What time does the 2025 Daytona 500 start? Why NASCAR changed the season opener's green flag time

The Daytona 500 is the biggest race on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and it kicks off the season every year. The 2025 Daytona 500 is set for Sunday, February 16, and the green flag was originally set to fly at 2:30 p.m. ET. But that’s since changed.

Mother Nature likes to insert herself into NASCAR, and that apparently includes Sunday’s season opener. The forecast projects a chance of rain in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sunday afternoon, which could delay or pause the race.

So the 2025 Daytona 500 is now scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET after NASCAR announced Friday afternoon that it’s moving the time an hour earlier “due to potential weather forecasted for the Daytona Beach area late Sunday”.

All of the broadcast information will remain the same: FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. But The Great American Race will start early this year.