Daytona 500 Schedule 2019: TV Coverage and Schedule for NASCAR Season Opener

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is nearing its first race of the season, and it's a big one.

Forty drivers will take the green flag on Sunday afternoon as a new campaign begins with the Daytona 500. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Alex Bowman will start on the front row and lead the field into the first lap of the new campaign.

There has already been some competitive Cup Series action during Daytona Speedweeks, including the Advance Auto Parts Clash and the Gander RV Duels at Daytona. However, the Great American Race will be the first of 36 points races in the 2019 season.

Upcoming NASCAR Schedule

Saturday, Feb. 16

Xfinity Series qualifying, 9:40 a.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Monster Energy Cup Series final practice, 12:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Xfinity Series NASCAR Racing Experience 300, 2:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

Sunday, Feb. 17

Monster Energy Cup Series Daytona 500, 2:30 p.m. ET, Fox

Daytona 500 Starting Order

1. William Byron

2. Alex Bowman

3. Kevin Harvick

4. Joey Logano

5. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

6. Clint Bowyer

7. Paul Menard

8. Aric Almirola

9. Matt DiBenedetto

10. Denny Hamlin

11. Martin Truex Jr.

12. Kurt Busch

13. Bubba Wallace

14. Ryan Blaney

15. Chris Buescher

16. Jamie McMurray

17. Jimmie Johnson

18. Chase Elliott

19. Ryan Newman

20. Austin Dillon

21. Ryan Preece

22. Ty Dillon

23. Daniel Suarez

24. David Ragan

25. Parker Kligerman

26. Kyle Larson

27. Landon Cassill

28. Erik Jones

29. Daniel Hemric

30. Brendan Gaughan

31. Kyle Busch

32. Corey LaJoie

33. Matt Tifft

34. Michael McDowell

35. Brad Keselowski

36. Ross Chastain

37. Cody Ware

38. B.J. McLeod

39. Tyler Reddick

40. Casey Mears

First-Time Daytona Winner?

There are eight former Daytona 500 winners in this year's field—Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon. And there are also quite a few drivers who could notch their first Daytona 500 victory on Sunday.

Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are all former Cup Series champions, but none of the three have won the Great American Race. Truex is starting 11th in this year's Daytona 500, but Busch (31st) and Keselowski (35th) will both be near the back of the field and will have to work their way up.

Although Keselowski will be starting in one of the last rows, he is still tied with Logano for the best odds to win this year's Daytona 500, per OddsShark.

Aric Almirola and Chase Elliott finished fifth and sixth in the Cup Series point standings last year, but neither driver has won the Daytona 500. So one of those two could also be in contention to win his first Great American Race.

OddsShark has Clint Bowyer and Ryan Blaney tied for the fourth-best odds to win the Daytona 500. Both drivers made the playoffs last year, and neither has previously won the Great American Race.

The starting front row is also composed of two drivers who have never won the Daytona 500 in Byron and Bowman. It will be interesting to see how the Hendrick duo works together to try to fend off the rest of the field and how successful they are in doing so.