that’s kind of my last new discipline of stock car racing. I’m super excited and a little anxious for what’s to come and what’s going to happen. It’s hard to control a lot of things on superspeedways so I’ll try and control what I can, and we’ll see how it goes. I think we have a really good car and it’ll be a fun experience to start the season.”
– Corey Day, Driver of the No. 17 Chevrolet
Hendrick Motorsports’ Unmatched Daytona Legacy
The entire Hendrick Motorsports organization enters 2026 after celebrating its record-setting 15th Cup championship, a lead established by its all-time highs in wins (320), pole positions (259), top-five finishes (1,322), top 10s (2,260), and laps led (85,367). Hendrick has triumphed at Daytona more than any other team, now holding 10 victories—the most ever by a single operation—and uniquely capturing the Great American Race in five different decades.
Pioneers such as Geoff Bodine, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and William Byron have all contributed to this storied history. In addition, Hendrick’s dominance extends to qualifying, with 16 Daytona 500 poles—ten more than any rival—and four 1-2 finishes in event history, another all-time high. This tradition of excellence sets a formidable foundation for a run at continued glory in 2026.
What’s at Stake in This Year’s Daytona 500?
As the engines fire at Daytona International Speedway, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series sees Hendrick Motorsports poised to push boundaries. Eyes are firmly set on William Byron’s pursuit of a third straight Daytona 500 win, an accomplishment that would further etch his and the team’s names in stock car racing lore. The lineup’s collective strengths—Larson’s consistency and title defense, Elliott’s hunger for a Daytona win, Bowman’s qualifying prowess, and Day’s enthusiasm—promise intense competition.
With both individual ambitions and the team’s illustrious record in play, the Daytona 500 stands as the season’s most consequential starting point, offering both the thrill of tradition and the potential for new milestones in racing supremacy.
