What time does the Daytona 500 start? TV channel, green flag time for 2020 NASCAR opener

Tadd Haislop

What time does the Daytona 500 start? TV channel, green flag time for 2020 NASCAR opener image

With a start time of 2:30 p.m. ET and the green flag scheduled to wave at 3:05 p.m. ET, the Daytona 500 likely will be a race that begins with plenty of Florida sunshine but ends at night. That's been the case for the Great American Race over the last few years.

This is partly due to how long of a race the NASCAR Cup Series season-opener has become. Yes, advertisers pay big bucks to show commercials during stock car racing's finest event, and Fox stuffs in as many ads as possible, but the nature of superspeedway racing over the last few seasons has made the Daytona 500 something of a marathon and a game of survival. Expect the same in 2020 — several multi-car crashes, likely causing at least one red flag.

MORE: Complete Daytona 500 starting lineup

Fox in 2020 will broadcast the Daytona 500 for the 14th consecutive season, and it's the network's 20th year overall covering NASCAR Cup Series races. Fox's prerace coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET with a special edition of NASCAR RaceDay on FS1. At 1 p.m. ET, the network's coverage will move to Fox and lead into the start of the race.

Below is all you need to know to watch the 2020 Daytona 500, including the green flag time, the TV channel and live stream info.

What time does the Daytona 500 start in 2020?

  • Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • Green flag time: 3:05 p.m. ET

The start time of 2:30 p.m. ET for the Daytona 500 is really the start time for prerace ceremonies, which include the invocation, the national anthem, the command to start engines and the pace laps.

Which means the Daytona 500 won't actually get underway until roughly 3:05 p.m. ET, when the green flag is scheduled to wave.

As usual, Fox's coverage of the Daytona 500 will begin long before that green flag time. The network will air a special edition of NASCAR RaceDay on FS1 beginning at 11 a.m. ET, and at 1 p.m. ET, the show will move to Fox and stay there until the network's Daytona 500 coverage begins with the start of prerace ceremonies at 2:30 p.m. ET.

MORE: Why is Donald Trump at the Daytona 500?

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How long is the Daytona 500?

A 500-mile race at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway means the Daytona 500 is scheduled for 200 laps, and the race will be broken into three stages.

Stage 1 will end on Lap 65, Stage 2 will end on Lap 130 and Stage 3 will end on Lap 200 — making the stage lengths 65 laps, 65 laps and 70 laps, respectively.

Sunset at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday will occur at 6:14 p.m. ET, a little more than three hours after the Daytona 500 begins. Even without rain delays or lengthy red flags, the race is sure to end under the lights.

What channel is the Daytona 500 on today?

The Daytona 500 in 2020 will air live on the network that has been its home for the last 13 years. Overall, Fox is beginning its 20th season of NASCAR Cup Series coverage.

On the call of the 2020 Daytona 500 for Fox will be Mike Joy and Jeff Gordon, marking the first race the duo has worked together since longtime Fox NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip retired. Joy will call his 41st Daytona 500, and Gordon will call his fifth.

"In a two-man booth, you’re much more focused on the call of the race and not looking for other storylines," Joy told Sporting News when asked about the pros and cons of Fox's new broadcast setup.

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Fox also will lean on additional analysis from Jamie McMurray. The recently retired driver will be joined by Larry McReynolds, the longtime Fox broadcaster who again will deliver information on race trends and team strategy, basically the crew chief of the broadcast.

The veteran reporting team of Matt Yocum, Jamie Little, Vince Welch and Regan Smith will provide stories and updates from pit road for the Daytona 500. Chris Myers and Adam Alexander will anchor Fox's prerace coverage.

Daytona 500 live stream

Cord-cutters shouldn't have a problem finding a live stream for the 2020 Daytona 500 — Sling, Hulu, YouTube TV, fuboTV and AT&T Now all carry Fox.

Another option: Anybody who has a cable or satellite subscription can access Fox's live broadcast of the Daytona 500 via Fox Sports Go.

NASCAR TV schedule 2020

DateRaceTrackStart timeTV channelRadioWinner
Feb. 16Daytona 500Daytona International Speedway2:30 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
Feb. 23Pennzoil 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway3:30 p.m. ETFoxPRN-
March 1Auto Club 400Auto Club Speedway3:30 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
March 8FanShield 500Phoenix Raceway3:30 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
March 15Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Atlanta Motor Speedway2 p.m. ETFoxPRN-
March 22Dixie Vodka 400Homestead-Miami Speedway2 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
March 29O’Reilly Auto Parts 500Texas Motor Speedway2 p.m. ETFS1PRN-
April 5Food City 500Bristol Motor Speedway2 p.m. ETFS1PRN-
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April 19Toyota Owners 400Richmond Raceway2 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
April 26Geico 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m. ETFoxMRN-
May 3NASCAR Cup Series Race at DoverDover International Speedway2 p.m. ETFS1MRN-
May 9 (Sat.)NASCAR Cup Series Race at MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway8 p.m. ETFS1MRN-
May 16 (Sat.)All-Star RaceCharlotte Motor Speedway9 p.m. ETFS1MRN-
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway6 p.m. ETFoxPRN-
May 31Kansas 400Kansas Speedway2 p.m. ETFS1MRN-
June 7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway2 p.m. ETFS1MRN-
June 14Toyota / Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway3 p.m. ETFS1PRN-
June 21Chicagoland 400Chicagoland Speedway2:30 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
June 27 (Sat.)Kids Free 325Pocono Raceway3 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
June 28Worry-Free Weather Guarantee 350Pocono Raceway3:30 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
July 5Big Machine Vodka 400 at the BrickyardIndianapolis Motor Speedway3:30 p.m. ETNBCIMS Radio-
July 11 (Sat.)Quaker State 400 Presented by WalmartKentucky Speedway7:30 p.m. ETNBCSNPRN-
July 19Foxwoods Resort Casino 301New Hampshire Motor Speedway3 p.m. ETNBCSNPRN-
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Aug. 9Consumers Energy 400Michigan International Speedway3 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
Aug. 16Go Bowling at The GlenWatkins Glen International3 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
Aug. 23Drydene 400Dover International Speedway3 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
Aug. 29 (Sat.)Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway7:30 p.m. ETNBCMRN-

NASCAR schedule 2020: Playoff races

DateRaceTrackStart timeTV channelRadioWinner
Sept. 6Southern 500Darlington Raceway6 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
Sept. 12 (Sat.)Federated Auto Parts 400Richmond Raceway7:30 p.m. ETNBCSNMRN-
Sept. 19 (Sat.)Bass Pro Shops NRA Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway7:30 p.m. ETNBCSNPRN-
Sept. 27South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway7 p.m. ETNBCSNPRN-
Oct. 4Alabama 500Talladega Superspeedway2 p.m. ETNBCMRN-
Oct. 11Bank of America ROVAL 400Charlotte Motor Speedway2:30 p.m. ETNBCPRN-
Oct. 18Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway2:30 p.m. ETNBCMRN-
Oct. 25Texas 500Texas Motor Speedway3 p.m. ETNBCSNPRN-
Nov. 1NASCAR Cup Series Fall Race at MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway2 p.m. ETNBCMRN-
Nov. 8NASCAR Cup Series ChampionshipPhoenix Raceway3 p.m. ETNBCMRN-

Tadd Haislop

Tadd Haislop is the Associate NFL Editor at SportingNews.com.