The 67th Daytona 500 is here, and the entire racing fraternity is all set to make it a historic event. Fans from all across the world will convene at the Daytona International Speedway this Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET to bear witness to the thundering roar of V8 engines. Let’s take a look at how many hearts will exactly be there cheering in the name of NASCAR.
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Just as it has been for the last 10 seasons, the stands are completely sold out this time, too. The overall seating in the World Center Racing is approximately 101,500, with room for 49,500 more in camping. None of the seats are empty. However, tickets for other events during the Speedweeks are still available.
So, does that mean there is no hope for anyone still looking to watch the Great American Race in person? Fans can purchase tickets on the resale market and catch their favorite drivers in action. Tickets remain for the weekend on Stubhub. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, as many as 150,000 fans were believed to be in attendance at the track.
The continuous interest from fans in watching the Daytona 500 can be taken as a positive result of all the marketing efforts that have been taken in penetrating new markets and demographics. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe will start the upcoming race from pole position. Alongside him on the front row will be Team Penske’s Austin Cindric.
Biggest purse in history announced for the Daytona 500
Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass revealed on X this week that the overall purse for the race has been fixed at $30,331,250. This is the highest amount ever shelved out by the promotion to reward the best performers of a Daytona 500. Notably, this number is almost $2 million higher than what was given out last year.
The winner on Sunday is expected to receive 10% of the purse for his work. It is no secret that teams and drivers value this prize money greatly. Financial problems are far from over for the less-pronounced teams in the field, and they could put a share of the pie to great use throughout the season. The starting order of the rest of the grid will be decided by the Daytona Duels.
Weather reports haven’t been entirely positive about Sunday. A 50-60% chance of showers is present for the day with the probability of weening towards the night. Hope from the 150,000+ crowd would be that the event doesn’t get delayed as usual.
